Projects in the Dominican Republic

Peace Corps Dominican Republic’s program strategy focuses on children and youth, from their school years into adulthood. Childhood Literacy Volunteers work with schools, parents, and children to reinforce and strengthen a basic skill that enables children to continue to develop: the ability to read. Similarly, Youth and Community Economic Development Volunteers work alongside the same groups to guide young people through adolescence, with a focus on healthy decision making and skill development as they grow into productive adults who make positive contributions to their communities and society as a whole. One important skill identified by Peace Corps’ Dominican partner organizations is English. This is the area where Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Volunteers make important contributions to helping our Dominican education partners reach their development goals with young people.

Education

Childhood Literacy

Peace Corps is uniquely positioned to provide the support that the Dominican education system needs to reach its goals for childhood literacy. Spanish Primary Literacy Promoters serve as a resource for school staff, students, and families. Specifically, Volunteers work with teachers to integrate interactive teaching practices into the classroom, with students to improve their reading skills, and with families to strengthen their involvement in education. Work involves modeling and/or co-teaching literacy strategies, improving classroom management skills, developing teaching materials, tutoring students, involving families in literacy, and promoting a culture of reading.

Peace Corps Education Volunteers mainly work in elementary schools with teachers, librarians, school counselors, and students. Using the Dominican school curriculum along with supplemental materials, Volunteers provide daily and consistent support to teachers, students, and families.

Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL)

TEFL Volunteers will support teachers, students, and community members to develop the English communications skills necessary to access academic, professional, and/or personal development opportunities. Volunteers will be assigned to public middle schools (U.S. equivalent of 4th – 8th grades) and high schools to contribute to the Ministry of Education's national initiative to provide English to all students, primarily by co-teaching lessons with local teachers. Beyond the classroom, TEFL Volunteers can work with school staff and teachers to improve their own English, and can organize and implement recreational activities for students to further practice the language while learning about U.S. culture.

Outside of school, TEFL Volunteers are well-positioned to assist community members with acquiring or enhancing their English communication skills through informal classes that directly respond to needs identified by the community.

Ultimately, by facilitating English learning in these different contexts, Peace Corps TEFL Volunteers will help children, youth, and adults access greater opportunities.

Youth in Development

Peace Corps Dominican Republic contributes to national priorities by guiding youth as they transition into healthy, productive, civically engaged citizens and strengthening the capacity of host country service providers, groups, and communities to promote positive youth development. Volunteers in the Youth project act as mentors and co-facilitate clubs that address life skills, employability skills, and sexual and reproductive health among 10- to 24-year-olds.

Volunteers work in secondary schools (U.S. equivalent of 7th to 12th grades), municipal councils, and provincial offices of the Ministry of Women. Peace Corps Volunteers act as trusted friends and mentors for youth, working together with service providers and young people. This daily contact and mentoring is Peace Corps’ specialty; teachers and community members might not be able to provide this type of regular guidance.

Peace Corps Volunteers enhance existing school or community-based youth programs or work with counterparts to develop them in order to help empower young people and give them the opportunity to reach their full potential. These programs build skills, harness positive energy, encourage ambition, support healthy decision making, and help youth further their education so that they can transition into healthy, productive, civically engaged adults, capable of intentional life planning.

Community Economic Development

Peace Corps Dominican Republic’s Community Economic Development (CED) project seeks to improve the economic security and upward economic mobility of some of the country’s most economically marginalized households, with a specific focus on contributing to the economic prosperity of women and youth.

CED Volunteers work with teachers to train students in skills that will allow them to become productive adults and obtain secure employment. CED Volunteers work in high schools and with community organizations and small businesses. Dominican participants create their own self-employment opportunities and successfully manage income and enterprise profits for the benefit of their households. Furthermore, the project aims to facilitate linkages between national economic development initiatives and the daily reality of individuals in the communities where Volunteers live and serve, thereby improving economic opportunities at both the person-to-person and community levels.