Peace Corps Volunteers in the Eastern Caribbean serve in the four island nations of Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Vincent & the Grenadines. Volunteers all work in primary schools, building the capacity of the schools and enhancing the literacy skills of their students. They work with teachers in Grades 1 to 3 to assess reading and writing skills, deliver lessons or work with students in small groups targeting their unique needs, and help to create or enhance school libraries and teaching aids.

Volunteers also build after-school programs such as readers’ theater, book clubs and even sessions with parents on helping their children learn to read at home. Outreach to the parents and community, and supporting PTAs, is of great value to the school.

Secondary activities focused on youth development, like after-school activities and library development, are of great importance to the students and communities—leading chess and music clubs; coaching sports (soccer and cricket especially); establishing school gardens for learning, nutritional supplement, and sometimes profit to the school; designing summer camps around science, life-skills and leadership; and more—the opportunities to facilitate learning outside of the classroom are as diverse as our Volunteers and the schools we work in.