Apply by
January 1, 2025
Know by
March 1, 2025
Depart on
July 13, 2025
Duration
2 years, plus 3 months training
Project description
In September 2024, Peace Corps Volunteers were welcomed back to El Salvador since suspending operations in 2016. Peace Corps is proud of our long history in El Salvador, with over 2,300 Volunteers serving there since 1962.
El Salvador is currently in a period of economic growth primarily due to improved national security following a period of violence between 2003-2019. This newfound security has led to a significant increase in tourism and the return of many expatriate Salvadorans who now are investing and re-establishing lives in their home country. As announced by the current two-term elected leader, President Bukele, among the national government’s top priorities are economic growth.
The Salvadoran government is currently prioritizing economic growth, and communities are expressing strong interest in receiving training and support in this area. Peace Corps El Salvador Volunteers will partner with Ministry of Education, Ministry of Tourism, local organizations and other strategic stakeholders to provide training and support in areas of entrepreneurship, youth employability skills, money management, and youth life skills amongst others. All these efforts aim at enabling communities, especially youth and women, to take full advantage of current and future opportunities created by increased tourism, national digitalization, and initiatives that improve investments from remittances.
The goal for the Community and Economic Development project in El Salvador is that individuals -especially youth- achieve economic security and economic mobility and become active partners in the economic growth of their own communities.
In all facets of the CED role, Volunteers are expected to be a co-facilitator, working side by side with work partners (Ministry of Tourism, Asociaciones de Desarrollo Comunitario (ADESCOS), Community Co-Operativas, and Entrepreneur groups). Volunteers play a critical role in accompanying individuals and organizations to meet their specific goals by providing an ongoing and supportive presence.
The Ministry of Tourism’s Corporación Salvadoreña de Turismo (CORSATUR) - the office that promotes El Salvador as a tourist destination and has local offices that work on strengthening local tourism entrepreneurships. Volunteers will work locally to co-conduct organizational strengthening activities with the purpose of promoting increased collaboration, information transfer and resource sharing among project stakeholders. Volunteers will co-facilitate participatory tools and exercises with an assets-based approach to encourage groups to recognize their strengths and be agents of change in their communities.
In coordination with community leadership, PCVs will co-conduct activities such as capacity assessment, co-planning and co-training asset-based community development sessions, and co-facilitating project design and management processes. Co-facilitate sessions on entrepreneurship skills, tourism, and prioritizing women and youth. Some projects could include; Basic Digital Literacy, Basic Budgeting, Project Design and Management, and community savings groups.
Required Skills
Qualified candidates will have an expressed interest in working with youth and meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any field.
OR
- 5 years' professional work experience
Desired Skills
Competitive candidates will have one or more of the following criteria:
- Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any business discipline.
- 5 years of professional experience in business management.
- Master of Business Administration degree or a Master of Arts/Masters of Science degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Public Administration, Management, Accounting, Banking, Finance, or Gender Studies.
- Knowledge of Financial Education/Literacy and microfinance.
- Business advising and/or coaching experience.
- At least 1 year of experience working with cooperatives, small or micro businesses, or credit unions involving management or administration, sales and marketing, cost analysis, financial planning, inventory control, and/or bookkeeping.
- Experience employing organizational capacity development strategies including participatory assessment, decision-making, and planning processes with community-based organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and/or community development projects.
- Experience forming and motivating groups of adults.
- Experience facilitating participatory, asset-based processes.
- Experience and/or interest in business, community development, and outreach.
- Experience teaching or providing training to adults; especially with women, youth, or indigenous populations.
Required Language Skills
Candidates must meet one or more of the language requirements below in order to be considered for this position.
- Completed 4 years of high school Spanish coursework within the past 8 years
- Completed minimum 2 semesters of Spanish college‐level coursework within the past 6 years
- Native/fluent speaker of Spanish
Candidates who do not meet the language proficiency levels above can take the language placement exams to demonstrate their level of proficiency. Competitive applicants typically attain a score of 50 on the Spanish College Level Examination Program CLEP exam or a score of Novice‐High on the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL OPI). Spanish language proficiency is a critical skill that helps create a foundation to successfully serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer in El Salvador. Volunteers need to demonstrate a high level of commitment to learning Spanish in training and throughout their service. Pre-Service Training (PST) will have an emphasis on language acquisition through structured and unstructured language learning experiences. Trainees are assigned to a Language and Culture Facilitator (LCF) who will facilitate the resources and opportunities needed to build language competence. Volunteers are required to demonstrate an Intermediate Mid level of oral and written proficiency by the end of Pre-Service Training.
Living conditions
Diet: The food varieties available depend on the season, the size of the community, and region. Salvadorans eat a combination of meat, eggs, and dairy at most meals. Common foods include corn tortillas, black beans, rice, and chicken. Common fruits and vegetables include bananas, mangos, papaya, citrus fruits, tomatoes, onions, avocado, and a squash called huisquil (chayote). Pupusas are the national dish of El Salvador, a delicious thick tortilla filled with beans, cheese, meats, and served with pickled cabbage.
Geography/Climate: The weather in El Salvador is marked by two distinct seasons. The dry season runs from November to April and the rainy season runs from May to October. Annual average temperatures range from 58 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit and vary based on location and altitude. Temperatures can also vary during the day, so dressing in layers and having rain protection is recommended. Homes and workspaces are generally neither heated nor air conditioned.
Housing/Homestay: Volunteers are required to live with a host family throughout their entire service. In these homes, the Volunteer will have a private room with a lock on the door. The homestay experience will provide unique exposure to the culture, and powerful opportunities for Spanish language acquisition. Safety and security are seriously considered while selecting and preparing host communities who will become partners in the wellbeing of the Volunteer. Volunteers must be willing to follow cultural norms and respect family dynamics. Applicants should think carefully about their commitment to adaptability when living and integrating with a Salvadorean host family that may have limited resources. Most host-family homes have indoor bathrooms, showers and potable water.
Professionalism: Volunteers work full time and will create a work plan in coordination with their community partners. They are expected to demonstrate healthy personal habits, attitudes, ethics and act as consistent positive role models in the community. Volunteers should be willing to adapt to cultural dress norms both in the community and in the workplace. Volunteers are encouraged to keep tattoos covered, if possible, to respect community norms and avoid cultural perceptions that associate tattoos with gang activity.
Identity and Diversity: Peace Corps El Salvador strives to support all Volunteers and recognizes that Volunteers with minoritized social identities might experience unique challenges as they navigate integration into the local culture (social, cultural, political, religious, and personal matters). Volunteers need to be mindful of cultural norms and be prepared to use cultural agility when approaching topics of identity in their communities. Staff and currently serving Volunteers will provide context for these topics during training and will share the strategies and support mechanisms available to Volunteers throughout service.
Crime and safety: Despite significant challenges with economics and stability, the El Salvadoran people continue to demonstrate impressive resilience in moving their country forward to a safer and more productive future. Improved security has led to a significant increase in tourism and the return of many expatriate Salvadorans who now are investing and re-establishing lives in their home country. Peace Corps has an important opportunity and privilege to support these goals and efforts at the community level through partnering with the mission of world peace and friendship.
Peace Corps El Salvador has an expert safety and security team tasked with coordinating with international, national and local agencies to monitor security issues. Strong attention is given to monitoring crime and placing Volunteers in the areas of the country with low levels of crime. Safety training and information about security is provided to the Volunteer on an ongoing basis.
Learn more about the Volunteer experience in El Salvador: 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
El Salvador is happy to receive couples and will identify sufficient work opportunities within the same community for both Volunteers. This cohort will include two programs: Community Economic Development and Youth In Development. We offer couples the choice of working in the same program or one in each program. Each applicant must apply separately and qualify for their respective program.
Couples may live together with the same host family during Pre-Service Training (PST) and during service.
Peace Corps works to foster safe and productive assignments for same-sex couples and same-sex couples are not placed in countries where homosexual acts are criminalized. Because of this, same-sex couples’ placements are more limited than heterosexual couple placements. During the application process, Recruiters and Placement Officers work closely with same-sex couple applicants to understand current placement opportunities.
For more information please visit: https://www.peacecorps.gov/faqs/lgbtq/
