Special Needs Educator - Volunteer Position - Onsite in North Macedonia - 2 years, plus 3 months training
Peace Corps
United States
Posted on Aug 2, 2025
About The Job
Apply by :
January 1, 2026
Know By
March 1, 2026
Depart On
September 19, 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
Peace Corps has a long and rich history in North Macedonia. Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) have played a pivotal role in the country’s growth by offering their skills and talents for nearly 30 years with nearly 900 Peace Corps Volunteers having successfully served in the country. Since Peace Corps North Macedonia’s inception, Volunteers have inspired their counterparts and community members, created sustainable projects and programs, and formed lasting person-to-person connections, leaving an enduring legacy in their host communities.
The Special Education Project is critical to the mission of building a more welcoming and accessible society for all individuals in North Macedonia. Specifically, Special Needs Educator Volunteers are needed to improve the quality of teaching and special education in primary schools for students.
Currently, there is lack of teacher training to support students with special needs in classrooms. Educational and social care systems are engaged in reforms on the national and local level which promote special education. Schools working with individuals with special needs in North Macedonia are facing many challenges, including a lack of resources and trained teachers.
Volunteers may work with beneficiaries of different age groups, from children to adults, in multiple contexts: schools, non-governmental organizations, and government daily centers for education and care of persons with special needs. Schools operate with limited resources for teaching and many schools lack designated spaces for students with special needs. Volunteers are also expected to work with limited resources focusing on teacher and staff training. They will serve as coaches and help develop teacher and staff competencies for successful lesson planning and teaching in an inclusive classroom. Volunteers will work Monday to Friday, 20-30 hours a week, in addition to engaging in extracurricular activities (clubs and other activities at the school). The school year begins September 1 and ends June 10, with one winter break in January.
Volunteers participate in a range of activities that include, but are not limited, to the following:
Assisting special education teachers and public-school teachers to improve the school’s approach to special education
Training school staff working with special needs students on data collection tools, lesson planning, differentiated teaching, classroom and behavior management, classroom modification and resource development
Coaching school staff to work with parents and include them in the education process and/or school activities; virtually if necessary
Working with parents on empowerment activities and the development of support groups
Helping with resource development and lesson planning
Supporting the process of including beneficiaries in communities where there may be a high level of stigma and exclusion toward people with special needs
Supporting government daily centers to promote social inclusion and the development of life skills for people with special needs.
Required Skills
Competitive candidates will have one or more of the following criteria:
Apply by :
January 1, 2026
Know By
March 1, 2026
Depart On
September 19, 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
Peace Corps has a long and rich history in North Macedonia. Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) have played a pivotal role in the country’s growth by offering their skills and talents for nearly 30 years with nearly 900 Peace Corps Volunteers having successfully served in the country. Since Peace Corps North Macedonia’s inception, Volunteers have inspired their counterparts and community members, created sustainable projects and programs, and formed lasting person-to-person connections, leaving an enduring legacy in their host communities.
The Special Education Project is critical to the mission of building a more welcoming and accessible society for all individuals in North Macedonia. Specifically, Special Needs Educator Volunteers are needed to improve the quality of teaching and special education in primary schools for students.
Currently, there is lack of teacher training to support students with special needs in classrooms. Educational and social care systems are engaged in reforms on the national and local level which promote special education. Schools working with individuals with special needs in North Macedonia are facing many challenges, including a lack of resources and trained teachers.
Volunteers may work with beneficiaries of different age groups, from children to adults, in multiple contexts: schools, non-governmental organizations, and government daily centers for education and care of persons with special needs. Schools operate with limited resources for teaching and many schools lack designated spaces for students with special needs. Volunteers are also expected to work with limited resources focusing on teacher and staff training. They will serve as coaches and help develop teacher and staff competencies for successful lesson planning and teaching in an inclusive classroom. Volunteers will work Monday to Friday, 20-30 hours a week, in addition to engaging in extracurricular activities (clubs and other activities at the school). The school year begins September 1 and ends June 10, with one winter break in January.
Volunteers participate in a range of activities that include, but are not limited, to the following:
Assisting special education teachers and public-school teachers to improve the school’s approach to special education
Training school staff working with special needs students on data collection tools, lesson planning, differentiated teaching, classroom and behavior management, classroom modification and resource development
Coaching school staff to work with parents and include them in the education process and/or school activities; virtually if necessary
Working with parents on empowerment activities and the development of support groups
Helping with resource development and lesson planning
Supporting the process of including beneficiaries in communities where there may be a high level of stigma and exclusion toward people with special needs
Supporting government daily centers to promote social inclusion and the development of life skills for people with special needs.
Required Skills
Competitive candidates will have one or more of the following criteria:
- Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in Special Education (general or with emphasis in visually- or hearing-impaired)
- Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any discipline with state certification in special education (general or with emphasis in visually- or hearing-impaired)
- Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in Education with experience working with persons who are learning disabled, developmentally disabled, emotionally handicapped, physically handicapped, multiply handicapped, hearing-impaired, or visually-impaired
- Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any discipline with experience working in classrooms or residential homes with persons who are learning disabled, developmentally disabled, emotionally handicapped, physically handicapped, multiply handicapped, hearing-impaired, or visually-impaired