As an English Education Volunteer you will be assigned to a school as a teacher in a community to teach and co-teach English as a second language at middle school or combined elementary and high schools. Through working with teachers and students, English Education (TEFL) Volunteers help increase English language proficiency and self-confidence. In addition to classroom teaching, Volunteers organize clubs and camps, share resources, develop teaching materials with local teachers and become involved in community and school-based projects.
TEFL Volunteers peer teach alongside an Albanian English teacher, supporting and enhancing the existing English language program with communicative teaching methods. Volunteers teach upwards to ten 90-minute classes per week. After peer teaching during the first year, some Volunteers may start to teach more on their own.
Volunteers may also spend part of their time working with teachers from neighboring village schools to help improve their English and enhance their teaching techniques. They may also conduct teacher development workshops through collaboration with partner organizations and regional/local level education offices. Volunteers also work with teachers and counterparts to improve critical-thinking and problem-solving skills of students, often through after-school activities or English clubs.
Volunteers will likely have ample opportunity to conduct other community development projects, once they are grounded in their communities. The types of projects Volunteers may collaborate with their community members include, but are not limited to improving the overall quality of life in rural areas, strengthening the educational system, identifying income-generating opportunities, and managing the natural resources. Volunteers will also have opportunities at the local or regional level to participate in youth development efforts/activities through the schools or NGOs, or by taking part in youth-centered projects such as Model UN, Outdoor Ambassadors (an environmental-themed afterschool program begun by Volunteers), Girls Leading our World (GLOW) camps, etc.
In the summer, you be expected to lead camps and other youth development activities in partnership with schools, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), or facilitate youth-centered projects such as Model United Nations, Girl Scouts, Outdoor Ambassadors (an environmental-themed afterschool program begun by Volunteers), Girls Leading our World (GLOW) camps, etc. You may develop or participate in summer youth camps, utilize the Peace Corps Albania Life Skills Manual, tutor students in school subjects (possibly English), help develop student government in schools, and/or liaise with projects that foster youth employability. Many Volunteers have found success in collaborating across sectors throughout the summer with Volunteers who live in nearby sites; however, this may not be possible for all Volunteers depending on the geographic location of your site.
Placements may be anywhere in Albania except certain areas of the country that are designated as off-limits. No Volunteers will be placed in the capital. In some rare cases, Volunteers may be placed in a few of the larger towns of Albania where foreign language schools are located; however, the vast majority of placements will be in the rural areas. Conditions, especially in winter, may be uncomfortable at sites.
Health coverage, Housing, Living allowance, Non-competitive eligibility (federal jobs), Stipend, Student loan forbearance, Training
Prohibits paid work outside of the sponsoring agency at any time
Subject to criminal background check