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

Peace Corps Mexico’s TEFL program partners primarily with public higher education institutions to strengthen English education while advancing mutual understanding between Mexico and the United States. Two-year TEFL Volunteers serve not only as collaborators in English instruction, but as linguistic and cultural ambassadors who live, work, and integrate into their host communities.

In the TEFL Program in Mexico, intercultural exchange is not simply a byproduct of collaboration; it is the very engine of the program. Through daily interactions inside and outside the classroom, Volunteers contribute to learning environments where English is practiced as a living language, connected to academic goals, professional aspirations, real relationships and shared cultural experiences.

Rather than functioning as stand-alone instructors, Volunteers work alongside Mexican educators and faculty to co-plan, co-teach, and support initiatives in which English plays an integral role. Volunteers from diverse academic and professional backgrounds contribute to this work, bringing their disciplinary knowledge, personal interests, and lived experiences into the classroom and broader campus community.

Activities conducted by TEFL Volunteers include:

• Co-planning and co-teaching English language classes
• Facilitating extracurricular activities based on local needs and Volunteers interests (e.g. book/movie clubs, theater workshops, cultural learning experiences, sports-based activities, etc.)
• Student mentoring
• Establishing and facilitating communities of practice for educators
• Supporting other projects aligned with the institution’s priorities

Peace Corps Response

The Peace Corps Mexico Response Program responds to national and local needs in an ad hoc and opportunistic 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 by year according to partner requests, typically contributing to one of Peace Corps sectors: Community or Organizational Development, Education, Environment, or Health.