By Grace Kelly Cantu | Nonprofit Development Coordinator
1. Tech Donation Drive for Hero School
Our Development Director, Katie Larson, will arrive in Guatemala on Friday, February 12!! Thanks to our incredible supporters, she will bring some much-needed tech items to facilitate Hero School's remote learning efforts. Donations totaling $2,180 and consisting of laptops, tablets, and smartphones will help our teachers and administration team ensure a more consistent flow of instruction as they will once again take on the challenge of distance education during at least the first half of 2021.
2. Maximizing safety on our campus
Back in Comalapa, Hero School teachers are focused on finding the best practices for working with our students. And to create a safer environment for our entire Hero School community, specifically our students, our construction team will build and install a new front gate for the school! These types of projects are possible thanks to the monetary support of our donors. We want to thank you for not only continuing to allow us to create a progressive and inclusive educational environment, but also a safe one for all.
3. GivingTuesday 2020
For GivingTuesday 2020, which took place on December 1, the LWH team raised funds to begin construction of the Hero School Science Lab. This building will signify the completion of the original architectural plan that Matt and Adam envisioned for LWH fifteen years ago, and it will sit right on top of the Teachers' Lounge and next to the Cafeteria. Construction will be carried out in two simultaneous phases (Phase S and Phase B), from January 2021 to April 2021.
Aware of the economic impact that COVID-19 has had on families around the world, and therefore doubtful of being able to raise the necessary funds for the project, we set our GivingTuesday goal at $10,000. However, thanks to the support of our generous donors, we managed to raise the incredible sum of $12,118.35, which thanks to our GlobalGiving partners who matched $4,063, became a mind-blowing total of $16,181.35. Not only did we exceed our goal, but we also did it in record time! Our donors truly have a heart of gold, and we are so grateful that they have chosen to be a part of this team.
4. Our wonderful interns!
We are delighted to have on our team, three interns who are (virtually) helping us with our Outreach and Grant Writing efforts.
Estefania, our Outreach intern is a Master's student from Brazil. She has been working alongside Sonia (Outreach Coordinator) to ensure we keep constant communication with donors like you. Estefania says, "I decided to join the LWH family because I'm a huge admirer of the work they've been doing over the years."
Koryna, our Grant Writing Intern is from San Francisco, CA, and has a degree in Biology. She is passionate about environmental and social justice which led her to join our team. She works alongside Katie (Nonprofit Development Director) to search and apply for grants to fund LWH projects. In her free time, Koryna enjoys birdwatching, making sourdough bread, and reading non-fiction books.
Liz, our Grant Writing Intern studied Sociology and Psychology as an undergraduate student and is currently applying to graduate programs. She is a Virginia native who has had a lot of writing experience in previous jobs which has been helpful as she assists Katie to narrow down grant opportunities for LWH. Best of luck with your grad interviews!
If you are interested or know someone who is the perfect fit to become an intern with LWH, we accept interns on a rolling basis! You can learn more about current intern opportunities on our website.
5. Kicking off our Ally Program
Our Hero School staff is preparing to meet the first group of Hero School Allies. During a first Zoom meeting, which will take place today, February 10, both staff and allies will discuss the work that is being done at the school, as well as the motivation behind this new effort to exchange culture and knowledge and debate on education matters. If you are interested in learning from our heroes about the tangible meanings of sustainable community development, please consider becoming an Ally to our Hero School! #BeAHero
6. Education at LWH: College Courses and the Green Building Academy (GBA)!
Matt and Katie have started teaching the college courses for this Spring semester! Our first experience with our student, Asa, was more than we could have imagined. We are excited about all of what this new semester will bring. If you are interested in earning college credit* while supporting the work of LWH at an incredibly affordable rate, then make sure to check out our Certificate in Critical Pedagogy and Sustainability, a perfect way to gain an educational and pedagogical foundation in relation to sustainability. *Available for both undergraduate and graduate levels.
And finally, we are thrilled to announce that we are beginning to accept applications for our fifth Green Building Academy (GBA) in July 2021! The GBA is Long Way Home’s unique 4-week intensive course designed for individuals who wish to dive deep into green-building and design topics, as taught by expert instructors. Participants who join the Academy will contribute to our efforts to make healthy and resilient housing accessible to low-resourced and climate-stressed communities. Sign up here to attend the GBA and celebrate with us as we re-energize after a very tough year!
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