Travel:  March 14-23, 2014 over Spring Break

Application Deadline: September 15 2013. Download application form at http://business.uc.edu/intb/forms or (Spanish majors) contact Siusan Sinclair.

Program Overview: The Lindner College of Business and the Department of Romance Languages offer a Service Learning Project with Habitat for Humanity's Global Village program. These programs are short-term home building projects that develop cross-cultural understanding and increase awareness for the need for simple, decent, affordable shelter for all people. This program offers opportunities for close interaction with the community.

Spring Semester course: INTB 5015 or SPAN 5053 Service Learning Guatemala

Eligibility: All business students who have completed their sophomore core including MKTG2080 and Spanish majors who are in the process of completing or have already completed their 200 level sequence are eligible. Students must be in good academic standing (GPA 2.5).

Living Accommodations: Lodging will be arranged by Habitat for Humanity Guatemala in simple and safe hotels. Meals will provided by Habitat on work days.

Travel Documents: 

Passport - Download the passport application from www.travel.state.gov/download_applications.html  6-8 weeks for delivery.)

Cost:

Estimated out-of-pocket expenses: Costs are subject to change.

Grants: UC International Programs offers student grants ranging from $500-$1200 based on an on-line proposal. To apply (deadline November 15) go to http://www.uc.edu/international/programs/students/financial_planning.html

Spanish majors are eligible to apply for a Taft Scholarship and/or Romance Language and Literature scholarship in addition to the UC International Programs Scholarship.

Guatemala  is a Spanish speaking country located in Central America. It is a country of dramatic contrasts from active volcanoes to beaches, impressive ruins of Mayan temples to Spanish colonial towns.  In November 1999, Guatemala held its first peacetime elections in nearly 40 years. Today it is a constitutional democratic republic.

• Map of Guatemala
• Habitat for Humanity Guatemala

5 million without a decent place to live
The housing deficit in Guatemala has grown to approximately 1,021,592 families. Of this amount, 410,800 families do not own their own home and 616,200 own some form of poverty housing. This means that more than 5,000,000 Guatemalans, most of whom are children, live in and cope with poverty housing constructed in precarious locations. In addition to these staggering figures, 45,000 new families each year find themselves in this situation, without a decent place to live.

Through donations from individuals and companies Habitat Guatemala has been purchasing large pieces of land in various communities throughout Guatemala to build Habitat communities known as colonies. The price of the land is worked into the partner family's monthly payment. This enables Habitat to reach families that would not normally qualify for a home because they can not afford the land.