Support Teacher Training and Improve Students’ Proficiency in English
Eligibility
Open to all RPCVs
Activity/project background
Partner: Halytskyi Professional College named after Vyacheslav Chornovil (Government)
Halytskyi College in Ukraine, named after Vyacheslav Chornovil, is an establishment of higher education of Ternopil territorial community. It consists of three structural units: gymnasium harmony, professional college, and vocational school. College activities are aimed at implementing high-quality informal education, covering three main areas of education: socio-cultural, personal development, and vocational training. Halytskyi College actively supports initiatives aimed at the implementation of international projects in the fields of science, education, and culture, and cooperates with foreign educational institutions in the areas of design, modern information technology (IT), hotel-restaurant and tourist business, public relations, and media education.
The Virtual Service Pilot Participant (VSPP) will engage with students of Halytskyi Professional College to improve their English language skills and confidence in English, through various activities such as speaking practice sessions, vocabulary building exercises, and language immersion. The VSPP will guide students on career paths and/or educational opportunities, as well as support them in navigating their academic lives. The VSPP will teach students and teachers to recognize the importance of cultural understanding in language learning and incorporate cultural activities to expose students and teachers to American culture, customs, and perspectives.
Halytskyi Professional College serves as the teachers’ professional development center. The VSPP will also support the professional development of English teachers by co-facilitating teacher training sessions. These activities will provide teachers with resources, strategies, and best practices to enhance their teaching methodologies and pedagogical skills. The VSPP will train teachers in teaching communicative English through productive skills development. This will give teachers new insights into teaching English.
Halytskyi Professional College has previously worked with a Peace Corps Volunteer and understand that the role of a VSPP is very different than a two-year Volunteer.
Virtual service engagement and tasks
The VSPP will engage in the following tasks, in collaboration with their Host Country Partners:
• Co-develop a digital survey tool to determine the teacher and student learning needs
• Co-analyze the survey results and identify priority learning objectives
• Co-plan teachers’ club workshops curriculum
• Co-plan students’ club workshops curriculum
• Co-facilitate English Teachers’ Club once per month (1.5 hours long)
• Co-facilitate weekly 1-hour students’ club meetings focusing on language skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) for high school students, 14-16 years old
• Share teaching resources, readings for students and teachers including grammar guides, vocabulary lists, online learning platforms, and language learning applications supporting students' independent learning and teachers' professional development
• Provide teachers with feedback for improvement or ideas for new activities
• Co-develop the resource package of at least 15 workshop session outlines and resources
This engagement is expected to be approximately 27 weeks. VSPPs are expected to engage on the tasks listed above for an estimated 5-15 hours per week.
Meetings between VSPPs and Host Country Counterparts will take place during normal office hours, 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Ukrainian local time. Specific times will be determined during orientation.
The Host Country Counterpart will have access to Zoom, WhatsApp, and Telegram for regular communication and collaboration.
Per the Child Protection Code of Conduct, when engaging online with minors (0-18), two adults must be present.
Optional additional activities
The Peace Corps mission is to promote world peace and friendship by fulfilling three goals:
- To help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.
- To help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.
- To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.
Goal 1 will be achieved through the VSPP's engagement and completion of the above tasks. The counterpart and VSPP may also choose to identify an activity that aligns with Goal 2. Additionally, the VSPP may identify a Goal 3 activity to implement during their engagement. See recommendations and tools for Goal 3 activities.
Essential qualifications
Education: Bachelor’s degree in education, teaching, or related field
Experience:
• 2 years of teaching English experience
• 2 years of facilitating teacher trainings for EFL teachers
• Experience with facilitation of distance education using Zoom and online teaching platforms
Intercultural skills and motivation: Flexible, strong cross-cultural agility, high tolerance for ambiguity, able to work independently, resourceful, creative, and genuinely motivated and capable to serve virtually
Desired qualifications
Education: Master’s degree in education, teaching, OR TEFL/TESOL, Cambridge or similar certificate
Technical Skills: Familiarity with virtual engagement and communication
Experience:
• Experience with training, coaching, or mentoring teachers to improve their teaching and presentation skills
• Experience working with refugees, internationally displaced persons, or people affected by conflict
Terms and conditions of engagement
VSPPs will be engaging with the host country partner, in coordination with Peace Corps post staff, remotely from the US. They should have access to a computer, internet, and telephone in order to enable direct engagement with the Peace Corps overseas office and the Host Country Counterpart assigned by the host country partner.
Orientation with the host country partner will be provided, within the designated virtual service hours, during the first week of virtual service via an online presentation and discussion. The host country partner will provide an overview of its organization, the local context, and how they envision collaborating with the VSPP.
The VSPP will have regular check-ins with their counterpart and bi-weekly check-ins with Peace Corps staff. Spending unstructured time with counterparts can be critical to relationship-building and is encouraged through activities such as coffee chats and informal calls within the weekly 5-15 hours.
Engagement-specific safety and security
The VSPP will receive an orientation on Peace Corps’ Child Protection Policy and how it relates to online engagement along with IT security best practices. The VSPP will be expected to follow safety and security guidelines for online engagement to ensure their safety and that of the Host Country Partner and their counterpart, and any beneficiaries of the engagement.
Supervision requirements
The VSPP will report to a designated Peace Corps staff member. The VSPP will be expected to abide by the Virtual Service Pilot Participant and Donation Agreement and Participant Principles of Engagement. The VSPP will also be expected to check in with the designated host country counterpart as assigned by the host county partner.
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