Start date
September 29, 2025

End date
March 23, 2026

Duration
25 weeks

ELIGIBILITY: Must be at least 18 years of age. Must be a U.S. citizen.

Activity/project background

Lyceum Maximum is a governmental educational institution and one of the top 5 city schools. There are about 900 students and 70 teachers, 10 of whom teach English. The lyceum previously hosted three Peace Corps Volunteers. Since then, there is an extremely high demand from teachers to work with an English-speaking partner to develop their language skills, promote cultural exchange, and develop both professional and life skills.

The Lyceum Maximum aims to strengthen the community by welcoming English teachers from surrounding schools to join its long-term English club project, which was developed to provide an English-speaking environment and foster a community of regional English teachers. The teachers will benefit from authentic communication with a qualified American educator in a collaborative virtual format. This experience will also support teachers’ efforts in enhancing their communication skills, building their confidence with the English language, and expanding their intercultural learning.

The lyceum is requesting a Virtual Service Pilot Participant (VSPP) to collaborate with a group of 20 motivated and devoted English teachers from the community. They will meet once a week for a 75-minute session that incorporates engaging activities on topics such as interactive teaching methods, creative arts in the classroom, social media, technology in teaching, wellness and mindfulness in education, cultural exchange, and immersion.

The organization has previously collaborated with the Peace Corps. They understand that the role of a VSPP is very different than a two-year Volunteer.

Engagement and tasks

The VSPP will engage in the following tasks, in collaboration with their Host Country Partners:

• Co-design session plans for English club meetings with clear policies, procedures, resources, and outcomes that encourage fluency, confidence, and cultural understanding
• Co-develop learning resources that consider EFL teaching techniques and technologies, U.S. education procedures, intercultural immersion
• Co-teach a 75-minute virtual English club session each week for a group of 20 English teachers
• Co-assess conducted sessions, identifying learning objectives and appropriate communicative activities for future sessions
  
  

VSPPs are expected to engage on the tasks listed above for an estimated 5-15 hours per week. This engagement is estimated to be 5 hours per week.

Online collaboration will generally occur between 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Ukraine time. Specific times will be determined during orientation.

The Host Country Counterpart will have access to email, Zoom, and WhatsApp for regular communication and collaboration.

Per the Child Protection Code of Conduct, when engaging online with minors (0-18), two adults must be present.

Optional Additional Activities

The Peace Corps mission is to promote world peace and friendship by fulfilling three goals:

• To help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.
• To help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.
• To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.
  
  

Goal 1 will be achieved through the VSPP's engagement and completion of the above tasks. The counterpart and VSPP may also choose to identify an activity that aligns with Goal 2. Additionally, the VSPP may identify a Goal 3 activity to implement during their engagement. See recommendations and tools for Goal 3 activities.

Essential Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree in any field

Experience:

• 2 years of TEFL/TESOL in the U.S. or abroad
• 2 years teaching trainers or facilitating adult English learning
  
  

Intercultural skills and motivation: Flexible, strong cross-cultural agility, high tolerance for ambiguity, able to work independently, resourceful, creative, and genuinely motivated and capable to serve virtually