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About the Eastern Caribbean
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The Peace Corps entered the Eastern Caribbean in 1961, when Saint Lucia became one of the first three countries in the world to receive Volunteers. Since then, approximately 3,800 Peace Corps Volunteers have served on 10 island nations in the region. Volunteers were initially assigned to education, agriculture, health, youth, and community development projects.
The contributions of Volunteers in these areas have provided strong and consistent technical support to the Eastern Caribbean for more than 50 years. Basic human needs programming in the 1970s encouraged health, special education, preschool education, teacher training, forestry, fishery, and livestock extension projects. The 1980s was a period that focused on four projects: education, health, agriculture, and small enterprise development. In the 1990s, education, environment, health, developing partnerships with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and youth initiatives were priorities. COVID-19 further impacted the education system, and recovery programs continue to be a priority.
Currently, Peace Corps Eastern Caribbean offers three ways to serve:
- 2-Year Volunteer with a focus on primary English literacy in Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, targeting grades 1, 2, and 3 in primary schools.
- Peace Corps Response offers experienced professionals short-term, high-impact service assignments in communities across the four islands. Peace Corps Response Volunteers are expected to possess the technical skills needed to fulfill their assigned role with minimal training.
- The Virtual Service Pilot connects qualified U.S. citizens with host country counterparts to meet partner requests in new ways—from supplementing on-the-ground Volunteer efforts to reaching partners where Volunteers cannot go. Participants collaborate virtually with counterparts to complete project tasks, donating 5-15 hours per week for 3-6 months.
