About The Job

Apply by :

December 15, 2025

Know By

February 1, 2026

Depart On

July 11, 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

OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECT:

Peace Corps Costa Rica’s Youth in Development Volunteers (hereafter, Volunteers) work with youth ages 10-19, especially those in the second (ages 10-13) and third cycle (ages 13-16) of the Costa Rican education system. The project aims to equip youth to be healthy, productive, and active citizens. In support of this goal, Volunteers will design, implement, and facilitate programming in collaboration with partners (teachers, guidance counselors and administrators, parents, youth leaders, and community leaders) on specific program activities across three project objectives.

Project Objectives

• Strengthen Youth Wellbeing:
  
  

Working with classes, workshops, clubs, and similar spaces regarding life skills, girl’s empowerment, sports, arts, and/or recreation activities in the school and community.

• Strengthen Opportunities for Youth Community Engagement:
  
  

Promoting youth participation in community life by engaging them as leaders and participants of volunteer opportunities, service learning, and awareness activities in schools and communities.

• Strengthen Youth Support Systems:
  
  

Promoting positive youth development and fostering a supportive environment for youth with parents and caregivers.

Project Focus And Approach

All assignments strongly focus on preventative activities, empowering youth and furthering their access to activities which promote their healthy development and rights.

Volunteers work in communities identified in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Education which requests to receive a Youth Development Volunteer. The program prioritizes under-resourced communities. Each Volunteer works in one or two public schools and might also support a community -based group serving youth or families.

Volunteers will perform a participatory community assessment of resources and needs during the first months of service. Based on that analysis and partner’s requests, each Volunteer will create a work plan for service in collaboration with school staff and community leaders. Volunteers typically support ongoing youth-oriented programs in schools and the community, bringing new ideas, approaches, and/or techniques to those spaces. Volunteers also support the creation of new youth-oriented prevention programs in the school or community, coordinating with partners to ensure relevance and sustainability. Volunteers must be proactive, self-driven, and motivate others to advance youth development.

Examples Of Current Volunteer Assignments

• One of Josie’s projects involves partnering 10 hours a week with the high school counselor to design life skills programming for students. These life skills workshops are co-facilitated during school hours. They tailor the material for different age groups and soon will launch a complementary session for the parents and caregivers. Josie has one student with special needs, prompting her to research best practices to provide customized and sustainable support.
• Daniel’s primary project involves co-facilitating workshops to train high school students on how to mentor elementary students in their secondary school transition. They focus on addressing academic, social, and emotional challenges. Separately, Daniel is also coaching a high school basketball team twice a week, incorporating a curriculum that includes building skills in teamwork, communication, and goal setting. The team is now competing at the regional level.
• Jackson spends most of his time traveling between his primary and secondary school, partnering with teachers to incorporate culturally relevant strategies of Restorative Practices into their school cultures. This is the social science field of promoting positive communication and emotional health for harmony and inclusivity.
  
  

Required Skills

Qualified candidates will have one or more of the following criteria:

• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any field
  
  

OR

• 5 years' professional work experience