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Internships in Guatemala:

Guatemala

Guatemala is a country of contrasts.  While it is one of the largest economies in Central America, it is also a country that retains its Mayan traditional culture.  After a long civil war, Guatemala is now a peaceful country working towards reconciliation and rebuilding its economy.  

It is an exciting country to work in and be part of the network of non-governmental organizations working to rebuild society and lift communities out of poverty.

The region of Quetzaltenango or "Xela" is located in the SouthWest of Guatemala and is it's second most populous city with 300,000 inhabitants.  Because it is the former center of the Quiche Maya indigenous group, much of that history and tradition is apparent in Xela, though it often is at odds with some of the more modern aspects of the city. Although it is not a traditional tourist center, Xela has been gaining notoriety as an excellent place to learn the Spanish or Mayan language, and a center for ecotourism. However growth has come at a cost to Xela as it has many of the same infrastructural challenges as Guatemala City. The Guatemalan Civil War and natural disasters that hit various areas of the country caused extensive destruction to rural villages and villagers as a result, have been migrating to an already-overcrowded Xela. Because of Xela's rapid and unplanned expansion small villages have started to take hold around the city. Change is not on the horizon in Xela, it is happening now.

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Our Mission

To empower students to become globally minded professionals by enabling hands-on work experience with organizations around the world that are making a difference. We do this by creating an international network of in-country partners and local grass roots organizations who are working to improve the welfare of their community in areas such as education, health care, the environment, clean energy, economic development, agriculture and more. Terra Intern Abroad is open to work with non-profits, non-governmental organizations, sustainable businesses and mission-driven social enterprises.

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