The World Is Our Classroom: Guatemala

Why Community-Led Nutrition and Health Programs Matter

When I say the world is our classroom, I don’t mean travel for travel’s sake. I mean immersive, community-led learning that addresses real needs - especially hunger, nutrition, and health inequities that shape a child’s entire future. Guatemala makes that clear.

Bethel University student, Raanan Sellers (right), takes a break from volunteering in Guatemala with Bethel University Global Studies and GCAC.

The country’s beauty is overwhelming, but what stays with students long after they return home is the people. One of my Bethel University sociology majors, Raanan Sellers, spoke often about how meaningful it was to build relationships - especially with Imelda, the cook at our accommodations. That relationship reinforced a lesson central to sociology and to effective community work: dignity, connection, and shared humanity are the foundation of lasting change.

During our program, students partnered with local professionals on school-based health initiatives. At a rural elementary school, they supported fluoride treatments and taught basic dental hygiene, simple interventions with outsized importance in communities where access to dental care is limited and prohibitively expensive. Students rotated through classrooms demonstrating brushing and flossing techniques, distributing toothbrushes and toothpaste, and working alongside local partners who understand the community’s needs far better than any outsider ever could.

What mattered most was not the activity itself, but the context.

Students learned that chronic health challenges, like poor dental outcomes, are rarely about individual choices alone. They are rooted in food insecurity, limited healthcare access, and structural inequality. A single fluoride treatment won’t solve those problems. But removing barriers does matter. Education matters. Ensuring families have basic resources matters. And thinking beyond one-time interventions toward sustained, community-driven solutions matters most of all.

That same day, students also led age-appropriate English lessons with kindergarteners. In a country where many people speak multiple languages and tourism is a major economic driver, even an early introduction to English can create future opportunities. It was a powerful example of how health, education, and economic resilience are deeply interconnected.

This is where sociology becomes action.

By the end of the program, Raanan articulated a shift I see again and again in our students - from abstract concern to lived responsibility. She reflected:

“This trip solidified my view that community work is important. One day, I’d like to start a soup kitchen in my town. This has always been a dream of mine, but having this kind of experience strengthens my resolve. I think change usually starts at the local level, and giving back to the community is a great place to start.”

Her reflections didn’t stop there. Witnessing the work of Konojel, our local partner focused on food security for pregnant women and young children, gave her a concrete model for sustainable impact:

“Doing something like what Konojel does - focusing on food security for pregnant women and young children- is definitely something I’ll implement whenever I fulfill this goal.”

That insight matters. Konojel’s work targets precisely the populations where early intervention has the greatest long-term impact. Their approach recognizes a simple but powerful truth: when mothers are nourished and children are healthy, entire communities are stronger.

For students, seeing this work firsthand reframes their thinking about hunger. Food insecurity is no longer an abstract issue or a distant statistic; it is a daily reality that affects health, learning, and opportunity from the very beginning of life. Supporting maternal and child nutrition is not just compassionate; it is strategic, preventative, and transformative.

On a personal level, the experience reshaped how Raanan thought about purpose and productivity:

“On a smaller level, this trip encouraged me to be more mindful of how I spend my time at home. I felt so productive in Guatemala after all the volunteer work and exploration we did, and I’d love to implement that even more so into my life now.”

That shift matters. It’s how future community leaders are formed. This is why programs like ours exist.

Guatemala didn’t just teach my students about global inequality. It showed them what effective solutions look like: locally led, culturally grounded, and focused on nutrition, health, and dignity. It reminded them that addressing hunger and improving nutrition isn’t about short-term fixes, but about sustained investment in families and communities.

That is the lesson the world teaches best.

And it’s why I believe so deeply that when we invest in community-based nutrition and health programs, especially those serving mothers and children, we are not just meeting immediate needs. We are shaping healthier, more resilient futures.

The world is our classroom. And when we listen carefully, it tells us exactly where investment can make the greatest difference.