Co-facilitate Student Literacy Sessions and Strengthen Staff Capacity

Activity/project background

Villa Road Primary School is a co-educational school located in Mandeville, Jamaica. The school receives students who would benefit from significant interventions in literacy. Unfortunately, the school does not have a reading specialist or special needs teacher, which limits the amount of individualized learning support available for children with learning challenges. Nearly 50 students, ages 6–12, have been identified with perceived learning challenges.

The school recently had a Virtual Service Pilot Participant (VSPP) who completed their engagement and is requesting two additional VSPP to continue to co-facilitate small group sessions with students to improve their literacy and performance in both internal and external examinations. Each VSPP will facilitate two groups with approximately six children based on their age.

This engagement also focuses on building teachers’ capacity to independently support students with diverse literacy needs by having VSPP model effective instructional strategies during live sessions, collaborate with teachers to co-plan targeted literacy lessons, and share evidence-based practices for supporting struggling readers. VSPPs will also guide teachers through reflective feedback conversations after lessons, help create simple and reusable literacy resources (e.g. teaching aids and intervention plans) tailored to the school context, and ultimately strengthen teachers’ confidence and skills so they can continue implementing small-group literacy interventions sustainably after the VSPP engagement concludes. This dual focus on direct student support and teacher development ensures that the impact of the program extends beyond the immediate intervention period and contributes to long-term sustainable improvement in literacy outcomes.

The organization has previously collaborated with the Peace Corps. They understand that the role of a VSPP is very different than a Peace Corps Volunteer or Peace Corps Response Volunteer.

Engagement and tasks

The VSPP will engage in the following tasks, in collaboration with their host country partners:

• Co-assess students ages 6–12 and develop a learning plan to determine small group session activities based upon reading level
• Co-conduct two to four weekly one-hour small group sessions with up to six students
• Support capacity strengthening of teachers through a total of six professional development activities, split between the school terms

VSPPs are expected to engage on the tasks listed above for an estimated 5–15 hours per week. This engagement is estimated to be eight hours per week.

Online collaboration will generally occur between 8:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. Jamaica time. Specific times will be determined during orientation.

The host country counterpart will have access to Google Meet, WhatsApp, Zoom, and email 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:

1. To help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.
2. To help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.
3. 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 any field

Experience:
• 2 years teaching primary school
• Teaching literacy

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: Bachelor's degree in elementary education, early childhood education, human development, family studies, primary education, or related field

Language: Basic Jamaican Patwa

Experience:
• Virtual engagement and communication
• Working with children who are underperforming
• Training teachers in low-resource environments
• Participation in communities of practice related to primary school education

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 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.