Projects in Mexico

Environment

Mexico is extremely diverse; it’s among the top five countries in terms of biodiversity and nearly 70 indigenous language groups are spoken within its territory. It’s also at risk—50% of the country lives in poverty, pressure is increasing on natural resources, and adaptation needs are evident and growing.

The Mexican Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) has prioritized conserving vulnerable natural areas and nearby rural communities with an ecosystem-based approach, while promoting socioeconomic development. In this context, Peace Corps Mexico works with three SEMARNAT institutions to promote greater awareness of natural resource conservation and adaptation practices, and increased resilience among women, girls and boys.

Activities conducted by Environmental Action Volunteers (traditional, two-year service) include: co-guiding environmental education resource development; co-facilitating nature appreciation educational activities; co- training community members on techniques to increase resilience; and co-guiding community members to implement and adopt conservation practices such as soil and water conservation, solid waste handling, and biodiversity conservation.

The Peace Corps Mexico Response program can also meet very specific needs of Environment program partners, in cases of requests outside the scope of traditional Volunteer expertise or programmatic focus.

Education

Mexico shares strong cultural, political, and economic ties with its neighbor to the north and its government continues to prioritize English language learning as a key that opens doors to knowledge, the economy, scientific and technical exchange, employability, commerce, and social mobility.

Traditional TEFL two-year Volunteers provide a sustainable approach to English education in Mexico by serving as linguistic and cultural ambassadors for underserved Mexican students and professors at small or medium-sized public universities specializing in STEM. They also provide support opportunities for English teachers and learners through teaching, co-planning, co-teaching, teacher training, student mentoring, extracurricular activities, and strategic networking with students and faculty.

Activities conducted by traditional TEFL Volunteers include:

• co-planning and co-teaching English language classes,
• establishing and facilitating communities of practice,
• co-facilitating extracurricular English language learning activities,
• supporting institutional projects,
• student mentoring and career counseling, and
• strategic networking.

Peace Corps Response

The Peace Corps Mexico Response Program responds to national and local needs in an ad hoc and opportune way. Volunteers with specialized profiles and extensive professional experience collaborate on unique projects from 6-12 months in duration. Response Volunteers collaborate at different levels—with community leaders, university faculty and administrators, undergraduate students, and government ministry project leaders—implementing activities such as:

• designing and facilitating trainings and teacher trainings,
• analyzing institutional processes,
• recommending best practices,
• co-creating manuals, standard operating procedures, or strategic plans,
• facilitating collaboration between departments and/or institutions,
• designing and implementing new programs,
• and strengthening STEM curriculum programs.

Response assignments vary year after year according to partner requests, typically contributing to one of Peace Corps sectors: Community or Organizational Development, Education, Environment, or Health.