Co-facilitate an English Club for University Students and Staff - Volunteer Position - Onsite in //h2[text()="Country"]/following-sibling::p[1]//text()[normalize-space()]
Peace Corps
United States
Posted on Apr 24, 2026
Start date
July 1, 2026
End date
January 6, 2027
Duration
27 weeks
ELIGIBILITY: Must be at least 18 years of age. Must be a U.S. citizen.
Activity/project background
A state technological university in central Ukraine is the only high education establishment in the region. The university has a reputation as a leading research and information center in the region and beyond. It hosts both national and international scientific conferences, seminars, and symposiums that cover a wide range of research topics. In addition to academic activities, the university maintains close ties with local communities by supporting and hosting initiatives focused on community and youth development.
The university prioritizes English language acquisition for students. While many students have a general understanding of English grammar, opportunities for interaction with native speakers remain limited. As a result, many learners have trouble in real-time communication, specifically in academic discussions, while giving presentations, or when engaging in professional settings. This limits scholars’ and students’ ability to engage with international peers, contribute to global research efforts, and advance the interests of the university.
Two online English clubs will bridge this gap by providing an environment where participants can develop confidence and fluency in spoken English. In the first club, university staff hope that a native speaker with appropriate academic and professional background will supplement their formal English language curriculum with interactive, dynamic and thematic non-formal opportunities for students to improve their conversational English. In the second club, English-teaching staff would welcome an opportunity to practice their English with a native speaker, exposing them to new, interactive ways of engaging their students in a conversation, and fostering intercultural competence and global awareness essential for academic mobility and international professional engagement. The initiative will also contribute to institutional capacity-building by exposing participants to contemporary communication practices in English language teaching. The engagement aligns with pedagogical needs, and at the same time reinforces the university’s commitment to high-quality English language education. The university is seeking the support from Virtual Service Pilot Participant (VSPPs) to improve the conversational English skills of up to 10 students and up to five professors of English.
The organization has previously collaborated with two Peace Corps volunteers and two VSPPs. 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:
Online collaboration will generally occur twice a week between 3:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m., Ukraine time on weekdays, each session lasting for about an hour. 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:
Essential Qualifications
Education: Bachelor’s degree in any field
Experience: 1 year of TEFL/TESOL teaching in the U.S.A. or abroad
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
July 1, 2026
End date
January 6, 2027
Duration
27 weeks
ELIGIBILITY: Must be at least 18 years of age. Must be a U.S. citizen.
Activity/project background
A state technological university in central Ukraine is the only high education establishment in the region. The university has a reputation as a leading research and information center in the region and beyond. It hosts both national and international scientific conferences, seminars, and symposiums that cover a wide range of research topics. In addition to academic activities, the university maintains close ties with local communities by supporting and hosting initiatives focused on community and youth development.
The university prioritizes English language acquisition for students. While many students have a general understanding of English grammar, opportunities for interaction with native speakers remain limited. As a result, many learners have trouble in real-time communication, specifically in academic discussions, while giving presentations, or when engaging in professional settings. This limits scholars’ and students’ ability to engage with international peers, contribute to global research efforts, and advance the interests of the university.
Two online English clubs will bridge this gap by providing an environment where participants can develop confidence and fluency in spoken English. In the first club, university staff hope that a native speaker with appropriate academic and professional background will supplement their formal English language curriculum with interactive, dynamic and thematic non-formal opportunities for students to improve their conversational English. In the second club, English-teaching staff would welcome an opportunity to practice their English with a native speaker, exposing them to new, interactive ways of engaging their students in a conversation, and fostering intercultural competence and global awareness essential for academic mobility and international professional engagement. The initiative will also contribute to institutional capacity-building by exposing participants to contemporary communication practices in English language teaching. The engagement aligns with pedagogical needs, and at the same time reinforces the university’s commitment to high-quality English language education. The university is seeking the support from Virtual Service Pilot Participant (VSPPs) to improve the conversational English skills of up to 10 students and up to five professors of English.
The organization has previously collaborated with two Peace Corps volunteers and two VSPPs. 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-assess the English skill level of members for both clubs
- Co-develop an English course curriculum around the topics of cultural perspectives, effective cross-cultural communication, career planning, use of AI, and build confidence in professional communication for academic and workplace contexts
- Co-plan up to 50 virtual sessions which incorporate engaging activities and intercultural learning
- Co-facilitate two 60-minute online English club sessions per week, one for students and one for teachers
Online collaboration will generally occur twice a week between 3:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m., Ukraine time on weekdays, each session lasting for about an hour. 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.
Essential Qualifications
Education: Bachelor’s degree in any field
Experience: 1 year of TEFL/TESOL teaching in the U.S.A. or abroad
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