Peace Corps

Assignment Guide

For Master's International

Partner Schools

VRS/Placement Unit
June 2006

Table of Contents Coordinators' Guide

-~~~ Peace
Corps

June 29, 2006

Dear Colleagues,

The Peace Corps offers opportunities for Volunteers with a variety of professional skills,
work experience, and education. The following descriptions of overseas assignments are
offered as a guide to help you and your Master's International students better prepare for
the overseas placement process.

Overseas Peace Corps posts look for the most qualified individuals to fJlI requests for
Volunteers. Peace Corps placement officers seek to place strong, competitive applicants
in volunteer assignments that best meet the needs of a country and best match the skill
sets and qualifications of each applicant.

Please view this document as a guide to assist you in advising MI students about
appropriate academic courses, professional internships, and work experience that will
strengthen the student's preparation and competitiveness for a particular assignment.

The Peace Corps appreciates the guidance and preparation you are able to provide future
Peace Corps Volunteers.

Sincerely,

~~~
Sylvia Alejandre
Director, Master's International

Paul D. Coverdell Peace Corps Headquarters

1111 20th Street NW . Washington, DC 20526
1.800.424.8580 . www.peacecorps.gov
Table of Contents Coordinators' Guide
 Table of Contents

AA 100-Forestry
AA 103 - Protected Areas Management
AA 104 - Environmental Education
AA 110 - Applied Agricultural Science
AA 114 - Farm ManagemenUAgribusiness
AA 115 - AnimalHusbandry
AA 117 - Agriculture and Forestry Extension
AA 122 - General Construction
AA 124 - Water and Sanitation Extension
AA 131 - Environmental & Water Resources Engineering
AA 134 - Urban and Regional Planning
AA 140 - Business Advising
AA 143 - Information Technology
AA 144 -Business Development
AA 145 - NGO Development
AA 154 - Public Health Education
AA 155 - Health Extension
AA 162 - Community Development
AA 164 - Youth Development
AA 170 - Primary Teacher Training
AA 171- Secondary Education English Teaching
AA 172 - University English Teaching
AA 173 - Secondary Education Math Teaching
AA 175 - Secondary Education Science Teaching
AA 177 - Special Education Teacher Training
AA 191 - Secondary Education English Teacher Training

Table of Contents Coordinators' Guide

~ ~

~ ~ ,
(~ ~

~ ~
~ ~

~
~
Positive Qualities for MI Applicants ~,
:~ Entering Assignment Area 100 :
~
~
~~try :,
~ ~ r
~ tJ i
~ Strong candidates will have: ;
~ ~

t ;
./' Master's, bachelor's, associate's degree, or significant
course work in: forestry, watershed or natural resource
management, environmental sciences, or ecology.
./' At least six months of practical experience in gardening,
farming, or nursery management. ...
./' Experience with vegetable production using organic and ., --,
low-input methods, tree planting, or other local
conservation activities and landscaping.
./' Strong references.

Other candidates may have any combination of:

./' Substantial experience running a forestry business or ~

\!,
~
managing forestry property. It
JJ
./' Course work in botany, biology, ornamental horticulture, .;

'"
j !,

or geology. ;i>.

./' High level of comfort working in the outdoors and an ~

(1.
:el
understanding of how natural resources can be managed d"O

to sustain people's livelihoods. !~

./' Experience using computer application such as

geographic information systems (GIS) for environmental
research and modeling. :>

'"
~
f1
-?
c;,
S>
Excellent French or Spanish language skills may significantly It
.')

add to the qualifications ofany applicant along with a solid '" ....
y
C~I

record of volunteer work and evidence ofstrong interpersonal !)

(~

skills. ,"
(':1
b
June 2006 ,:;,
D

'"
iJ

~$'

'0"
~N
.•;1 ''": .;.' f':.. :1 .::.- .:' t;.... 5' Co;'.. ,l' :.. ~1"'_1':)I''''.f£ €.:I_::\ ("'", ~~ <-;1: €. ....") ~ ...~.Ir~ .::) e. ;11 1. j i ; . ill·@.. ~ (i, ~ (':.. J) e ,1:> eo $I s Jl (~ :::' r~ )} r';.. ::1) t!!; ..
>~ ... " (I.;. \ ... "4i ~s. ,:;> t. ;,,:; f", ;'S.l I;t .t:j ~ :;p ~ I'll tl... -:..~ (S

Table of Contents Coordinators' Guide

 . .:. '

Forestry
Creating Sustainable Solutions
As a Peace Corps Volunteer you arrive in your assigned country of service, nor with funds or equipment, but with skills and
knowledge as well the willingness to adapt them to your community. The primary focus of all volunreer work is building the
capacity of local communities to meet their own needs through sustainable activities. A successful project is one that
continues to function effectiveJy after the volunteer leaves.

Before starting your rwo-year assignment, you receive approximately three months of in-country training, focusing on
language, cross-cultural, and technical skills as well as on health and safety. The training program is designed to help you
become an integral member of the community by giving you an understanding of the country's governmental system, cultural
norms, and interpersonal relations. Technical training enhances your ability to effectively transfer your skills and knowledge
to host-country people.

Flexibility is your key to success

It is vital that Volunteers understand not only the myriad of technical problems, but also the cultUral views and socio-political
context in which they operate. The assignment may have little or no established structure or schedule. You continually define
your role in response to the needs.of the local people. Your willingness to integrate into your community and help your hosrs
find appropriate solutions can encourage people to participate. Your creativity, flexibility, self-motivation, and self-discipline
may be vigorously challenged as you establish credibility and adapt to your new environment.

~ . ,"

Resources worldwide are threatened by growing rural and urban populations, industrial development, and unsustainable
natural resource management. People mostdirectly affected by deforesution are those who use trees on a daily basis and rely
on them to meet basic cooking and building needs. Peace Corps Forestry Volunteers work with local communities to plan,
implement and evaluate reforestation, forest management, or soil conservation projects. Placed with a host country agency
such as the forest service, agricultunl extension service, or a community development agency, a Volunteer's work territory
may cover one village of 300 people or an area of 10 villages with thousands of people. The job can vary from regional
nursery management to forestry extension work with schools, community groups and individuals. Typical activities include:

Agro-forestry Education, Training and Support

Volunteers help farmers integrate agriculture and forestry
on the same land in order to increase total productivity
and long-term sustainability. Trees grown among
agricultural crops or on pastureland can provide
firewood, timber, nuts, fruits, fodder, and fertilizer. They
can also enrich the soil, prevent erosion, retain water, and
shield crops and animals from damaging wind and
e..xcessive sunlight. Harvests therefore increase, lessening
pressures on fanners to seek new agricultural lands at the
expense of neighboring forests.
Community Forestry
Village woodlots, community nurseries and
reforestation of degraded lands can also be a means to
provide timber, food crops, or firewood for home
consumption or income generation. Volunteers train
local people in technical skills, as well as advise them on
how to manage these interventions.
• Train fanners and foresters to apply sound forest
management and conservation practices.
• Make environmental education presentations in rural
schools and at farmer's meetings-providing information on
environmentally sound alternatives to destructive practices.
• Demonstrate the use of fuel-efficient stoves to women.
• Provide technical support to other Volunteers who are
working in forestry-related activities.
In Their Own Words
Visit the Peace Corps website at www.peacecorps.govand
find the link 'In Their Own Words' to read first-hand accounts
of what it is like to be a Peace Corps Volunteer.

Depending upon the needs of a community, Volunteers may also participate in other activities, such as environmental
education or small-scale marketing of forest products.

Table of Contents Coordinators' Guide

 Forestry Projects by Region
P,oc, corp; Volliltiur o/Jportllm'li4J rr{>"ltltl hoft country no#onol n,ttlI
and tf/lpli&onlI orr .nrollTrrged 10 hom»' hOfI trJllnlry nalional nettil when
Iwe,
being p!4<.d ProjetlI IItIry and an unifJlI,IJ defined allh. /0(111
an fom. program dumplwn,:
Sub-Saharan Africa
Environment programs fOCUs on natural resources
management and environmental education, but the
application of these themes differ significantly among
countries. In one sub-Saharan country, rural farmers are
concerned about the decreasing supply of wood and the
loss of crops to drought and poor soil conditions. Volunteers
work in a multi-disciplinary team (agriculture, natural
resources, health, and small enterprise development) to
help local communities develop long-term strategies to
address these critical problems. One solution is to plant
multiple-use species of trees that produce fruit, fodder,
construction material and firewood, all of which can be sold
or used for home consumption.
North Africa
Forestry Volunteers in one project work in teams with the
MinistJy of Agriculture and Rural Development. the
Department of Water and Forestry, local community
leaders, and other Peace Corps environment Volunteers.
They act as a liaison between their community and the
project groups, developing environmental awareness
training, acting as catalysts for natural resource
management initiatives, and proViding technical support and
training for host country colleagues in forestry. Forestry
assignments are rural and mountainous and may be located
in National ParKs or biological reserves.
Inter-America
At one time, the eastern half of one South American country
was almost entirely forested but the degradation of its
natural ecosystems has resulted in the loss of 90% of the
original forest cover. To assist in addressing this problem,
Volunteers work with rural communities to reduce
environmental degradation through the conservation and
restoration of forest components in rural landscapes.
Specific activities may include developing and implementing
agro-forestry systems to satisfy community needs,
prodUcing native tree seedlings in community nurseries and
implementing soil conservation practices.
1-
Life is·calling. How far will you go?
11 iJ lhe polity ofIht P,aer CorpJ 10 providt tljut1lopportunity in all iu program,for 0/1pm01lf dnd 10 plTJhibil dimimina#on baItd on n:m, aJlor, naliollalori!!II, rtlitfttn,
og' (over 40). j~~', duobifi!y, poll~i(ol affilialion, alld Jtxualorienlalion '" tbt nmnlnullt, ,,!e(tion, plae.m,lII, ftrvit., ami lem,inllliOll 0/ Ptart COrpf VoIJlltt.m.
Table of Contents
Volunteer Profile
Education
Applicants will have a bachelor's or associate degree in
Hm
forestry, watershed or natural resource management,
environmental sciences, or ecology; OR
A bachelor's in biology, botany, ornamental horticulture, or
geology and six months of relevant work experience; OR
A bachelor's in any discipline and three years of relevant work
experience.
Experience
Most applicants have at least six months of practical
experience in gardening, farming, or nursery management.
Other relevant experience includes:
• vegetable production using orgllnic and low-input methods,
tree planting or other local conservation activities,
• landscaping,
• a high level of comfort working in the outdoors,
r--
• an understanding of how natural resources can be managed I
to sustain people's livelihoods, and
use of computer applications such as geographic
information systems (GIS) for environmental research and
modeling.
The Rewards of Peace Corps Service
As a Peace Corps Volunteer you can make a tremendous
contribution to the lives of others. At the same time, you
discover that your experience is as much about your learning
as it is about teaching.
VoJunteer service develops or accentuates your professional
abilities and enhances your personal growth. Virtually all
returning Volunteers agree they have received far more than
they have given. Recent college graduates gain hands-on
experience and often further define their career goals. Others
confirm their commitment to their profession and receive
career-boosting international experience. Retirees bring their
accumulated life experiences to those who need and respect
them.
Some of the many benefits that come with Peace Corps
service include: student loan deferment and/or partial
cancellation, transportation to and from country of service, in-
COWltry training, medical and dental care, living allowance, 48
paid vacation days, a $6,000+ "readjustment" allowance upon
-'" completion, graduate school opportunities, etc.
www.peacecorps.gov
800.424.8580
-
Coordinators' Guide
 Positive Qualities for MI Applicants
Entering Assignment Area 103
Protected Areas Management

Strong candidates will have:

./' Master'slBachelor's degree or significant course work in:

wildlife biology, wildlife management, natural resource
management, or recreation and park administration.
./' Work experience in park planning or administration,
resource management or wildlife management.
./' Experience with conducting biological surveys of plants
or animals, initiating·environmental campaigns, tre~ \'

planting, or other conservation activities.

./' Experience with grant writing for conservation efforts.
./' Strong references.

Other candidates may have any combination 0/:

./' Experience in related internships or study-abroad

programs.
./' Seasonal employment as a park ranger or as a docent at a
zoo or natural history museum.

Excellent French or Spanish language skills may significantly

add to the qualifications ofany applicant along with a solid
record of volunteer work and evidence ofstrong interpersonal
skills.

June 2006

,-

Table of Contents Coordinators' Guide

 Peace Corps Assignment 1O@· ..... '. ,
I

Protected Areas Management

Creating Sustainable Solutions
As a Peace Corps Volunteer you arrive in your assigned country of service, not with funds or equipment, but with skills and
knowledge as well the willingness to adapt them to your community. The primary focus of all volunteer work is building the
capacity of local communities to meet their own needs through sustainable activities. A successful project is ope that
continues to function effectively after the volunteer leaves.

Before starting your two-year assignment, you receive approximately three months of in-country training, focusing on
language, cross-cultural, and technical skills as well as on health and safety. The training program is designed to help you
become an integral member of the community by giving you an understanding of the country's governmental system, cultural
norms, and interpersonal relations. Technical training enhances your ability to effectively transfer your skills and knowledge
to host-country peopl~.

Flexibility is your key to success

It is vital thatVolunreers understand not only the myriad of technical problems, but also the cultural views and socia-political
context in which they operate. The assignment may have little or no established structure or schedule. You continually define
your role in ~esponse to the needs of the local people. Your willingness to integrate into your community and help your hosts
find appropriate solutions can encourage people to participate. Your creativity, flexibility, self-motivation, and self-discipline
may be vigorously challenged as you establish credibility and adapt to your new environment.

As a Protected Areas Management Volunteer, you provide training to individuals, communities, and institutions in effective
management of natural resources both inside and outside protected areas; conservation of biological diversity; and generation
of sustainable economic returns. You may work in or near existing or newly created parks. In collaboration with park staff
and adjacent communities, you may be engaged in the following types of projects: .
Park Management Environmental Education
Design and deliver training workshops in areas such as Train counterparts to enhance conservation and
supervisory skills, resource inventory techniques, land use environmental awareness through the establishment of
planning, environmental impact assessments, or park conservation education centers and wildlife clubs in
interpretation skills. Assist local environmental schools and communities. Collaborate with park staff to
organizations to obtain information, network with local deyelop interpretive displays that enhance public
and international organizations, and develop funding awareness of the causes, prevention, and possible solutions
sources. to local environmental degradation.
Income Generation Activities Research and Surveys
Liaise between park staff and local people to assist with Work with host country coUeagues to conduct ecological
sustainable natural resource-based economic studies (including collecting baseline data and habitat
development, including eco-tourism and agro-forestry information, and life histories) of endangered, threatened,
projects. Encourage community participation in tourism or economically important species in protected areas. Help
to increase national revenue and benefit people near carry out surveys of park lands to document current and
protected areas. Assist in establishing tree nurseries to potential land-use, identify threats to the protected area, or
raise soil fertility; increase crop. firewood, and building locate boundaries.
pole production; and provide income-generating
opportunities. In Their Own Words
Visit the Peace Corps website at wWw.peacecorps.gov and
find the link "In Their Own Words' \0 read first-hand accounts
of what it is like \0 be a Peace Corps Volunteer.
I
As a Parks and Wildlife Volunteer, you are a catalyst for change. Since the purpose of your job is to empower the local people
tosustainably manage their natural resources, you advise and teach, not direct.

Table of Contents Coordinators' Guide

 Protected Areas Management Projects
Peott Corps Vollmlttr opporlumliu rrprrstfll hosl rolli/try nalibnal nm{s
and ttpplUants an ",(ollm!!d 10 honor hosl rrJIInlry 1I4tionl11 nttds /IIbtn
beingplaad. Pro/t(ls /Il1ry and lIn llnitp1tly tleflfltJ 01 thllq,111 IelIIl Herr
art IMIt program demipliolll:
Africa
African nations are among the most biologically diverse
countries in the wor1d. Habitats include both the savannah
and tropical rain forests. In one country, there are mountain
gorillas, over 1,000 bird species and a very high primate
density. However, high population growth. subsistence
fanning technology, poor energy supply, civil strife, and a
growing food deficit are threatening the forest reserves.
Volunteers work on conservation education programs, park
guide trainings, nature trail construction, eco-tourism
development, and other activities to benefit the populations
surrounding protected areas.
Eastern/Central Europe
In one fonner Soviet Bloc country, Volunteers work with a
governmental agency in one of the national parks, while
living in a community nearby. These communities range in
population between 1,000 and 200,000. Volunteers serve
as resource specialists providing information, training and
technical advice to national and municipal organizations, as
well as local non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
involved in park or environmental educational activities. A
large part of a Volunteers job is to develop local counterpart
capacity to sustain his/her work after departure from the
country.
Inter-America
In one Central American country, the unplanned and
exhaustive use of natural resources, together with the lack
of conservation practices, has created environmental
problems such as deforestation, erosion, pollution, loss of
biological diversity, and the degradation of the Coastal and
marine systems. Volunteers are assigned to small and
medium-sized, indigenous communities (100-5,000 people)
in the interior of the country. They work in coordination with
the National Authority of the Environment, the Ministry of
Education's Environmental Education Office, school
directors, teachers and other Volunteers to develop
effective environmental education strategies in the schools
and communities in the area.
10-
Life is calling. How far will you go?
II if tiN poli0' 0/Ihe Pea" Corps 10 provide equalopporluoifJ in all illprograms for allptrrons atlll16 prohibil discriminalion bllsed on TrIa, (olor, nalionalongill. rtfiO/111,
age (Ot't1' 40). lex, disl1bilitJ, politicalojJiliation, and sexltal onomlalion in the rrmtilm<1ll, it/«tion, plaamUll, mtJi(e, and kmrinalion o/Peotr Corps Volll1fte",.
Table of Contents
Volunteer Profile
Education
Applicants will have a bachelor's degree in wildlife biology,
wildlife management, natural resource management, or
recreation and park administration;
-or-
A bachelor's in any discipline and three years of work
experience in park planning or administration, resource
management, or wildlife management.
Experience
Most applicants have experience in related internships or
study-abroad programs.
Many have had seasonal employment as a park ranger or as a
docent at a zoo or natural history museum.
Other relevant experience includes
• conducting biological surveys of plants or animals;
• initiating environmental campaigns, tree planting or other
local conservation activities; and
grant writing for conservation efforts.
The Rewards of Peace Corps Service
As a Peace Corps Volunteer you can make a tremendous
contribution to the lives of others. At the same time, you
discover that your experience is as much about your learning
as it is about teaching.
Volunteer service develops or accentuates your professional
abilities and enhances your personal growth. Virtually alI
returning Volunteers agree they have received far more than
they have given. Recent coUege graduates gain hands-on
experience and often further define their career goals. Others
canfinn their commitment to their profession and receive
career-boosting international experience. Retirees bring their
accwnulated life experiences to those who need and respect
them.
Some of the many bene.fits that come with Peace Corps
service include: student loan deferment and/or partial
cancellation, transponation to and from country of service, in-
country training, medical and dental care, living allowance, 4B
paid vacation days, a $6,000+ "readjustment" allowance upon
--' completion, graduate school opportunities, etc.
www.peacecorps.gov
800.424.8580
-
Coordinators' Guide
 Positive Qualities for MI Applicants
Entering Assignment Area 104
Environmental Education

Strong candidates will have:

v" Master'slBachelor's degree or significant course work in:

environmental science, ecology, or natural resource
conservation.
v" Significant out-of-classroom experience, such as
participation in internships or study-abroad programs, or
work as a park guide, as a docent at a zoo or natural
history museum, or as a primary school teacher; or
v" Two years of professional experience organizing or
leading environmental education activities.
v" Strong references.

Other candidates may have any combination of:

v" Volunteer or work experience with camps, environmental

organizations, park work, or environmental outreach
with local schools.
v" Certification in primary education or secondary science.
-/' Expressed interest in promoting environmental
awareness in schools and communities.
v" Experience with vegetable production using organic and
low-input methods, use of computer applications for
research, tree planting, or grant writing.

Excellent French or Spanish language skills may significantly

add to the qualifications ofany applicant along with a solid
record of volunteer work and evidence ofstrong interpersonal
skills.
June 2006

Table of Contents Coordinators' Guide

 P~a,~,e,Corps Assignment _1Q~L_ .... '.-
•~ J> ••
.;" . "~

Environmental Education
Creating Sustainable Solutions
As a Peace Corps Volunteer you arrive in your assigned country of service, not with funds or equipment, but with skills and
knowledge as well the )villingness to adapt them to your community. The primary focus of all volunteer work is building the
capacity of local communities to meet their own needs through sustainable activities. A successful project is one that
continues to function effectively after the volunteer I~aves.

Before starting your two-year assignment, you receive approximately three months of in-country training, focusing on
language, cross-cultural, and technical skills as well as on health and safety. The training program is designed to help you
become an integral member of the community by giving you an understanding of the country's governmental system, cultural
norms, and interpersonal relations. Technical trair.ing ennances your ability to effectively transfer your skills and knowledge
to host-country people.

Flexibility Is your key to success

It is vital that Volunteers understand not only the myriad of technical problems, but :lisa the cultural views and socio-political
context in which they opuate. The assignmenr may have little or no established structure or schedule. You continu,illy define
your role in response to the needs of the local people. Your willingness to integrate ioro your community and help your hosts
find appropriate solutions can encourage people to participate. Your creativity, flexibility, self-motivation, and self-discipline
may be vigorously challenged as you establish credibility and adapt to your new environment. .

Peace Corps Volunteer Environmental Educators work at the grassroots level to assist and involve people in resolving and
preventing environmental issues that are in conflict with a community's basic needs for fanning and income generation.
Living in an urban or rural area, Volunteers are involved in a wide variety of both formal and non-formal environmental
education activities, and are placed at all levels of formal schooling from elementary to univer:;ity level. They also work.
directly with coaununit}' groups and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). In collaboration with host-country n~tionals.
a Volunteer may be involved in any of the following types of projects:

School-Based Environmental Education Environmental Education In Protected Areas

Training administrators and teachers in planning,
designing, and implementing environmental education
programs and curricula for schools and community
groups.
• Developing manuals, modules, and other materials for
use by schools, local organizations and the media.
Conducting workshops for primary or secondary
students to help them devdop critical thinking skills
and new approaches to environmental problems.
Community-Based Environmental Education
• Working with women's and youth groups and small
farmers to promote conservation awareness.
• Organizing tree-planting activities, presenting
exhibitions on conservation themes, and training
farmers in sound and safe agro-forestry practices.
Providing advice and org:l.Oizational assistance related
to the profitable marketing of locally sustainable
I products.
• Promoting sustainable natural resource management
practices to forestry and national park personnel.
Establishing wildlife clubs to increase awareness of the
need for endangered species protection.
• m
Training park personnel the management of visitors'
centers and information displays.
• Developing income generating activities, such as eco-
tourism, that involve conununity members.
Organizational Development
Working with citizens' groups, often in newly-emerging
democracies, to help them fonnulate their goals,
.establish a sound leadership structure, and gain access to
technical information and financial resources.
In Their Own Words
Visit the Peace Corps website at www.peacecorps.gOY and
find the link "In Their Own Words" to read first-hand accounts
of what it is like to be a Peace Corps Volunteer.

Depending on community needs, Volunteers may take on other activities such as teaching reading to fanners, coordinating
women's coopC:£'1ti\'es, initiating youth groups, building school latrines, and teaching business management or English.

Table of Contents Coordinators' Guide

 e . "

Positive Qualities for MI Applicants

Entering Assignment Area 117
Agriculture and Forestry Extension
i
- i

Strong candidates will have:

-/' Master'slBachelor's degree in any discipline; and

-/' At least three months of experience in vegetable
gardening, landscaping, tree planting or care, urban
forestry, livestock care or management, or fish
(freshwater or marine) cultivation or production.
-/' An interest and background in environmental issues.
-/' Formal or informal teaching or tutoring of adults or
youth.
-/' Strong references.

Other candidates may have any combination of:

-/' Landscaping, construction, or other hands-on work

experience with an interest in agriculture.

Excellent French or Spanish language skills may significantly

add to the qualifications ofany applicant along with a solid
record of volunteer work and evidence ofstrong interpersonal
skills. -
June 2006

Table of Contents Coordinators' Guide

 Agriculture and Forestry Extension
Creating Sustainable Solutions
As a Peace Corps Volunteer you arrive in your assigned country of service, not with funds or equipment, but with skills and
knowledge as well the willingness to adapt them to your communiry. The primary focus of all volunteer work is building the
capaciry of local communities to meet their own needs through sustainable activities. A successful project is one that
continues to function effectively after the volunteer leaves.

Before starting your two-year assignment, you receive approximately three months of in-country training, focusing on
language, cross-cultural, and technical skills as well as on health and safery. The training program is designed to help you
become an integral member of the communiry by giving you an understanding of the country's governmental system, cultural
norms, and interpersonal relations. Technical training enhances your abiliry to effectively transfer your skills and knowledge
to host-country people.

Flexibility Is your key to success

It is vital that Volunteers understand not only the myriad of technical problems, but also the cultural views and socia-political
context in which they operate. The assignment may have little or no established structure or schedule. You continually define
your role in response to the needs of the local people. Your willingness to integrate into your community and help your hosts
find appropriate solutions can encourage people to participate. Your creativity, flexibility, self-motivation, and self-discipline
may be vigorously challenged as you establish credibility and adapt to your new environment.

Tbe-'Wo'tkof :·Agl1~'iltiJre and ;-Forestl'Y\~ensl~n"olu~~~.

In many of the countries where Peace Corps Volunteers work., the economic base of rural communities is founded upon
agricultural enterprise. As an Agriculture and Forestry Extension Volunteer, you may help rural families by increasing
agricultural productivity and environmental protection, improving nutritional awareness, and organizing income-generation
activities. You may be involved in the following types of projects:
Field Crop Production Community Forestry
Conduct field trials and demonstrations with local farmers to Train local people in technical skills to create village
experiment with crop rotation,. erosion control, cover crops, woodlots, community nurseries, and reforestation of
seed production, crop variety selection, fertilizer use, degraded lands. Train farmers to apply sound forestry and
irrigation and integrated pest management. The objective is to conservation practices, such as inter cropping, contour
increase production of staple crops such as rice, corn, millet, planting, and use of live fencing. Make presentations on
sorghum, and cassava. environm<;ntai education in rural schools and at farmers'
meetings to provide information on environmentaUy sound
Communities, Schools and Home Gardens
alternatives to destructive .practices.
Work with farmers and students to improve production of
Food Storage and Preservation
indigenous or newly introduced varieties of fruits and
vegetables by using "bio-intensive" gardening techniques that Work with families or cooperative groups on methods to
maximize production in a limited area or growing season. decrease post-harvest losses to insects, rodents, or spoilage.
Promote inter croppingfruits or vegetables with field crops Encourage use of home storage units or grain treatments
to improve local diets. using ash or other locally available materials that are effective
for· pest control and preservation.
Marketing
Fisheries
Work with local farmers who are organizing themselves into
marketing cooperatives in order to gain higher market prices Conduct demonstrations that motivate small scale farmers to
for their produce. experiment with various fisheries techniques, including the
construction of new ponds and the renovation of existing
ponds. Give workshops on sustainable and efficient
I , . . . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - , aquaculture practices, such as fertilization, stocking, fish
In Their Own Words culture techniques, transportation of fingerlings, and fish
Visit the Peace Corps website at www.peacecorps.gov and find harvesting. Train community members in marketing and in
the link "In Their Own Words' to read lirst-hand accounts of
what it is like to be a Peace Corps Volunteer. small-scale fishery business management to enable the
expansion or start-up of aquaculture venrures.

Table of Contents Coordinators' Guide

Agriculture and Forestry Extension Projects Volunteer Profile

Pt:O~ Corpl Vobmtrer 6fJp0r!/mitkl "pmelll hall (Olllllty lIolionoi n..d, Education
ond uppli(aJlll on enrollrogtJ 10 bonor hoII ((Jlllllry 1I01i0l/oi 1I,u1 /IIben
being p/olld. Proj,r/r vary ond on IIniqllelJ neftl/tJ ollbe /0(41 kwL Herr
Applicants v.oill have a bachelor's degree in any discipline and
art: ,ome program dtI(ripliM': three months of relevant experience;
-or-
Africa
No college degree anclone year of relevant experience.
In one West African country the government Is improving
the quality and quantity of fish culture activities by placing Experience
well-qualified Volunteers in rural farming communities to
provide intensive extension services to interested farmers. Applicants must have at least three months of experience in
The project aims to increase farmers' capacity to • vegetable gardening,
successfully manage integrated pond systems and provide • landscaping,
quality extension services. The project is increasing the
production, yield, and profitability of those practicing fish • tree planting or care,
culture. Fish culture extension agents work with rural fish • urban forestry,
farmers of all ages - men and women alike - to help build • livestock care or management, or
and manage their own integrated aquaculture systems. • fish (freshwater or marine) cultivation or production.
Asia Other relevant experience includes an interest and
Agriculture Extension Volunteers in one Asian country are background in environmental issues and formal or infonnal
placed in rural communities near bio-diversity areas and teaching or tutoring of adults or youth.
contribute to a sustainable livelihood project. A common
concern in rural communities is the conflict between the
need to generate income through employing natural
resources, and the need to conserve natural resources for
future generations. Placed with village organizations, The Rewards of Peace Corps Service
environmental NGOs, or municipal government units,
As a Peace Corps Volunteer you can make a tremendous
Volunteers support developing environmentally sustainable contribution to the lives of others. At the same time, you
incom~eneration projects, or efforts that endeavor to
discover that your experience is as much about your learning
conserve local natural resources. Daily activities include as it is about teaching.
conducting participatory surveys, planning workshops,
fadlitating informal community discussions, and supporting Volunteer service develops or accentuates your professional
colleagues in applying for grants and loans. abilities and enhances your personal growth. Virtually all
returning Volunteers agree they have received far more than
Inter-America
they have given. Recent college graduates gain hands-on
Peace Corps Volunteers in one Central American country experience and often further define their career goals. Others
work with farm families who must farm on steep slopes that confirm their commitment to their profession and receive
are very susceptible to erosion. Many farmers practice career-boosting international experience. Retirees bring their
migratory agriculture, in which a parcel of forest is slashed accumulated life experiences to those who need and respect
and cultivated for a period of three to five years, or until them.
further cultivation· is not feasible. Volunteers work with
farmers to develop techniques that are more ecologically
sustainable and financially Viable. Examples indude row
tillage. construction of live erosion barriers, and cover crops.
The project has been managed since 1989 in collaboration
with the host countly's Ministry of Natural Resources and
several private voluntary organizations.

Life is calling. How far will you go?

800.424.8580 -
www.peacecorps.gOY

II it Iht polir'/ of Ihe Peaa Corps /0 proPide eq1l0lopper/tlnily in 0/1 ii' prograff"jur olipersonI and 10 prolJib'.1 t!iurimillolion bmw O!f rare, (0/0" ttatWnnlorigin, nli£ion,
".~ (0/J(r40j. ;,x. di,obiliry..t>olili((J/ o{fi1UJ1io1l. and Iexualonenlnlion in Ib, nmJilmenl. seles/ion. fi!o(V1(ttrf. Jel>:e. and ItmUta/iq" of Peaa Cor,u 1/0"I1I/~I.

Table of Contents Coordinators' Guide