Liberia Science Teacher

Peace Corps Response provides opportunities for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) and experienced professionals to undertake challenging, short-term assignments in various program areas around the world. Qualified applicants can put their professional skills and academic training to work as Peace Corps Response Volunteers, where they will gain additional international experience while imparting technical expertise critical for partner organizations and the communities they serve.

Multiple Peace Corps Response Volunteers are needed to serve as Science Teachers for the Ministry of Education in Liberia. Between 1989 and 2003, intermittent civil war in Liberia claimed the lives of more than 200,000 Liberians and further displaced a million others into refugee camps in neighboring countries. It is reported that 80 percent of schools were destroyed prior to the brief cessation of fighting in 1997, and the little rebuilding conducted during the peaceful interlude in the late 90s was undone by the resumption of hostilities. The war also led to the flight of well-trained teachers, and erratic pay and compensation for those who remained. According to the Ministry of Education (MOE), approximately 65 percent of teachers have no teacher training background. Some schools host over 100 students per class, in contrast to the MOE’s preferred size of 45 students, indicating the need for more trained classroom teachers. Teachers are primarily needed in major subjects such as English, math, and science—the subjects that are most commonly included on public secondary school and college level entrance exams.

To strengthen Liberia’s educational system, the Government of Liberia and its partners are collaborating in every facet of the system to provide quality and affordable education. The reconstruction of the Liberian educational system after 14 years of civil war constitutes one of the greatest development challenges in the world today. Peace Corps Liberia has taken on the challenge in partnership with the Ministry of Education to play a central role in the rebuilding of the public high school education systems, with the goal of helping build the next generation of leadership in Liberia. Peace Corps Response is looking for qualified Response Volunteers to help us push into new, more remote areas of eastern and northern Liberia to continue our drive to have PCVs teaching in every public senior high school in the country by 2013. The participating PCRVs will be the first Peace Corps Volunteers to return to these communities since before the civil war began in 1990. Locations will be remote; housing may be primitive; the schools themselves may be functioning at an extremely low level. Based on the PCRVs’ experiences in these communities, Peace Corps will make the decision to place two-year Volunteers there in September 2012 to assist in bringing these schools back to a fully functional state.

Duties of the Science Teachers:

-Teach Science to junior & senior high school students (Biology, Chemistry, Physics); encourage high standards of scholarship in Liberian rural high schools

-Collaborate with counterpart teachers to prepare standard lesson plans, other Science teaching materials and review national curriculum and make recommendations to Peace Corps-Liberia

-Strengthen secondary schools activities by involving community organizations (such as Parent and Teachers' Association) and mobilizing their support for education

-Providing in-service training to faculty staff/teachers on classroom management and observations, materials development and other exercises

-Help to develop activities that will support and promote academy excellence among students (e.g. English/Reading club, Press club, Debate club, etc)

-Support school Resource/Reading Room (Library) on how to make libraries ‘user friendly’ to increase students participation

-Undertake other extra curriculum activities in support to increase youth engagement in secondary school/education (e.g. Gender club, HIV/AIDs club, Gardening, summer camp, etc)

Mandatory Qualifications:

-Previous teaching experience in science

-Knowledge of effective teaching techniques, classroom management, and assessment

-Ability to teach with very limited teaching and learning materials, including textbooks

-Experienced in team-oriented approaches to ensure a well-operated institution

-Good communication and personal skills

-Experience with effective staff support, mentoring and feedback

-Ability to work in a challenging environment

Desired Qualifications:

-Able to actively promote the use of student centered teaching methods or learning activities

-Previous experience teaching large classes (40-90 students)

-Understanding of a post-conflict environment

-Creativity in working and developing teaching materials in an environment with limited resources

-Knowledge of Peace Corps policies and processes

-Able to use personal judgment to determine appropriate curriculum for individual classes

How to apply:

To be eligible for service you must be at least 18 years of age and a U.S. citizen, a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) or have at least 10 years of professional experience. The projected start dates listed are approximate and will likely change.

The application process begins with a short online application found at www.peacecorps.gov/response. The application itself takes only twenty minutes to complete. If selected, Volunteers typically begin their service within two to four months from the date of application. Applicants undergo an interview, reference checks, and medical and legal clearances.

Unlike the two-year Peace Corps program, applicants to Peace Corps Response may apply to specific positions and countries. Your application should document skills and qualifications relevant to the position you seek. Please note that certain positions are very competitive; in such cases, only the most qualified applicants will be contacted for an interview.