Office of Student Life
Leadership and Community Engagement

Guatemala: Hug It Forward

Supporting the construction of "bottle schools" through sustainable eco-bricks to expand access to education in Guatemala

Community Partner: Hug It Forward

Trip Dates: December 14-21, 2024 

Location: Antigua, Guatemala 

Number of Participants: 15

Price: $2000 

Apply for a Buck-I-SERV Winter 2024 trip! (applications available mid-August)

Included in participant fee: 

  • All logistical and travel expenses: All transportation costs (transportation to and from John Glenn Columbus International Airport), roundtrip flights to and from Guatemala, in-country transportation in Guatemala, and overnight lodging for the duration of the trip.
  • Hug It Forward program fees for facilitating a week of service.
  • GeoBlue Supplemental International Insurance enrollment and coverage for duration of trip/travel. 
  • Buck-I-SERV supplies/swag: Individual items (t-shirts, water bottles, fanny packs, pens, and reflection booklets for each group member) and group items (first aid kit, disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizer, deck of playing cards, and thank you card for community partner). 
  • Buck-I-SERV Events and Training: Winter Kick-Off and Welcome Back events with catering and pre-trip education and training. 
  • All group meals and group activities during trip. Please note students should plan to bring money for individual expenses such as gifts and souvenirs. 

Travel and housing: 

  • Participants will fly roundtrip to and from Guatemala City, Guatemala. 
  • Upon arrival in Guatemala City, the group will be picked up via shuttle and transported to your hotel. Shuttles will be arranged for transportation throughout the week. 
  • Housing is accommodated in a local hotel nearby the bottle school construction site. The last night of the trip will be spent in Antigua. 
  • A packing list will be provided to participants and discussed during pre-trip meetings leading up to departure. 

What to expect:

  • Hug It Forward is a multicultural organization operating at the grassroots level in theregion of Latin America, with an emphasis in Guatemala. Hug It Forward facilitates education and awareness around improved trash management methods via the construction ofbottle classrooms. Bottle classrooms are constructed using eco-bricks, which are plastic bottles stuffed with inorganic trash. During the project process, entirecommunities come together to build a more environmentally responsible educational space for their future.
  • Bottle schools are constructed using the tried and tested method of post and beam construction, with sturdy foundations, columns, and beams made of concrete reinforcedwith iron rebar. The component that gives bottle schools their name and makes them more environmentally-friendly is the use of “eco-bricks” in place of cinder blocks or bricks.
  • The work you’ll be doing to build a bottle school addresses two pressing problems in Guatemala: only 68% of Guatemalan students enrolled in primary school complete it, and only 4% of rural Guatemalans have access to trash disposal services.
  • In addition to engaging in direct service, activities in which you will participate include a visit to the Mayan ruins of Iximché;walks around the UNESCO Heritage city of Antigua; cultural and historical talks; and much more!
  • Please note: A valid passport is necessary at time of application for this INTERNATIONAL trip. Passports must have expiration date of at least 6 months after the return date of the trip (ex: June 2025)