EDTEACH LESSONS THAT LAST A LIFETIME

EDUCATIONPeace Corps Volunteers who serve in the Education (ED) sector play a role in the future of local communities by working with schools, communities, parents, and students to enhance the teaching of math, science, English, and literacy—or by training others to teach more effectively.

WHY ED IS IMPORTANT

Education is a pathway to the global economy for people in developing nations and has a greater impact—particularly for girls—on reducing poverty than many other development initiatives. In most developing countries, few children graduate from secondary school and many do not even finish primary school. In Ghana, for example, only 50 percent of children complete the fifth grade, and of those, less than half can comprehend a simple paragraph.1

WHERE ED VOLUNTEERS WORK

3,061 ED Volunteers (43% of all Peace Corps Volunteers) currently serve in 50 countries:

6%THE

CARIBBEAN3%

CENTRAL AMERICA& MEXICO

5%PACIFICISLANDS

4%SOUTH

AMERICA

47%

AFRICA

15%ASIA19%

EASTERN EUROPE& CENTRAL ASIA

What can change the world today is the same thing that has changed it in the past-an idea and the service of dedicated, committed individuals to that idea.

SARGENT SHRIVER

Peace Corps countries with ED projects:• Albania• Armenia• Benin• Cambodia• Cameroon• China• Colombia• Comoros• Costa Rica• Dominican Republic• Eastern Caribbean• Ecuador• Ethiopia• Georgia• Ghana• Guinea• Guyana• Indonesia• Jamaica• Kosovo• Kyrgyz Republic• Liberia• Macedonia• Madagascar• Malawi• Moldova• Mongolia• Mozambique• Myanmar• Lesotho• Namibia• Nepal• Panama• Philippines• Rwanda• Samoa• Sierra Leone• South Africa• Sri Lanka• Tanzania• Thailand• The Gambia• Timor Leste• Togo• Tonga• Uganda• Ukraine• Vanuatu• Zambia

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1 Epstein, Mark and Yuthas, Kristi. Winter 2012. “Redefining Education in the Developing World.” Stanford Social Innovation Review. Volume 10, Number 1. http://www.ssireview.org/articles/entry/redefining_ education_in_the_developing_world.

WHAT ED VOLUNTEERS DOLiteracy Volunteers work on the elementary level, ensuring that students are both “reading to learn” and “learning to read” through:

• direct student teaching

• work with counterpart to increase their skills in literacy teaching

• work with the families of students to provide home support for school literacy

• facilitating the creation and management of libraries

Math and Science Volunteers provide direct teaching in math and science subjects so that students can:

• apply math and science to the natural world and their community

• see themselves as people who use math and science (especially girls)

• prepare for employment that supports their country’s economy.

Math and Science Volunteers also:

• work with counterparts to share their teaching techniques and to create resources for teaching math and science based on low-cost, local, resources

• increase community awareness of math and science by facilitating events that bring families to the school (such as science fairs and “mathaletes” contests)

Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Volunteers work across grades 3-13, using communicative, student centered approaches to make

language learning fun and meaningful. In addition they provide:

• extracurricular opportunities to practice English including camps and clubs

• training to counterparts in both English proficiency and teaching techniques

• opportunities to engage families in their students’ learning through spelling bees, English plays or skits, and English classes for community members

OUR IMPACTIn Fiscal Year 2018:

• Education Volunteers taught 422,874 students across 50 countries.

• Education Volunteers engaged in either co-teaching or teacher communities of practice with over 20,343 counterpart teachers.

• Education Volunteers facilitated school/community events to improve student learning or school facilities where over 26,477 community members participated.

ABOUT THE PEACE CORPSThe Peace Corps sends Americans with a passion for service abroad on behalf of the United States to work with communities and create lasting change. Volunteers develop sustainable solutions to address challenges in education, health, community economic development, agriculture, environment, and youth development. Through their Peace Corps experience, Volunteers gain a unique cultural understanding and a lifelong commitment to service that positions them to succeed in today’s global economy. Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, more than 230,000 Americans of all ages have served in 141 countries worldwide.

PEACE CORPSPaul D. Coverdell Peace

Corps Headquarters1111 20th Street NW

Washington, DC 20526

toll–free 855.855.1961main 202.692.1200

Brock BradyEducation Specialist

bbrady@peacecorps.gov

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