Health Education Volunteer - Volunteer Position - Onsite in Moldova - 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
May 31, 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
Moldova is a small and resilient country, tucked away between Romania and Ukraine in the furthest reaches of Eastern Europe. Moldovans are known for their hospitality and have welcomed Peace Corps Volunteers into their communities for over 30 years.
Peace Corps Moldova seeks Health Education Volunteers to work with children and adolescents (aged 8-18) throughout the country in three primary areas. First, Volunteers will support children and youth in developing life skills and knowledge for healthy lifestyles, including basic hygiene, prevention methods of communicable diseases (such as tuberculosis, viruses, gastrointestinal diseases, STIs, HIV, COVID). Second, in behavioral health (like physical fitness, stress management, healthy eating habits, reduction of alcohol or tobacco consumption, and violence prevention). Finally, in the prevention of substance abuse and non-communicable diseases (such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and chronic respiratory difficulties). Volunteers collaborate with teacher-partners and co-plan and co-teach these lessons in Romanian. Health Education Volunteers do not engage in clinical work.
Schools are often the strongest community institution in Moldovan towns and villages, making students in these settings an ideal audience for needed instruction. Most of the Health Education Volunteers’ time is spent co-planning with school partners to perform formal and informal health education activities using student-centered techniques. These strategies aim to increase youth’s knowledge and skills, so they lead healthy lives and transition into healthy, productive, and engaged adults. The Volunteer’s formal teaching schedule is full-time, Monday through Friday.
In addition to their teaching responsibilities, Health Education Volunteers support the research and development of evidence-based, supplementary teaching materials for health lessons, campaigns, and life skills clubs through close collaboration with their school staff and community professionals. Volunteers organize and conduct after-school activities including health awareness campaigns for youth and adults, service-learning projects and youth programs with the involvement of health club students. Activities are generally developed in collaboration with local professionals and parents as well.
Aside from the school partners, Volunteers are partnered with a community advocate or organization dedicated to promoting youth health and well-being. This partner might be a local youth center, library, or NGO. Volunteers promote programs that strengthen linkages and collaboration between the school and the community partner while enhancing opportunities for youth to become active champions of their health journey.
When school is not in session (including during the summer), Volunteers continue with extra-curricular activities, working with school youth leaders and local professionals to provide youth with opportunities to gain new healthy life skills through youth participation in activities or events related to awareness days (e.g. International Youth Day, World Hepatitis Day), health campaigns, health fairs, health days, and local summer (day) camps.
Volunteers enhance teachers' professional competencies by co-organizing communities of practice, summer schools for teachers, and professional development workshops. Capacity building for teachers is needed because Moldova does not have college courses to train Health Education teachers. Depending on the size of the school, Health Education Volunteers are usually partnered with 2-3 teachers/classrooms of varying subjects.
Peace Corps Moldova Volunteers promote girls’ education and empowerment through their activities. All Volunteers in this program receive in-depth training on ways to incorporate methods of gender analysis into community assessment and development efforts and are encouraged to find culturally appropriate ways to support girls’ education and boys’ engagement into daily work as appropriate.
Required Skills
Qualified candidates will have an expressed interest in working in the health sector and one or more of the following criteria:
Apply by :
October 1, 2025
Know By
December 1, 2025
Depart On
May 31, 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
Moldova is a small and resilient country, tucked away between Romania and Ukraine in the furthest reaches of Eastern Europe. Moldovans are known for their hospitality and have welcomed Peace Corps Volunteers into their communities for over 30 years.
Peace Corps Moldova seeks Health Education Volunteers to work with children and adolescents (aged 8-18) throughout the country in three primary areas. First, Volunteers will support children and youth in developing life skills and knowledge for healthy lifestyles, including basic hygiene, prevention methods of communicable diseases (such as tuberculosis, viruses, gastrointestinal diseases, STIs, HIV, COVID). Second, in behavioral health (like physical fitness, stress management, healthy eating habits, reduction of alcohol or tobacco consumption, and violence prevention). Finally, in the prevention of substance abuse and non-communicable diseases (such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and chronic respiratory difficulties). Volunteers collaborate with teacher-partners and co-plan and co-teach these lessons in Romanian. Health Education Volunteers do not engage in clinical work.
Schools are often the strongest community institution in Moldovan towns and villages, making students in these settings an ideal audience for needed instruction. Most of the Health Education Volunteers’ time is spent co-planning with school partners to perform formal and informal health education activities using student-centered techniques. These strategies aim to increase youth’s knowledge and skills, so they lead healthy lives and transition into healthy, productive, and engaged adults. The Volunteer’s formal teaching schedule is full-time, Monday through Friday.
In addition to their teaching responsibilities, Health Education Volunteers support the research and development of evidence-based, supplementary teaching materials for health lessons, campaigns, and life skills clubs through close collaboration with their school staff and community professionals. Volunteers organize and conduct after-school activities including health awareness campaigns for youth and adults, service-learning projects and youth programs with the involvement of health club students. Activities are generally developed in collaboration with local professionals and parents as well.
Aside from the school partners, Volunteers are partnered with a community advocate or organization dedicated to promoting youth health and well-being. This partner might be a local youth center, library, or NGO. Volunteers promote programs that strengthen linkages and collaboration between the school and the community partner while enhancing opportunities for youth to become active champions of their health journey.
When school is not in session (including during the summer), Volunteers continue with extra-curricular activities, working with school youth leaders and local professionals to provide youth with opportunities to gain new healthy life skills through youth participation in activities or events related to awareness days (e.g. International Youth Day, World Hepatitis Day), health campaigns, health fairs, health days, and local summer (day) camps.
Volunteers enhance teachers' professional competencies by co-organizing communities of practice, summer schools for teachers, and professional development workshops. Capacity building for teachers is needed because Moldova does not have college courses to train Health Education teachers. Depending on the size of the school, Health Education Volunteers are usually partnered with 2-3 teachers/classrooms of varying subjects.
Peace Corps Moldova Volunteers promote girls’ education and empowerment through their activities. All Volunteers in this program receive in-depth training on ways to incorporate methods of gender analysis into community assessment and development efforts and are encouraged to find culturally appropriate ways to support girls’ education and boys’ engagement into daily work as appropriate.
Required Skills
Qualified candidates will have an expressed interest in working in the health sector and one or more of the following criteria:
- Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any field
- 5 years' professional work experience