Description:
United Planet's Quest Volunteer Abroad program offers you or your group a life-changing opportunity to interact with local communities through customized work experiences, cultural activities, and home stays. United Planet Quests are offered in 50 countries from 1-52 weeks.
Volunteer in a variety of different locations while immersing yourself in the culture of Guatemala! Due to its large indigenous population, Guatemala maintains a rich culture. You will be staying in the heart of the Sierra Madre mountains in the city of Quetzaltenango (abbreviated Xela). Surrounding Quetzaltenango are various villages of Quiche and Mam origin, containing market squares and churches of the old colonial style. Explore the beauty of Guatemala while volunteering with those who need your help. For more detailed information, please visit our website.
Highlights:
United Planets Quest's offers volunteers a unique blend of work, cultural emersion, and fun. All ages and skill levels are invited to apply. Everyone has something to offer!
Guatemala Womens Shelter Quest:
This is a great opportunity for social workers and psychologists or people who are interested in empowering women. This shelter is a network of facilities designed for the use of women and their children who have fled a situation of abuse. The shelter is managed entirely by women and funded by private donations and has a volunteer staff that works there and runs day care facilities. Both places are managed by a Volunteer Coordinator (the volunteer with the most experience).
Work includes assisting in day care or in after school tutoring and activities for the children. Volunteers can help children with their homework before and after school. Volunteers also organize recreational and creative activities for the children and their mothers. Volunteers do not need any previous experience!
Qualifications / Skills Needed:
None
Languages:
English
and Spanish
Cost in US$: Prices starting at $1295
Cost Includes:
Emergency evacuation services,
Food
and Housing
- Host family accommodations and meals
- Devoted support from the United Planet team
- Travel insurance
- Pre-departure training
- 1-way transfer from airport to UP's partner office for briefing
- Orientation, mid-Quest check-in, final evaluation
- Language lessons
- Historical, cultural and recreational excursions
- Global Caring Award upon successful Quest completion
- United Planet t-shirt or hoodie sweatshirt
Experience Required: no
Typical Volunteer Projects:
adult education,
childcare/children,
counseling,
gender issues,
social services, social work,
teaching,
tutor,
volunteering,
women
and youth
Typical Volunteer: International volunteer travel is often filled with unpredictable surprises, such as transportation delays, local holidays, etc. Cultures may vary greatly and you might feel outside of your comfort zone in some situations. People, including the local population and fellow Quest participants, might have different religious, ideological, racial, linguistic, and cultural backgrounds.
United Planet offers volunteer opportunities to people of all ages and backgrounds and request that volunteers strive to always be: flexible, courageous, open-minded, tolerant and compassionate.
United Planet volunteers are offered pre-departure training and materials, which include cultural adjustment tools and other tips to help you adjust to your new surroundings.
Age Range: 18 and up
This Program is open to
World Wide
Participants.
This Program is also open to
Families, Couples and Individuals.
Typical Living Arrangement:
Home-stays
Participants Travel to Guatemala
Independently
Or
in Groups
Typically Participants Work
Independently
Or
in Groups
Application Process Involves:
- Phone Interview
- Written Application
Typically The Application Process Time Is 12hours
Post Services Include:
Alumni Network
Job and Internship Network
United Planet's Mission Statement: United Planet (UP) is a leading international, educational, humanitarian, and peace-building non-profit organization with members and volunteers in over 150 countries devoted to fostering cross-cultural understanding and friendship and supporting communities in need in order to unite the world in a community beyond borders. United Planet utilizes a wide range of local, online, and international programs to achieve this essential mission. The underlying principle of our programs is the concept of Relational Diplomacy, in which we recognize that the relationship between two people of diverse backgrounds is the basic building block for uniting the world in a community beyond borders. United Planets innovative programs are designed to expose our common human bonds and foster respect and appreciation for our cultural, racial, and religious diversity, while improving and enriching lives worldwide. All the people of the world are invited to join United Planet's membership in "a community beyond borders."
Year Founded: 2001