Community Economic Development Facilitator - Volunteer Position - Onsite in Colombia • South America - 2 years, plus 3 months training
United States
Posted on Sep 3, 2026
About The Project
Recent graduates and business professionals are invited to support Colombia’s next generation of entrepreneurs.
Rural and semi‑urban communities in Colombia face persistent economic disparities. These challenges are driven by institutional factors—such as unequal access of quality education, health care, and public services—as well as socio-spatial barriers. With only 16% of rural households having internet, the significant digital divide impacts available opportunities. The Government of Colombia is prioritizing financial literacy and entrepreneurship skill development among youth and women to encourage economic participation and growth in these underserved areas.
As a Community Development Educator, you will collaborate with schools, vocational training institutions, and community groups to develop essential business skills. You will also support micro-enterprises, such as vendors and small-scale agricultural producers, to streamline and scale their operations. These efforts will create more economic opportunities, which will improve household financial security and contribute to long-term economic growth.
Activities
How you and the community will make an impact together:
Facilitate classes and activities that build entrepreneurial thinking, socio-emotional skills, vocational orientation, and life planning.
Strengthen entrepreneurial knowledge and skills, confidence, and community participation among youth and women’s groups.
Facilitate workshops on personal financial management and basic business practices.
Support micro-enterprise owners to access to professional development opportunities and resources.
Coordinate with Colombia’s national vocational training agency to enhance technical training opportunities in rural communities.
You may also work on additional projects that meet the community’s interests and priorities, such as business-focused English conversational clubs or digital literacy workshops.
Required Skills
Qualified candidates will have one or more of the following criteria:
Candidates who are dual citizens of Colombia and the U.S. or who were born in Colombia and became U.S. citizens after July 4, 1991 are not eligible to serve in Peace Corps Colombia. Under Colombian law, anyone born in Colombia who became a U.S. citizen after 1991 or anyone holding dual U.S. and Colombia citizenship is considered a citizen of Colombia, and not of the United States. If an individual faced a legal, safety or emergency situation in Colombia, the Peace Corps' ability to intervene would be limited. If you fit one of these categories, we encourage you to look at Peace Corps Volunteer assignments in other countries.
Language: Spanish
APPLY BY : January 15, 2027
KNOW BY : March 1, 2027
DEPART ON : August 21, 2027
DURATION : 2 years, plus 3 months training
Recent graduates and business professionals are invited to support Colombia’s next generation of entrepreneurs.
Rural and semi‑urban communities in Colombia face persistent economic disparities. These challenges are driven by institutional factors—such as unequal access of quality education, health care, and public services—as well as socio-spatial barriers. With only 16% of rural households having internet, the significant digital divide impacts available opportunities. The Government of Colombia is prioritizing financial literacy and entrepreneurship skill development among youth and women to encourage economic participation and growth in these underserved areas.
As a Community Development Educator, you will collaborate with schools, vocational training institutions, and community groups to develop essential business skills. You will also support micro-enterprises, such as vendors and small-scale agricultural producers, to streamline and scale their operations. These efforts will create more economic opportunities, which will improve household financial security and contribute to long-term economic growth.
Activities
How you and the community will make an impact together:
Facilitate classes and activities that build entrepreneurial thinking, socio-emotional skills, vocational orientation, and life planning.
Strengthen entrepreneurial knowledge and skills, confidence, and community participation among youth and women’s groups.
Facilitate workshops on personal financial management and basic business practices.
Support micro-enterprise owners to access to professional development opportunities and resources.
Coordinate with Colombia’s national vocational training agency to enhance technical training opportunities in rural communities.
You may also work on additional projects that meet the community’s interests and priorities, such as business-focused English conversational clubs or digital literacy workshops.
Required Skills
Qualified candidates will have one or more of the following criteria:
- Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any field
- 5 years' professional work experience
Candidates who are dual citizens of Colombia and the U.S. or who were born in Colombia and became U.S. citizens after July 4, 1991 are not eligible to serve in Peace Corps Colombia. Under Colombian law, anyone born in Colombia who became a U.S. citizen after 1991 or anyone holding dual U.S. and Colombia citizenship is considered a citizen of Colombia, and not of the United States. If an individual faced a legal, safety or emergency situation in Colombia, the Peace Corps' ability to intervene would be limited. If you fit one of these categories, we encourage you to look at Peace Corps Volunteer assignments in other countries.
Language: Spanish
- Completed 4 years of high school Spanish coursework in the past 8 years
- Completed college-level Elementary II Spanish semester (Elementary III in quarter system) within the past 6 years
- Score between 50-62 on the Spanish College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exam in the past 6 years
- Score Novice-High or Intermediate-Low on official American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) in Spanish within the past 6 years
APPLY BY : January 15, 2027
KNOW BY : March 1, 2027
DEPART ON : August 21, 2027
DURATION : 2 years, plus 3 months training