A Peace Corps Response Volunteer (PCRV) is needed to serve as a Speech Therapy Advisor with Mico University College Child Assessment and Research in Education (CARE) Centre – St. Ann’s Bay in Jamaica. Mico University College CARE Centre is Jamaica’s leading public educational institution and the country’s only public facility providing ongoing support to children 5-18 years. The Centre normally carries a waiting list of over 600 children. There are not enough trained, experienced persons locally to meet the needs of those children, and rural clients are the ones most affected as access to special education service is outside their reach. To fulfill its mandate, the Centre is currently providing remedial and special education teacher training to over twenty university students along with training for parents and teachers. The PCRV will assist this effort as an advisor/instructor, focused on building the capacity of the students and faculty of the teacher’s college in the area of speech therapy.

A PCRV, with a bachelor’s degree in Education or other relevant field, one year of international experience in education, 3 years’ work experience with children (with children 5 – 12 years of age), knowledge of speech and language development and therapy, and experience in working with adults (training) is need to develop learning and teaching strategies for children with speech and language difficulties. The Speech Therapy Advisor will create an initial findings report with work plan recommendations, assist in equipping special education trained personnel to promote the early detection of disabilities of children in order to assess their development, guide special educators in development and utilization of corrective instructional programs to remediate the speech and language disabilities diagnosed, and educate staff, parents, and teachers through workshops and seminars. The goal of this assignment is to build the capacity of the students and faculty of the teacher’s college in the area of speech therapy.

Please note that departure dates and other details of this project could change because of the uncertainties as Peace Corps and local partners resume volunteer operations. Candidates selected for this position will be arriving in Jamaica together as a group, so while the departure dates for the whole group could change, dates cannot be changed for individual candidates.

Mico University College Child Assessment and Research in Education (CARE) Centre

• High tolerance for ambiguity and high level of flexibility – some details of this project could change because of the uncertainties as Peace Corps and local partners resume volunteer operations
• Bachelors Degree in Education, or related field
• 1 year international experience in education
• 3 years’ work experience with children (with children 5 – 12 years of age)
• Knowledge of speech and language development and therapy
• Good verbal and written communication skills
• Experience in interacting with school personnel
• Experience in working with adults (training)