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Earthships, Eco-Bricks & Democracy: Matt Paneitz on Fighting Poverty Through Education
What if trash could build schools, students could fight poverty, and real democracy began in 7th grade? In this profoundly moving interview, we sit down with Matt Paneitz, founder of Long Way Home, a nonprofit turning 550+ tons of waste into a sustainable Hero School campus in rural Guatemala.
In this powerful and uplifting conversation, we talk with Matt Paneitz — paramedic, Peace Corps volunteer, educator, builder, and founder of A Long Way Home, a nonprofit in Comalapa, Guatemala, transforming trash into resilient classrooms and turning students into community problem-solvers.
Matt spent two decades proving that purpose can truly be built from the ground up. His Hero School model, recognized by UNESCO, blends green building, indigenous Kachikal traditions, democratic education, and community empowerment. The result? Students who don’t just learn about change — they create it.
We talk about:
✨ How 550+ tons of trash became a sustainable K–12 campus
✨ Students solving poverty using what they learn in school
✨ Bamboo trusses, earthbag domes, eco-brick walls & tire foundations
✨ Matt’s intense origin story — from a small Texas town to the Peace Corps to hitchhiking through Guatemala
✨ The unseen realities of poverty and resilience
✨ How one volunteer idea grew into a movement
✨ Why democratic education could change the future of entire countries
✨ What Matt hopes to bring to the Secretary of Education
✨ The power of purpose, passion, and “la lucha” — the shared struggle
✨ Our own reflections afterward about chasing purpose even when it looks “crazy” from the outside
If you’ve ever questioned your path, your purpose, or the impact one person can make — this episode will move you.
Support Long Way Home
Volunteer, donate, or learn more:
🔗 lwhome.org
📞 Matt’s direct number (he insisted!): 978-992-2333
Follow Us & Join the Journey
Blog & photos: kerouacscruising.com
Instagram & Facebook: @kerouacscruising
Email: [email protected]
Support our work on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/kerouacscruising
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By James & Cara Kerouac | Adventure Podcast Hosts
5
22 ratings
What if trash could build schools, students could fight poverty, and real democracy began in 7th grade? In this profoundly moving interview, we sit down with Matt Paneitz, founder of Long Way Home, a nonprofit turning 550+ tons of waste into a sustainable Hero School campus in rural Guatemala.
In this powerful and uplifting conversation, we talk with Matt Paneitz — paramedic, Peace Corps volunteer, educator, builder, and founder of A Long Way Home, a nonprofit in Comalapa, Guatemala, transforming trash into resilient classrooms and turning students into community problem-solvers.
Matt spent two decades proving that purpose can truly be built from the ground up. His Hero School model, recognized by UNESCO, blends green building, indigenous Kachikal traditions, democratic education, and community empowerment. The result? Students who don’t just learn about change — they create it.
We talk about:
✨ How 550+ tons of trash became a sustainable K–12 campus
✨ Students solving poverty using what they learn in school
✨ Bamboo trusses, earthbag domes, eco-brick walls & tire foundations
✨ Matt’s intense origin story — from a small Texas town to the Peace Corps to hitchhiking through Guatemala
✨ The unseen realities of poverty and resilience
✨ How one volunteer idea grew into a movement
✨ Why democratic education could change the future of entire countries
✨ What Matt hopes to bring to the Secretary of Education
✨ The power of purpose, passion, and “la lucha” — the shared struggle
✨ Our own reflections afterward about chasing purpose even when it looks “crazy” from the outside
If you’ve ever questioned your path, your purpose, or the impact one person can make — this episode will move you.
Support Long Way Home
Volunteer, donate, or learn more:
🔗 lwhome.org
📞 Matt’s direct number (he insisted!): 978-992-2333
Follow Us & Join the Journey
Blog & photos: kerouacscruising.com
Instagram & Facebook: @kerouacscruising
Email: [email protected]
Support our work on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/kerouacscruising