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Primary Literacy Advisor

Peace
Corps

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COUNTRY
Jamaica
REGION
Caribbean
SECTOR
Education
LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT
None

ACCEPTS COUPLES
Yes
POSITIONS AVAILABLE
19

APPLY BY
May 1, 2018
KNOW BY
Sept. 1, 2018
DEPART BY
March 12, 2019

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Before You Apply

You can only have one active Peace Corps Volunteer application, so choose a
position that best fits your skills and interest. You have the opportunity to tell us if
you’d like to be considered for other openings and more about the ones that interest
you most! See application process

Project Description

The Primary Literacy Project has been created to bolster literacy at the primary level of
education by placing Volunteers in classrooms to support experienced local teachers with
small “pull out” groups and coteaching. The three goals of the project are:
1. To assist primary school students, especially those who are performing below grade level, to
develop an interest in literacy; improve academic performance and strengthen life skills.
2. To assist primary schools teachers with effective practices in classroom management;
instructional planning and preparation; lesson delivery and assessment practices to facilitate
student learning and provide continued advancement in literacy.
3. To increase engagement of parents in activities that support and promote literacy of their
primary school aged children.
Primary Literacy Advisers work under the support of the Ministry of Education and under the
supervision of the assigned school principal or his/her designee. They work Monday through
Friday using creative, student-centered strategies to ignite a love of reading, writing and
comprehension to develop a strong foundation for each child’s future academic achievement.

Required Skills

• Competitive candidates will have a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any

discipline and a strong desire to teach literacy to youths 6-12 years old.

Desired Skills

Competitive applicants will have:

• Experience in early childhood development, elementary education or youth development.
This includes elementary education/literacy, life skills education, parent education/support,
social work, library studies and/or creative arts.
• 30 + hours of teaching/tutoring in areas of reading, writing and comprehension.
• Experience in classroom and behavioral management.
• Experience working with students, teaching a second language, or ESL tutoring.
• Willingness to work with children between the ages to 6-12 years
• High level of initiation and self-direction
• Patience, an open mind, and a willingness to try new things
• Ability to work with very limited resources
• Resiliency
• Commitment to diversity and inclusion
• Experience, interest, and willingness to work with youth

Required Language Skills

There are no pre-requisite language requirements for this position.

There are no pre-requisite language requirements for this position, however you will be
required to learn Patwa for successful safety, security and integration. Please take a moment
to explore the Language Comments section below to find out more on how local language(s)
will be utilized during service.

Jamaica is a bilingual country. English (Standard Jamaican English) is the official language,
however there is also a Creole known as the Jamaican Patwa (Patois) which is the language
spoken throughout Jamaica, especially in rural areas. While a few Jamaicans, especially those
living in urban areas, move easily between Jamaican Patwa and English, the majority speak
neither of these in their pure forms. The language and cultural training presented throughout
the 27 month training continuum will help prepare you to speak and understand Jamaican
Patwa and culture. This is crucial in order to facilitate smooth and successful integration into
your community. All Trainees will be required to demonstrate a certain level of language
proficiency (assessed through the Language Proficiency Interview) in order to successfully
complete training.

Living Conditions

All Volunteers are required to live with a host family for the duration of their service. The
majority of site assignments are in rural areas, predominantly in the interior and mountainous
regions of the island. The standard of living varies widely within rural and even deep rural
communities. The most common living situations are a room in a home with a Jamaican family
with access to a shared bathroom and kitchen. Cellular phone coverage is available in most
rural communities, but there may not be internet access. Your host family will assist you with
orientation in your community, Jamaican home life, and cross-cultural adjustment during pre-
service training and at your assigned community.

Most Volunteers have indoor plumbing with either running water or catchment rainwater.
There is rarely hot water and bathing with cold water is the norm. Water supplies can be
intermittent and scarce during severe drought periods so be prepared to practice water
conservation, including taking bucket baths. Laundry is often washed by hand in a sink or a
washtub or even in a river. Electricity is present island wide, except in very remote areas. There
is some disparity between the amenities that each Volunteer will have with their assigned host
families, however all Volunteers will have access to basic amenities, including a stove and
refrigerator. Due to scarcity and high prices, conservation of electricity and water is critical
while living with Jamaican host families.

Learn more about the Volunteer experience inJamaica: Get detailed information on culture,
communications, housing, and safety — including crime statistics [PDF] — in order to make a
well-informed decision about serving.

Couples Information

Jamaica cannot accommodate couples within the same sector. Therefore, your partner must
qualify and apply for:

Environmental Management Advisor

 Couples will live together with a host family for their entire service, during Pre-Service
Training (PST) and at their permanent sites. However, throughout their service they may be
separated for certain field-based activities, workshops, and conferences due to their different
project sectors.

Medical Considerations in Jamaica

Jamaica may not be able to support Volunteers with the following medical conditions:
ongoing counseling.

The following medication(s) are not permitted for legal or cultural reasons: none identified.

Volunteers who should avoid the following food(s) may not be able to serve: none identified.

After arrival in Jamaica, Peace Corps provides and applicants are required to have an annual
flu shot and mandatory immunizations.

Before you apply, please review Medical Information for Applicants to learn about the
clearance process and other health conditions that are difficult to accommodate in Peace
Corps service.

Does this sound like the position for you?

Get started on your journey.

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Learn what it's like to serve in Jamaica

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