Long Way Home's mission as a registered US 501(c)3 is to use sustainable design and materials to construct self-sufficient schools that promote education, employment and environmental stewardship. Our vision is to empower communities to break the cycle of poverty through innovative solutions to local challenges. Long Way Home is currently constructing a self sustainable 18-building green academy in the Western Highlands of Guatemala. Using radically green alternative methods and materials, we are empowering the youth of this community, the majority of whom are Kaqchikel Maya, to be the architects of their own futures. To date we’ve used over 400 tons of garbage in our construction projects and we currently serve 115 students in grades K-8. Volunteers with Long Way Home will experience a variety of tasks which may include pounding tires with rammed earth, using bottles stuffed with trash to form fences, creating and placing glass bottle bricks for natural lighting, or harvesting cactus pads for a natural sealant.