About The Job

Apply by :

January 1, 2026

Know By

March 1, 2026

Depart On

July 10, 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

The Peace Corps works with the Samoan Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC) to promote English literacy teaching and learning in primary schools across the country. Peace Corps Samoa is focused on the long-term sustainability and impact of Volunteer projects and therefore follows a six-year project cycle in each school and community. The cycle starts with a First Generation Volunteer and ends with a Third Generation Volunteer. All Volunteers will work on the following set of goals (building upon previous progress), but individual tasks, assignments and opportunities for secondary projects will vary depending on the work of previous Volunteers (if applicable), needs and goals of the host community and school, and skillset and interests of the Volunteer.

Improve Students’ English Literacy

• Volunteers will independently teach small “pull-out groups” (students with the lowest test scores, who would benefit from extra, small group English literacy lessons) in grades 1 to 8.
• Many Volunteers host before- and after-school tutoring and extra-curricular activities to engage additional students with English literacy, homework assistance, computer literacy, and other topics.
  
  

Build Local Capacity in English Literacy and General Teaching Skills:

• In their second year, Volunteers will also begin co-teaching student-centered participatory learning techniques with an assigned co-teacher at their school.
• Throughout service, Volunteers host professional development trainings and learning opportunities for local teachers and administrators, focused on teaching techniques, library use and engagement, computer literacy, and other areas of the Volunteer’s expertise.
  
  

Increase Access to Literacy Learning Materials and Activities for Teachers, Students, and Community Members:

• Volunteers will work on library development, sourcing and organizing books, developing a book lending system, and creating fun before- and after-school reading programs to engage students and community members with the library. Intensity of focus on each of these tasks will depend on the status of the school’s current library and host community’s goals.
• Volunteers will coordinate with principals, teachers, students, and community members to promote responsible and sustainable practices to ensure that the libraries and love of English literacy continue long into the future.
• Volunteers and their counterparts engage parents and other community members in English literacy by initiating family literacy activities and inviting parents to school-based events.
  
  

Volunteers also often engage in secondary projects at their schools or in their communities. While some Volunteers initiate their own activities based on community requests and interests, other Volunteers may also be tasked with continuing or closing out community projects from previous Volunteers and counterparts, with a focus on ensuring teachers and community members are identified and trained to provide continuity and sustainability.

Peace Corps Samoa champions initiatives that promote girls’ and boys’ education, and leadership development. Volunteers receive in-depth training on using analytic methods to understand the societal roles of men, women, boys, and girls and find culturally appropriate ways to incorporate girls’ and boys’ leadership and empowerment into their work. Samoa was the first Peace Corps country to have GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) clubs in schools that are co-run by Volunteers and local counterparts. In addition, GLOW clubs have been managed by a board composed of Volunteers and prominent Samoan women leaders. Prior to the global evacuation of Volunteers, Samoa had more than 20 primary schools with active GLOW clubs and five primary schools with BUILD (Boys United In Leadership Development) clubs that met weekly. These clubs are supported by the local communities and schools, as well as our main partner agency, MEC.

Learn more about projects in Samoa here: https://www.peacecorps.gov/samoa/projects/.

Required Skills

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