Here's a quick breakdown of the sectors and some of the projects you can do!
Community Economic Development
Volunteers that have a background in finance, information technology, small business, or studied some economics in college make great candidates for the Community Economic Development sector of the Peace Corps. The primary objective of volunteers in the CED sector is to (wait for it) engage in projects that promote economic development in ones community.
Peace Corps Volunteers in this sector generally have a strong counterpart in their site and/or work directly with an organization or municipality. The service generally has a bit more structure and volunteer sites tend to be more urban than rural.
Main Projects:
Teaching Employability Skills (Interviewing Best Practices, Computer Skills, Resume Writing, etc.)
Micro-Business Consulting (Inventory Management, SWOT Analysis Consulting, Business Finance, etc.)
Personal Finance Management
Teach English (This is a constant across sectors)
Resources:
Health
Health is one of the largest sectors in the Peace Corps. One of the reasons for this is that the Health Sector is incredibly vast and allows for a lot of flexibility in service, also relying on a variety of volunteers with differing backgrounds and education.
Volunteers in the Health Sector engrain themselves into their community and spend a lot of time getting to know the habits and challenges that face their neighbors in a wide range of areas including 1) nutrition, 2) basic hygiene, 3) maternal health, 4) sexual health, and much much more.
Main Projects:
Sexual Health Workshops
HIV/AIDS Prevention and Awareness
Water Sanitation Projects
Basic Hygiene workshops
Community Clinic support
Resources:
Environment
The environment for many emerging countries is one of their most valuable and vital resources. Volunteers in the Environment sector are charged with spurring grass-root level projects aimed at promoting sustainable use of natural resources and conserving the community’s environment.
Working with schools and organizations such as the WWF, Environmental Volunteers teach environmental awareness, best practices, and lead educational workshops.
Main Projects:
Lead grass-root level projects centered around conservation
Raise awareness of climate change
Provide tools to promote the sustainable use of natural resources
Resources:
Agriculture
Agriculture volunteers get their hands dirty, and sticky. They work directly with local farmers and families to promote best practices and updated techniques that can help curve problems such as soil erosion, the overuse of pesticides, and soil exhaustion.
Ag volunteers can work with small farmers or large co-ops. They balance learning generational knowledge from their communities with modern techniques that Peace Corps training provides. They provide nutritional education, lead workshops on agroforestry, livestock management, and vegetable gardening.
Main Projects:
Agroforestry and Agrobusiness Projects
Technical workshops with local farmers and families
Community gardening
Organizational support
Resources:
Education
The largest Peace Corps sector, Education is a robust program of projects, workshops, camps, and classes. Volunteer experience will dramatically vary from post to post, but the work being done is arguably the most important.
Education Volunteers create a much needed connection between the schools, the communities, the families, and outside organizations that have resources to use. Some volunteers will find their place teaching directly in a school, focusing on elementary math and science. Other volunteers may make a connection at a community college or technical school where the material is more advanced.
Education Volunteers have the opportunity to earn the valuable Teaching English as a Foreign Language certificate which is incredibly useful for those looking to continue a career in education post Peace Corps service.
Main Projects:
Teaching English, Math, and Science
Teacher Training Workshops
Event Coordinating between school and community
Resources:
Youth in Development
This sector was saved for last because it encompasses parts of all the other sectors. Youth in Development volunteers teach english and information technology. They promote basic hygiene and sexual health. They work on community gardens and lead workshops on recycling. Youth in Development volunteers center an array of projects around the youth in their communities.
This sector is one of the most enjoyable but challenging. Working directly with youth in such a open context can be hard, but the opportunities are endless.
Main Projects:
Sport Camps (Grassroots Soccer, etc.)
Creating Youth Groups
All sector projects tailored to a youthful audience
Resources: