Apply by
January 1, 2025
Know by
March 1, 2025
Depart on
July 7, 2025
Duration
2 years, plus 3 months training
Project description
Do you enjoy working with youth? Do you have a passion for teaching? Are you enthusiastic about fostering educational growth and empowerment in Botswana’s vibrant communities? If so, we invite you to bring your experience and passion to this rewarding opportunity! The Literacy for Life Skills program, Peace Corps Botswana’s new focus on Education, aims to enhance literacy and life skills among young learners, offering you a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact in rural communities.
Driven by recent examination results, particularly a 2021 Primary School Leaving Examination which indicated a decline in literacy rates, Peace Corps Botswana is transitioning from the Youth in Development sector to the Education sector in 2025. Local stakeholders and school officials have also highlighted the urgent need for solid literacy competencies through a participatory and student-centered learning approach. Help us shape this new and exciting project!
As a Literacy for Life Skills Volunteer, you will be assigned to an elementary school, predominantly in rural areas, to support literacy education efforts. You will partner with language teachers to co-facilitate various activities, including teaching literacy skills in the classroom and planning extracurricular literacy events such as tutoring sessions, reading clubs, spelling bees, theater productions, and music to enhance literacy.
Your role also involves co-teaching the Life Skills development curricula within a school-based program. You will work on co-facilitating student clubs and camps that focus on life skills development, providing mentorship and guidance to help students build essential skills for their future. Additionally, you will co-train teachers on effective literacy teaching strategies, help establish or improve library resources, and develop library systems to foster a reading culture.
Beyond the classroom, you will participate in after-school programs, such as clubs and sports including Grassroots Soccer, an innovative program that uses soccer-based activities to educate and empower youth. Volunteers will receive training in HIV/AIDS education to work with out-of-school youth, parents, and other organizations to provide comprehensive sexuality education and link young people to youth-friendly health services.
Peace Corps Botswana promotes a student-friendly environment. During Pre-Service Training volunteers will undergo coaching on creating student-friendly schools. This approach focuses on making educational environments more inclusive, engaging, and supportive for all students. Techniques learned will include developing a positive school culture, incorporating student-centered teaching methods, and creating safe, welcoming physical spaces. The impact of this training is profound: students are more likely to attend school regularly, participate actively in their learning, and achieve better academic outcomes. Moreover, teachers benefit from a more positive and collaborative work environment, which can reduce burnout and improve teaching effectiveness. During Pre-Service Training Volunteers will have the opportunity to gain practical hands-on experience through teaching in a model school.
As a volunteer in the Education sector, you will have the opportunity to receive specialized training in Project Management and Design. This training will equip volunteers with the essential skills and techniques needed to effectively implement projects at their respective sites. By mastering project management methodologies, volunteers will be better prepared to plan, execute, and evaluate various educational initiatives, ensuring that their efforts lead to sustainable and impactful outcomes in their communities.
Overall, this initiative aims to create caring and enriching educational environments for students in Botswana, to support them in achieving better literacy outcomes and develop essential life skills.
Required Skills
- Competitive candidates will have a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any discipline and a strong desire to teach English
Desired Skills
As a Peace Corps Volunteer serving in Botswana to work in primary schools in rural areas should possess a diverse set of skills and abilities:
- Passion for education and a willingness to work in primary schools in rural communities.
- Willingness to work with children between the ages to 6-12 years old. Experience in working with young children.
- Skills in community outreach and engagement to help foster a supportive learning environment and encourage parental and community involvement.
- Patience, creativity, and a genuine passion for education.
Required Language Skills
There are no pre-requisite language requirements for this position. As the sun rises over the vast plains of Botswana, a group of eager Peace Corps trainees gather in a modest classroom, ready to embark on a linguistic journey that will shape their service experience. With unwavering determination, they immerse themselves in the intricacies of Setswana, the heartbeat of Botswana’s culture. From dawn till dusk, they conjugate verbs, master pronunciation, and absorb the local expressions. While English may be the language of business, trainees understand that true connection and impactful service require fluency in Setswana. Amidst the challenge of navigating a predominantly English-speaking environment, they persevere, recognizing that the key to successful integration lies in their ability to communicate with the heart of the community. Each day becomes a testament to their dedication, as they forge meaningful relationships and bridge cultural divides through the power of language.
English and Setswana are the two official languages in Botswana with local dialects in different regions. Some community members may have intermediate or advanced levels of English, while some may not. Community integration is greatly enhanced with your ability to hold basic conversations in Setswana or one of the local Batswana languages or dialects used in your community.
Trainees receive intensive training in Setswana for 2.5 months during Pre-Service Training (PST), and must attain an “intermediate low” level by the end of PST. Business is often conducted in English, the official language, but true successful service and integration only happens when the Volunteer learns Setswana or another language. The prevalence of English makes language learning a challenge; thus, Volunteers must actively pursue their language learning for success but especially for integration.
Peace Corps Botswana has dedicated staff and resources to ensure continued language learning throughout a Volunteer’s service.
Living conditions
Botswana has beautiful weather with up to 340 days of sunshine each year! You will arrive at the end of winter, which is windy, sunny, and warm. The rainy season follows in October when temperatures start to rise, reaching into the 90s. Spring follows in April and winter begins in May. Botswana is an arid country characterized by a lack of surface water, low humidity, and dry heat. Rainfall is low and the country experiences periodic and prolonged drought.
Living as a Peace Corps Volunteer in a Botswana village with a population of around 3,000 people provides a mix of traditional and modern lifestyle experiences. During Pre-Service Training, you will live with a local family who will share Botswana culture teaching you how to manage village life and practicing Setswana with you. During your service, you will live in Peace Corps approved accommodation. You will have a modest dwelling on a family compound usually in a brick building with an iron sheet roof, comprising a bedroom, bathroom, living area, and kitchen. Volunteers may have electricity and running water, although in rural villages, electricity and/or running water may not be available in the Volunteer’s house and outages are frequent. You will be matched to your site based on your knowledge, skills, experience and the needs of the community. You must be prepared to accept the living conditions, as you will be living under the same conditions as the people in your community.
Your diet will primarily consist of local foods, including fruits, vegetables, beef, and starches such as rice, bread, and samp. Essential supplies can often be found locally, though sometimes you may need to travel to a larger town, which is usually a 30-minute to one-hour drive away. Public transportation in the form of buses is available. This ensures that you can access necessary goods and services with relative ease.
As a volunteer placed at a primary school within a 5km radius of your home, you will need to dress professionally, adhering to the school’s dress code. Your responsibilities will include attending staff meetings, participating in assemblies, and being present during school hours unless other arrangements have been made. This professional engagement fosters a structured and supportive environment for both you and the students.
Culturally, Botswana is predominantly Christian, with some traditional religious practices still observed. Understanding and respecting these religious practices is crucial for integrating smoothly into the community. Botswana’s society tends to be conservative and it is highly likely for every meeting to begin and end with a prayer. While Botswana is generally a tolerant nation, values and morals concerning sexual orientation and gender identity are more conservative than in the U.S. In 2019, same-sex relationships were decriminalized, but community attitudes have not yet fully evolved, so while it is not a crime to identify as a non-heterosexual person in Botswana, the decision to disclose should be considered very carefully through a safety and security as well as integration lens. While many LGBTQI+ Volunteers have served successfully in Botswana, Volunteers will need to be mindful of cultural norms and use their judgment to determine the best way to approach sexual orientation and gender identity in their communities. Staff and currently serving Volunteers will address this topic during Pre-Service Training and identify support mechanisms for incoming Trainees and Volunteers.
Overall, life as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Botswana involves adapting to local customs and dealing with infrastructural challenges. Despite these challenges, the experience offers a unique opportunity to engage deeply with the community, contribute meaningfully to local education, and immerse oneself in the rich cultural tapestry of Botswana. By understanding and respecting the local norms and laws, you can foster positive relationships and make a significant impact.
Learn more about the Volunteer experience in Botswana: Get detailed information on culture, communications, housing, and health/crime statistics in order to make a well-informed decision about serving.
Medical considerations
Before you apply, please review medical clearance and legal clearance to learn about the process.
Couples information
Peace Corps Botswana warmly welcomes couples interested in serving together in the Education and Community Economic Development sectors. Couples who embark on this journey will have the unique opportunity to live and serve side by side throughout their pre-service training and the full two years of service. Housing arrangements for couples will mirror those of other Volunteers, ensuring ample space for both individuals. While couples will attend Peace Corps trainings together, it’s important to note that they may be separated during travel or assigned different job duties based on various factors.
Embarking on the Peace Corps journey as a couple offers a profound opportunity for personal and relational growth. Throughout the experience, couples will navigate challenges together, fostering trust, confidence, and open communication. Serving in such an immersive environment encourages couples to lean on each other for support, recognizing the importance of being allies to one another. While obstacles may arise, couples will learn to cope and overcome them with time, patience, and perhaps most importantly, a shared sense of humor, ensuring a fulfilling and enriching Peace Corps experience for both individuals.
