Teacher Show Me the World

Today’s guest is Matt Paneitz, the founder of Long Way Home (LWH). His work has earned global recognition and created one of the best service-learning opportunities available for teachers and students.

His Story

Before founding Long Way Home, Matt was a 911 Paramedic and later served in the Peace Corps (2002). After completing his service, he launched LWH and helped construct the first city park in Comalapa, Guatemala (2005–2008).

In 2009, Matt began what became an internationally recognized sustainability project: the construction of the Hero School campus, a 20-structure educational environment made almost entirely from repurposed waste materials.

This included:

35,000 used tires

550+ tons of reclaimed waste

Designs optimized for local climate and environmental conditions

The campus also incorporates:

Solar power

Rainwater catchment + purification

Dry composting latrines that manage all grey and black water

Systems intentionally visible as teaching tools

Matt open-sourced every structure profile to allow others to replicate the designs → https://lwhomegreen.org

Education Earned While Building

While living and working in rural Guatemala, Matt earned:

A Bachelor’s degree in Sustainability (2012)

A Master’s degree in Education (2015)

And he is currently completing his Doctorate in Education

His academic work combined with his on-the-ground building experience led to the creation of the Hero School Education Model, which received the UNESCO-Japan Prize for Education for Sustainable Development in 2023.

Workshops, Books & Programs

Matt also developed:

The Green Building Workshop, a one-month intensive green-building program

The Green Building Manual

A 4-course university certificate in Critical Pedagogy & Sustainability

His current work as a Fellow with ASAP (Academics Stand Against Poverty) at Yale University

Matt lived in Comalapa for 20 years, working alongside local builders, teachers, and families.

Calling All Teachers: Bring Your Students to Guatemala for Service Learning

Matt is actively looking for:
✔️ Volunteers
✔️ Teachers
✔️ Student groups
✔️ Service-learning programs
✔️ Affordable international school trips

Long Way Home provides a truly immersive and budget-friendly program where students can:

Learn sustainable design

Participate in green building

Engage with the local community

Experience environmental stewardship hands-on

Make a real, lasting impact

If you're a teacher dreaming of taking your students abroad for meaningful, purpose-driven travel, this is exactly the kind of program you're looking for.

When you contact him, please mention that you heard his interview on Teacher Show Me the World.

🔗 Connect with Long Way Home

Website: https://lwhome.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lwhomeorg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lwhome_org/?hl=en
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGp4wuyTpyGytkXWSwYX1SA
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-way-home/

In this episode of Teacher Show Me the World, I sit down with Stefanie Lachenauer, middle school educator, author, mindfulness teacher, and the 2025 New Jersey State Teacher of the Year. Stefanie’s work centers on helping both students and educators cultivate mindfulness, resilience, and emotional regulation—skills that are essential in today’s classrooms.

We talk about her neuroscience-based approach to learning, the power of presence in teaching, and how mindfulness practices can help students manage stress, build confidence, and thrive both inside and outside the classroom.

What truly stands out is how Stefanie extends learning beyond the school walls. As the founder of the Joyful Journeys Travel and Adventure Club, she takes students on global service-learning trips that combine travel, compassion, and leadership. Much like I believe travel transforms students’ perspectives, Stefanie shows how mindfulness and adventure together help young people discover who they are and what they’re capable of.

You’ll hear:

How mindfulness supports emotional regulation and student engagement

Practical ways educators can integrate mindfulness and wellness into their classrooms and while traveling with their students.

What neuroscience reveals about learning, stress, and resilience

How travel and service experiences build empathy and leadership

The inspiration behind her bestselling book, Let the Glitter Settle: Mindfulness for Teens

Stefanie’s story is a powerful reminder that teaching is both heart work and brain work—and that our calm presence as educators helps students find their own center.

Learn more about Stefanie Lachenauer:
www.stefanielachenauer.com
Let the Glitter Settle: Mindfulness for Teens — Available on Amazon
Instagram: @NJSTOY2025 | @stefaniealachenauer | @LetTheGlitterSettle
Facebook: Stefanie Lachenauer, 2025 NJ State Teacher of the Year

✨ “Mindfulness gives our students the tools to navigate the noise, find calm in the chaos, and let their own glitter settle.” — Stefanie Lachenauer

If you are looking for additional resources that will help market and build your travel program, be sure to buy The Ultimate Marketing Tool Kit to help grow and expand your world travel program.

Looking for more resources? The Ultimate Group Leader’s Travel Bundle has everything you need to lead a successful world travel program!

In this episode of Teacher Show Me the World, I sit down with Iuri Melo, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, author, and co-founder of SchoolPulse, a nationwide program that helps students, parents, and educators strengthen their mental and emotional well-being through daily encouragement, optimism, and practical mindset tools.

What makes Iuri’s approach so unique is how he brings learning outside the classroom. Through Adventure-Based Therapy, he uses real-world challenges—like those found in nature, teamwork, and personal goal-setting—to help students build confidence, resilience, and self-awareness. Much like travel, these experiences remind us that growth often happens when we step beyond our comfort zones.

We talk about the power of connection, how to support students through life’s struggles, and how simple, consistent messages of hope can truly change school culture.

You’ll hear:

How Iuri turned tragedy into purpose through the creation of SchoolPulse

What Adventure-Based Therapy looks like and why it works

Strategies for helping students (and teachers) strengthen emotional resilience

Why meaningful experiences beyond the classroom—like travel or adventure—are vital for student growth

How a few kind words can change the course of a student’s day, or even their life

Iuri’s mission to “bless the human family” resonates deeply with educators who believe learning extends far beyond the walls of a classroom. His work is a reminder that when we nurture curiosity, courage, and compassion, we’re helping students see their world—and themselves—differently.

📘 Learn more about Iuri Melo:

SchoolPulse – Student Support Service

Books: Know Thy Selfie | Mind Over Grey Matter

Comprehensive Mental Health Resource Page

✨ “When we teach students to manage their minds, we give them the power to shape their lives.” — Iuri Melo

If you are looking for additional resources that will help market and build your travel program, be sure to buy The Ultimate Marketing Tool Kit to help grow and expand your world travel program.

Looking for more resources? The Ultimate Group Leader’s Travel Bundle has everything you need to lead a successful world travel program!

In this episode of Teacher Show Me the World, I sit down with Wells Jones — adventurer, storyteller, and co-author of A Line in the Sand — for an unforgettable conversation about what it truly means to explore the world.

From Navy Pararescue missions in Antarctica to mountaintop reflections and cultural crossroads around the globe, Wells has lived a life defined by curiosity and connection. We talk about how travel can become a bridge between people, a classroom for understanding, and a mirror for our own growth.

You’ll hear:

How Wells’s time in the Navy shaped his perspective on courage and compassion

The story behind A Line in the Sand and how friendship, history, and travel intersect

Why the most meaningful souvenirs aren’t the ones we bring home, but the insights we gain along the way

How educators (and their students!) can use travel to deepen empathy and global awareness

Whether you’re a teacher dreaming of leading your first student trip or a lifelong learner seeking new ways to connect across cultures, this episode will inspire you to see travel as more than movement — but as transformation.

📘 Learn more about Wells Jones:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/wstadjones
🎧 A Line in the Sand — available now on Audible, narrated by Edoardo Ballerini

✨ “The true treasure of travel,” Wells reminds us, “is not the artifact or the destination, but the understanding forged between people.”

If you are looking for additional resources that will help market and build your travel program, be sure to buy The Ultimate Marketing Tool Kit to help grow and expand your world travel program.

Looking for more resources? The Ultimate Group Leader’s Travel Bundle has everything you need to lead a successful world travel program!

In this episode of Teacher Show Me the World, I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Lily Fu, a lifelong educator and global leader whose story is both inspiring and thought-provoking.

Lily grew up surrounded by education—her parents were both teachers in Taiwan—and from a young age, she carried that same passion into her own teaching career in Japan and Taiwan. But her journey didn’t stop in the classroom. Lily went on to play a key role in building executive education programs for Harvard Business School in China and expanding the global footprint of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with programs reaching as far as Dubai and Singapore. Today, she continues her work in global education at the New England Innovation Academy, where she helps students grow as curious, entrepreneurial thinkers and global citizens.

In our conversation, we explored:

Her roots in education – and how her upbringing shaped the way she sees global learning today.

Moving from teaching to building partnerships at Harvard and MIT, and what she carries from those experiences into her current role.

Defining global citizenship for American students and why it matters now more than ever.

How to design student travel with purpose—beyond sightseeing—to create authentic cultural engagement.

How school leaders can support global programs, even when travel feels optional in tight budgets.

Stories of partnerships abroad that have transformed the way her students see the world.

The everyday impact of travel, and how students bring those experiences back into their learning and problem-solving.

Creating a curriculum without borders, where global thinking is woven into everyday study.

One of the themes that kept coming up in our conversation is something I deeply believe in too: travel is the ultimate teacher. It shapes us, challenges us, and gives us the courage to see the world through new perspectives. Lily’s insights into how to integrate travel into education—in meaningful, lasting ways—are ones I know every teacher, parent, and student will benefit from hearing.

Tune in, and get ready to be inspired by Lily’s story and her vision for global learning.

If you are looking for additional resources that will help market and build your travel program, be sure to buy The Ultimate Marketing Tool Kit to help grow and expand your world travel program.

Looking for more resources? The Ultimate Group Leader’s Travel Bundle has everything you need to lead a successful world travel program!

In this episode of Teacher Show Me the World, I share unforgettable experiences from Southern Africa and Sicily. From visiting a school in Zimbabwe to sunset cruises on the Zambezi, and from climbing Mount Etna to exploring crystal-clear Sicilian waters, I break down the lessons, logistics, and takeaways that teachers can use when planning their own student trips abroad.

Episode Highlights:

Southern Africa:

Visiting a school in Zimbabwe and playing a pick-up soccer game with students.

Touring Nelson Mandela’s house.

Safari adventures, including close encounters with wildlife.

Crossing into Zambia by bicycle and a sunset cruise on the Zambezi, complete with hippos and the thunder of Victoria Falls.

Sicily:

Why Sicily stole my heart and how it compares to hotspots like Amalfi.

Mount Etna adventures and body rafting experiences.

Exploring Palermo catacombs and crystal-clear coastal waters.

Wrapping Up:

Key takeaways from each destination: student engagement, cultural immersion, and logistical lessons.

To help market your world travel program, be sure to use the Ultimate Marketing Tool Kit . The Tool Kit comes with a dedicated marketing plan and all of the resources you will need to help advertise and build your world travel program. Check out more World Travel Resources that will help prepare your students for traveling overseas by clicking here! In addition, be sure to join the Teacher Show Me the World Facebook group to be a part of a community of like-minded educators who show their students the world!

🌍 Show Notes for Website

In this episode of Teacher Show Me the World, I’m sharing lessons from my own summer of travel. After logging miles across continents, I’ve collected tips, strategies, and stories that I know will help you as you plan and lead student trips abroad. From packing smart to debating whether parents should come along, this episode is all about real-world takeaways from the road.

Here’s what I cover:

Setting the Stage

My Polarsteps recap: miles traveled, countries visited, and days on the road.

Why backpack-only travel was the smartest choice for navigating two seasons and 5 continents.

Travel Logistics & Survival Tips

How I survived the long-haul flights (yes, the sleeping pill tip!).

My favorite way to maximize travel—adding bonus trips before or after the main tour.

Big Picture Debates in Student Travel

Parents or no parents on trips? I weigh the pros and cons.

Destination Spotlights & Takeaways

Australia & New Zealand:

Why having a top-notch Tour Director matters.

How I prepare families for the cost of extra activities.

And the surprising reason you can’t swim in Cairns (spoiler: crocodiles!).

If you’re a teacher planning your first student trip, a seasoned Group Leader—or just curious about what really happens behind the scenes—this episode is packed with insights you can use right away.

To help market your world travel program, be sure to use the Ultimate Marketing Tool Kit . The Tool Kit comes with a dedicated marketing plan and all of the resources you will need to help advertise and build your world travel program. Check out more World Travel Resources that will help prepare your students for traveling overseas by clicking here! In addition, be sure to join the Teacher Show Me the World Facebook group to be a part of a community of like-minded educators who show their students the world!

In this exciting second episode with Carolyn Swaney, we dive into the powerful strategy of using student ambassadors to promote your student travel program. Carolyn shares her proven methods for selecting and empowering students who will work to recruit their peers and help build excitement around your trips. This approach not only strengthens the community within your travel program but also creates authentic, peer-driven testimonials that resonate with other students.

Carolyn offers valuable insights on how to identify the right students to represent your program, how to equip them with the tools they need to succeed, and the best ways to leverage student testimonials for recruitment. From creating engaging promotional materials to encouraging students to share their personal travel experiences, Carolyn's model is designed to build a sustainable, student-driven travel program that grows year after year.

Key Highlights:

Building Your Ambassador Team: Learn how to select student ambassadors who are passionate about travel and motivated to spread the word about your program. Carolyn shares tips on what qualities to look for and how to engage them effectively.

Leveraging Student Testimonials: Carolyn discusses the power of authentic, student-driven testimonials in recruiting new participants. She shares examples of how student ambassadors can share their experiences to inspire others to sign up for upcoming trips.

Sustaining Growth: Carolyn’s approach is designed for long-term success. She explains how student ambassadors can help create a lasting cycle of recruitment, ensuring your travel program thrives and grows year after year.

Creating a Strong Travel Community: By involving students in the recruitment process, you’re not only promoting your program but also building a community that supports each other and shares the excitement of world travel.

If you’re looking to build a successful, sustainable student travel program, Carolyn's student ambassador model is a game-changer. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to expand your existing program, this episode is packed with actionable ideas and inspiration for making your travel program more engaging, impactful, and successful.

Tune in to discover how you can use your students to recruit new travelers and create a thriving, student-led world travel program!

If you’ve ever organized a big trip with a lot of students, you know how tricky it can be, especially when you’re managing two buses full of excited travelers. In today’s episode, I’m joined by the amazing Serena Lovin, who shares her expertise on everything you need to know about organizing double bus tours. We dive into how to recruit enough students, manage the logistics, and make sure everyone has a fantastic experience. Whether you’re planning your first big trip or you’re a seasoned pro, Serena’s insights are a must-hear!

What We Talked About:

1. Initial Recruitment & Managing High Numbers

Filling Both Buses: Double bus tours need a lot of students! Serena talks about the strategies she uses to recruit enough people to fill both buses while keeping everything manageable and fun for everyone.

Handling the Sign-Up Stress: What happens when there’s more demand than available spots? Serena shares her tips on how to stay organized and handle the pressure of sign-ups with ease.

Convincing Students & Parents: Getting both students and parents excited about a big group trip can be a challenge. Serena shares her best advice for showing them the value of the experience, even with the larger group size.

2. Logistics & Managing the Large Group

Coordinating Two Buses: When you're managing two buses, smooth coordination is key. Serena walks us through her process for ensuring everything goes off without a hitch, from transportation to meal times and group activities.

Tracking Students on the Ground: With such a large group, tracking everyone is critical. Serena discusses the tools and systems she uses to make sure no student gets left behind, keeping everything organized during the trip.

Keeping the Groups Aligned: Sometimes, two buses can feel like two separate trips. Serena shares her approach to making sure both buses have similar experiences, so no group feels left out.

3. Student Experience & Keeping the Group Together

Avoiding the ‘Separate Trip’ Feeling: It’s easy for things to feel disconnected with such a large group, but Serena shares her strategies for ensuring both buses are unified and everyone feels like part of the same experience.

Takeaways: Planning a double bus tour doesn’t have to be overwhelming! With Serena’s expert advice, you’ll walk away with practical strategies to handle recruitment, logistics, and group dynamics. From filling the buses to keeping everything running smoothly on the ground, this episode will give you all the tips you need to make your next big trip a success.

Links & Resources:

www.teachershowmetheworld.com

Thanks so much for tuning in! Don’t forget to subscribe and share this episode with fellow educators or trip planners who could use some expert tips. We’ll see you next time with more insights on making student travel unforgettable!

In this episode, we sit down with Carolyn Swaney, an experienced educator, to discuss how to handle medical emergencies while traveling with students. From pre-trip preparations to responding to emergencies on the ground, Carolyn shares essential tips for ensuring student safety abroad.

Key Highlights:

Pre-Trip Preparation: Learn what steps Carolyn takes before the trip to ensure preparedness, including gathering the right medical information from students and parents, and making sure every student has proper travel insurance coverage.

Responding to Emergencies: Carolyn walks us through real-life scenarios, sharing how she manages medical situations abroad, handles language barriers, and keeps the group calm during a crisis.

Working with Local Healthcare: Find out how to navigate local healthcare systems when you need medical assistance abroad and how to find reputable healthcare providers quickly.

Post-Emergency Handling & Communication: Discover the best practices for communicating with parents back home while managing the emergency on-site, and gain valuable insights into lessons learned from Carolyn’s experiences.

Whether you’re planning your first international trip with students or are looking for ways to improve your emergency preparedness, this episode provides practical, real-world advice to help keep your students safe and ensure a smooth experience during medical emergencies abroad.

Don't miss this informative discussion on how to handle the unexpected with confidence!

If you are looking for great resources that will make your trip abroad with your students, be sure to check out the resources like The Ultimate Group Leader’s Travel Bundle; it literally has everything you need to set you up for success on your next trip abroad.