University English Education Co-Teacher - Volunteer Position - Onsite in Kyrgyz Republic - 2 years, plus 3 months training
Peace Corps
United States
Posted on May 3, 2025
About The Job
Apply by :
October 1, 2025
Know By
December 1, 2025
Depart On
June 4, 2026
Duration
2 years, plus 3 months training
ELIGIBILITY: Must be at least 18 years of age. Must be a U.S. citizen.
Project description
The Kyrgyz Republic, commonly referred to as Kyrgyzstan, is a Central Asian country that shares borders with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and China. A crossroads on the historic Silk Road, most of the territory of present-day Kyrgyzstan was annexed to the Russian Empire in 1876, became a Soviet republic in 1936, and achieved independence in 1991. Kyrgyz Republic is slightly smaller than South Dakota with a population of 7.3 million. Over 90% of the country is mountainous, with numerous glaciers and alpine lakes. The climate is continental, with extreme cold in the mountains in winter, subtropical in the southern Fergana Valley area, and temperate in the northern foothill zone.
The Government of the Kyrgyz Republic recognizes that English plays an important role in education and that English language skills can provide opportunities to advance careers, and access information and technology in all fields. The first group of Peace Corps English Education Volunteers arrived in 1993.
Volunteers Work To Implement The Following Five Objectives
Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) bring their schools invaluable knowledge and skills in critical thinking, planning, project design and management, organizational development, information gathering, and communication across cultures. The Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) project affords communities the opportunity to communicate and share culture with a proficient English speaker who is eager to pursue the mission of the Peace Corps.
Volunteers will work in cities and towns throughout the country and will be clustered with 2-4 other Volunteers in nearby communities. Volunteers will have reliable transportation within their community and to the nearest city. Mobile data, text, and calls are readily available.
Annual leave accrues at 2 days per month up to 24 days per year and may only be taken during school breaks, which include 1-2 weeks in fall, winter and spring, and 12 weeks in the summer. Volunteers may not take annual leave during Pre-Service Training, and the first and last 3 months of service to allow for initial integration and final wrap-up and goodbyes.
Volunteers work 34 hours per week, Monday through Friday, at their assigned higher educational institution, as follows:
Schedules at universities will vary between the different higher education institutions, though classes will typically take place in the mornings. University lessons last anywhere from one hour to one and a half hours, and the class schedule is built around academic hours rather than a set schedule of weekly classes.
To be successful, Volunteers will need to be open to new challenges and possess a strong sense of creativity. They will work with both young adults and seasoned teaching staff, and may have limited access to resources, such as textbooks or teaching supplies. Peace Corps/Kyrgyz Republic is committed to providing all Volunteers with relevant professional and cultural training for effective service. All Volunteers receive strong technical training that builds their teaching skills. Volunteers report their work activities on a Peace Corps online database on a quarterly basis.
Required Skills
Qualified candidates will have one or more of the following criteria:
Apply by :
October 1, 2025
Know By
December 1, 2025
Depart On
June 4, 2026
Duration
2 years, plus 3 months training
ELIGIBILITY: Must be at least 18 years of age. Must be a U.S. citizen.
Project description
The Kyrgyz Republic, commonly referred to as Kyrgyzstan, is a Central Asian country that shares borders with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and China. A crossroads on the historic Silk Road, most of the territory of present-day Kyrgyzstan was annexed to the Russian Empire in 1876, became a Soviet republic in 1936, and achieved independence in 1991. Kyrgyz Republic is slightly smaller than South Dakota with a population of 7.3 million. Over 90% of the country is mountainous, with numerous glaciers and alpine lakes. The climate is continental, with extreme cold in the mountains in winter, subtropical in the southern Fergana Valley area, and temperate in the northern foothill zone.
The Government of the Kyrgyz Republic recognizes that English plays an important role in education and that English language skills can provide opportunities to advance careers, and access information and technology in all fields. The first group of Peace Corps English Education Volunteers arrived in 1993.
Volunteers Work To Implement The Following Five Objectives
- Increase the capacity of Kyrgyzstani teachers to use general and English teaching skills;
- Increase the English proficiency of Kyrgyzstani English teachers;
- Increase achievement of students in English;
- Strengthen students’ social-emotional learning (SEL) skills; and
- Increase the ability of community members to support students’ access to learning.
Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) bring their schools invaluable knowledge and skills in critical thinking, planning, project design and management, organizational development, information gathering, and communication across cultures. The Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) project affords communities the opportunity to communicate and share culture with a proficient English speaker who is eager to pursue the mission of the Peace Corps.
Volunteers will work in cities and towns throughout the country and will be clustered with 2-4 other Volunteers in nearby communities. Volunteers will have reliable transportation within their community and to the nearest city. Mobile data, text, and calls are readily available.
Annual leave accrues at 2 days per month up to 24 days per year and may only be taken during school breaks, which include 1-2 weeks in fall, winter and spring, and 12 weeks in the summer. Volunteers may not take annual leave during Pre-Service Training, and the first and last 3 months of service to allow for initial integration and final wrap-up and goodbyes.
Volunteers work 34 hours per week, Monday through Friday, at their assigned higher educational institution, as follows:
- 18 hours of co-teaching with local English teachers;
- 10 hours of co-planning;
- 4 hours of teaching English clubs;
- 2 hours of club preparation.
Schedules at universities will vary between the different higher education institutions, though classes will typically take place in the mornings. University lessons last anywhere from one hour to one and a half hours, and the class schedule is built around academic hours rather than a set schedule of weekly classes.
To be successful, Volunteers will need to be open to new challenges and possess a strong sense of creativity. They will work with both young adults and seasoned teaching staff, and may have limited access to resources, such as textbooks or teaching supplies. Peace Corps/Kyrgyz Republic is committed to providing all Volunteers with relevant professional and cultural training for effective service. All Volunteers receive strong technical training that builds their teaching skills. Volunteers report their work activities on a Peace Corps online database on a quarterly basis.
Required Skills
Qualified candidates will have one or more of the following criteria:
- Master of Arts (MA) in English, Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), Teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL), Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), English as a Foreign Language (EFL), Teaching English as a second language (TESL), or Linguistics
- MA/MAT in any foreign language