Start date
May 11, 2026

End date
October 30, 2026

Duration
25 weeks

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

Activity/project background

The EducationUSA Center in Ukraine has a mission is to promote U.S. higher education by providing accurate, comprehensive, current, and unbiased information and support to Ukrainian students so they can successfully prepare to study in the United States. This support includes workshops, lectures, discussion meetings, and special programs focused on soft skills development. The main focus is on group activities, individual adviser support, critical and analytical thinking, leadership, self-presentation, cross-cultural communication, public speaking, and more.

Unfortunately, due to the war in Ukraine, there are few native English speakers from the U.S. available onsite to support club activities. However, the center continues the work in-person and online. The organization believes that working with a native speaker from the U.S. will help students become more competitive in the university application process and in the labor market, thus giving them the skills to flourish now and in the future state of Ukraine.

Thus, the EducationUSA Center is seeking the support of one Virtual Service Pilot Participant (VSPP) to co-facilitate a career and soft skills development club for youth. The VSPP will support of a pre-selected group of 50–60 Ukrainian students, aged 15–19, from diverse backgrounds, including internally and externally displaced people. The program’s curriculum is designed in two stages: the first, from May to August, will focus on skill development to enhance students’ competitiveness in the U.S. exchange application process; the second, from September to October, will focus on individualized support from advisers and self-presentation skills for admissions essays and resumes.

The NGO has previously collaborated with Peace Corps Ukraine. They understand that the role of a VSPP is very different than a Peace Corps Volunteer or Peace Corps Response Volunteer.

Engagement and tasks

The VSPP will engage in the following tasks, in collaboration with their host country partners:

• Co-develop club curriculum with clear learning outcomes and intercultural learning components
• Co-facilitate seven 1-hour discussion clubs, one session every two weeks
• Co-design and co-deliver eight group interview practice sessions for groups of five students
• Review students’ admission essays and resumes and provide constructive feedback
• Attend weekly meetings with Ukrainian counterparts for planning, feedback, and discussion
  
  

VSPPs are expected to engage on the tasks listed above for an estimated 5–15 hours per week. This engagement is estimated to be 5–10 hours per week.

Online collaboration will generally occur between 5:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m. Ukraine time. Specific times will be determined during orientation.

The host country counterpart will have access to Zoom, WhatsApp, and Telegram 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:

• Intercultural exchange through personal trips, formal exchanges, virtual cultural exchange programs, or other activities that involve cross-cultural communication
• Virtual work, including conducting meetings via Zoom and other virtual tools
  
  

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