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Connect with the Peace Corps
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Serve where you’re needed mostYouth Development Sports Facilitator
Community Economic Development
Youth in Development
Job highlights
- Develop transferrable professional skills by facilitating life skills and physical education sessions, coaching youth sports, and supporting organizational development of youth service providers.
- Immerse yourself in a culturally rich country that is home to a mix of Mestizo, Creole, Maya, Garifuna, and several smaller ethnic groups.
- Learn a new language and develop lifelong friendships.
Belize • North America
In partnership with: Primary schools, youth service providers, sports associations
Get answers live — every weekday at .
Apply by
October 15, 2026Know by
December 1, 2026Depart on
May 2, 2027Duration
2 years, plus 3 months trainingAbout the project
Are you a staunch believer that sports can be a powerful tool to teach essential life skills? Communities in Belize are eager to work with you!
Belize faces a critical challenge as the country’s future social and economic stability depends heavily on the opportunities provided to youth today, yet the 42 percent of the population that makes up the country’s youth still lack consistent access to life skills programs. This challenge persists due to limited human and financial resources in schools, gaps in training for educators, limited opportunities for structured extracurricular activities, and the absence of positive approaches in youth programming. National data continues to highlight that youth-related concerns—such as unemployment, violence, and school disengagement—indicate how gaps in education impact long-term outcomes.
As a Youth Development Sports Facilitator, you will collaborate with schools to integrate life skills education into sports and physical education. Your supportive role will strengthen the support offered by youth service providers, such as village councils, sports associations and/or youth development organizations. Alongside your colleagues, you will transform the outlook and self-esteem of local youth by providing the needed skills for a successful adulthood and to positively contribute to the country’s development.
Learn more about what Volunteers do in country by visiting our Belize project page.
Required skills
Qualified candidates will have one or more of the following criteria:
Associate degree in any field and at least two years of full-time, post-high school work experience (from any combination of roles).
OR
Bachelor's degree in any field.
OR
High school diploma or GED and four years of full-time, post-high school work (from any combination of roles).
Language: There are no pre-requisite language requirements for this position.
Required behavioral competencies
These competencies are essential for all service assignments and are assessed in the application and interview process:
Motivation for and commitment to service
Adaptability and open-mindedness
Problem solving and resourcefulness
Behavioral maturity and professionalism
Photos from Belize
How you and the community will make an impact together:
Design and facilitate youth life skills programs via school clubs, sports, physical education classes, or family fun days.
Plan and deliver youth programs outside of school that incorporate life skills and positive youth development approaches.
Guide youth service providers on the application of organizational development skills, such as program design and evaluation, development of policies and procedures, strategic planning, governance, communications, and administration.
Train parents and caregivers on topics including positive youth development approaches and life skills.
Create strategies to deepen families’ and/or caregivers’ positive engagement with their children.
You may also work on additional projects that meet the community’s interests and priorities, such as structured read-aloud activities at primary schools and after-school extracurricular clubs.
Volunteers will live in a mix of rural and city/town work sites across Belize. Volunteers live with host families during training and the first six months after arriving at their permanent work site. After their first six months at site, Volunteers may remain with a host family or pursue independent living. Although Belize has modern western amenities, most host families live in small and basic accommodations.
Learn more about the living conditions, including detailed information on culture, communications, housing, and health/crime statistics on our Belize country page. You can also delve into stories about local communities by reading our blog or Volunteer stories.
Meet a Volunteer in Belize
Genevieve L.
Health and Physical Education Volunteer
"I’ve learned that my curiosity for all things Belizean is matched by Belizeans’ curiosity about all things American!"
See full Volunteer profile
As a Youth Development Sports Facilitator, you will be trained on basic coaching principles, life skills development and facilitation, lesson planning, and positive youth development approaches. Peace Corps/Belize will teach you Spanish or Kriol language—dependent on the predominant language at your work site—with a goal of language proficiency, to help you comfortably live in and connect with the community.
After 11 weeks of training, you will move to either a rural community or a town where you will collaborate with organizations focused on youth-focused organizations to assess the local needs and develop solutions based on available resources.
Heterosexual and same-sex couples are accepted for this program. Each person must apply separately and qualify for a position in the same sector as their partner. Couples will live together during training but may separate occasionally for field-based activities. Couples who are selected for the same sector will live together but work with different local partners which may be in the same community or in neighboring communities (not more than 30 minutes apart).
To learn more about serving as a couple in Belize, visit the country page.
Application process
From application to departure takes around nine months. Learn about the application process for Volunteer opportunities.
Medical/legal clearance
You will need to be cleared medically and legally in order to serve in Belize. Review information on medical clearance and legal clearance to learn about the process.
