Shoshanna Sumka Joins Somos as Senior Advisor, School Partnerships & Global Learning
We’re excited to welcome Shoshanna Sumka to the Somos Impact Travel team. Shoshanna is joining us for a focused two-month engagement as Senior Advisor, School Partnerships & Global Learning. She’ll be working with us on schoolpartnership development, our educational framework, and helping connect the right institutions with the programs we’ve built on the ground in […]
Rio Dulce, Guatemala: A River Town in the Jungle
Rio Dulce, Guatemala is not the first stop on most itineraries. Most travelers who come to Guatemala head west. They land in Guatemala City, head to Antigua, then continue to Lake Atitlán. The tourist infrastructure pulls them in that direction, and the rewards are real. Most tourists skip the east, which is home to one […]
Education in Guatemala: The Malnutrition Crisis Holding Children Back
Education in Guatemala’s rural indigenous communities begins with a problem most people don’t see. In Guatemala, roughly one in two children under five suffers from chronic malnutrition. Guatemala ranks first in Latin America and sixth in the world for child malnutrition (ReliefWeb), and the burden is not evenly distributed. Among indigenous children, the rate of […]
Built to Last: How Casa Guatemala Has Educated Children for Nearly 50 Years
There is a stretch of Guatemala that most people never see. Rio Dulce, in the humid lowlands of eastern Guatemala, far from the volcanoes and colonial cobblestones that draw most visitors, is a region that is often overlooked by government services and international attention and thus an ideal spot for service learning in Guatemala. The […]
Guatemala’s All Saints Day: 3,000-Year-Old Kite Tradition vs Halloween
As autumn winds sweep across Guatemala’s highlands, small kites begin to appear in the sky. Children run through streets with homemade creations. Meanwhile, vendors sell colorful tissue-paper kites on every corner. Families gather in open fields to practice their flying techniques. This is kite season in Guatemala. It serves as a prelude to one of […]
Building Cultural Bridges: How to Travel Respectfully in Central America
In Central America, a region rich with indigenous traditions, complex colonial histories, and vibrant contemporary cultures, the way we engage as travelers can perpetuate harmful stereotypes or create meaningful connections that benefit everyone involved. Building authentic cultural bridges is about approaching every interaction with respect, preparing yourself to engage thoughtfully, and understanding that true cultural […]
5 Ways Your Guatemala Service Trip Creates Lasting Change
When you plant a tree in the Lake Atitlán basin, you’re not just adding one sapling to Guatemala’s reforestation efforts. Your action would ripple through the community for years to come—supporting local employment, protecting watersheds, strengthening food security, and inspiring other people to become environmental stewards. This is the hidden power of well-designed service trips […]
Impact Travel vs. Volunteer Tourism: Understanding the Difference That Changes Everything
You’ve seen the Instagram posts: smiling volunteers painting school walls, building houses, or teaching children in remote villages. Despite hashtags that say “changing lives” and “making a difference,” beneath the surface of these well-intentioned images lies a complex question that every conscious traveler must ask: Am I creating positive impact or participating in something that […]
Why Parents Choose Impact Travel in Latin America for Their Teens
It’s a misty morning on the shores of Lake Atitlán in Guatemala, and a group of American high school students are planting rows of native saplings in a hillside nursery. Their sneakers are caked in mud, their hair damp from the mist, but they’re laughing with local farmers, practicing Spanish phrases, and learning how each […]
Gen Z Travel Trends: Sustainable Tourism in Latin America
For decades, tourism in Latin America conjured up images of turquoise beaches and all-inclusive resorts. Today, a new wave of Gen Z travelers is reshaping the region’s travel landscape. More than merely chasing Instagrammable moments, they seek meaningful, purpose-driven journeys that combine adventure, cultural immersion, and sustainability. According to Expedia’s 2024 Gen Z Travel Trends […]