About The Job

Apply by :

October 1, 2025

Know By

December 1, 2025

Depart On

May 1, 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

Since 1989, over 900 Volunteers have served in The Republic of Vanuatu. Home to the Melanesian Ni-Vanuatu, Vanuatu is a beautiful archipelago in the South Pacific with a total population of approximately 330,000 people spread across 83 islands in 6 provinces. Vanuatu proudly maintains strong cultural traditions known as kastom (custom) and is one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world with over 130 indigenous languages.

Vanuatu has a 15-year National Sustainable Development Plan from 2016-2030, which follows three main pillars: societal, environmental, and economic. Quality education is featured under the societal pillar, with a stated goal of “a quality education system that ensures that every child has the resources, attention, and focus they need to effectively learn and gives every child the opportunity to thrive.” The Vanuatu Ministry of Education and Training is the largest government service provider and employer in Vanuatu, and ensuring reliable delivery of quality education services in remote island communities is an ongoing challenge.

In Vanuatu, children are taught in their local language through 2nd grade. From 3rd grade onwards, instruction switches to English. Children in Vanuatu therefore face a unique challenge in learning the English language while simultaneously learning to read. While the Ministry of Education has developed a robust literacy strategy to meet this challenge, only 65% of 4th graders meet minimum literacy standards.

Peace Corps Vanuatu’s literacy project is implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Education and aims to support teachers, school leadership, and community members to improve English literacy outcomes among primary school students.

The Objectives Of The Literacy Project Are To

• Enhance the capacity of teachers in general and literacy teaching practices
• Increase the capacity of teachers to use differentiated instructional practices in the classroom
• Increase students’ foundational literacy skills
• Increase the ability of families, caregivers, and community groups to support students’ access to learning
• Increase students’ and teachers’ access to teaching/learning materials and resources to support literacy development
  
  

Peace Corps Volunteers (hereafter, Volunteers) serving as English Literacy Facilitators are paired with a primary school teacher who serves as the Volunteer’s counterpart. Volunteers will work closely with primary school teachers to co-design and refresh lesson plans, co-teach selected classes, and co-facilitate teacher training workshops on instructional techniques for general and literacy teaching skills. Volunteers may also work directly with students through the facilitation of after-school reading clubs, 1:1 tutoring sessions, or camps to facilitate literacy development. A key focus of Peace Corps Vanuatu’s literacy program is to ensure balanced access to education for boys and girls and access to differentiated instruction and assessment. After identifying students who need increased support for differentiated instruction, Volunteers will co-develop appropriate education resources to directly improve literacy skills and build teacher capacity in this area.

Volunteers will be creative in facilitating a variety of activities to engage parents and community members in childhood literacy. Depending on community and school needs, Volunteers will also have the opportunity to facilitate increased access to literacy resources, such as through Information & Communications Technology (ICT) support to teachers, students, and school administrators, establishment of a school library, or computer labs. Volunteers will be assigned to one primary school but may also work with community groups, school committees, and provincial leadership.

All Volunteers may take on secondary activities in areas such as disaster risk reduction, women and girls empowerment, youth development, or volunteerism.

Required Skills

Qualified candidates will have a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any discipline and a strong desire to teach English.