A Peace Corps Response Volunteer (PCRV) is needed to serve as a Volunteerism Programming and Training Specialist with the Council of Voluntary Social Services (CVSS) in Jamaica. Jamaica has joined the universal fight to improve the quality of education of its citizens, with special focus on those at the primary level. Through a partnership with CVSS and Young Women of Purpose/Young Men of Purpose (YWOP/YMOP), the central theme is to broaden efforts by the voluntary social service community, including community based organizations and public schools, to pilot new ways to engage parents and adults and older students in literacy instruction to include language, numbers, image, computers and other basic means to understand, communicate, gain useful information, solve mathematical problems and use the dominant symbols of culture. This project focuses on building the capacity of CVSS and its members to make an impact on the manner in which literacy instruction is provided to students and by doing so builds a sustainable model for supporting children and families who cannot meet their basic needs due to low literacy levels.


A PCRV, with a master’s degree or equivalent experience in education, non-profit management or related field, 2 years of development experience at national level or community-based, 2 years’ work experience with an NGO capacity building, training, project design and management with a volunteerism organization as staff, experience in assessment and report writing, training and facilitation, and working knowledge of qualitative research methodologies is needed to provide a positive combination of creativity and expertise to local NGOs while also providing support and capacity building to CVSS members’ parish level operations. The Volunteerism Programming and Training Specialist will conduct a parish assessment of educational programs aimed at literacy and volunteerism, visit a sampling of schools and hold focus group discussions on areas of literacy education opportunity and need as understood by the groups in the area of specialty, and create an initial findings report with work plan recommendations to set up pilots and review with supervisor and counterpart. The goal of this assignment is to assist the NGO community to identify and pilot new ways to work together, drawing on volunteerism and service approaches.

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.

Council of Voluntary Social Services (CVSS)

• 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
• Master’s Degree or equivalent experience in education, non-profit management or related field
• Two years of development experience at national level or community-based
• Two years’ work experience with an NGO capacity building, training, project design and management with volunteerism organization as staff
• Experience in assessment and report writing; training and facilitation,
• Working knowledge of qualitative research methodologies,
• Ability to live and work under challenging emotional and physical conditions
• Excellent interpersonal skills with demonstrated flexibility in cross-cultural environment
• Ability to engage at all levels – community to policy