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In the Peace Corps, many posts support host country efforts in early grade reading in primary schools. In some settings, Volunteers act as literacy coaches, while in others Volunteers are co-teachers or teach literacy or reading directly with primary grade students. Some Volunteers concentrate their efforts on developing a school-based library and help schools incorporate library and book-focused activities into their timetables. Each country has established for itself the language(s) used for literacy and reading instruction in the formal school setting. Activities in this manual offer opportunities for bi-literacy implementation for situations where children do not come to school understanding the language of instruction (i.e., students who speak a language at home different from the language taught in school). This manual provides Volunteers with some essential tools to help students connect their mother tongue with the orthography or formal system of language presented in school. The purpose of this manual is to help Volunteers working in literacy to build the capacity of their host country counterparts by organizing ideas, activities, and lesson plans for each of the concepts highlighted in the Literacy Wheel. The Literacy Wheel illustrates the various components of literacy and learning to read and also demonstrates the relationship of these concepts to each other. Each chapter of this manual has been organized around the literacy wheel for ease of organization and reference. The chapters are also presented in a developmentally logical sequence, beginning with the most basic concepts (i.e., Print Awareness and Knowledge) and ending with the most complex components in literacy (i.e., Spelling, Writing).

English practice activities can be a great medium for positive youth development. Worldwide, young people are aware of the increased opportunities available to those with English language skills, creating a high demand for quality English education. As a result, Youth in Development Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) are often asked to teach English. The purpose of this Idea Book is to support PCVs with limited teaching experience to meet the expressed needs of the young people in their communities by offering youth nonformal English practice. This Idea Book offers strategies PCVs can use to create and facilitate their own English practice youth group, as well as practical activities that can be used in an extracurricular setting. The book also provides advice and real-world examples contributed by committed Volunteers.

The Peace Corps "Programming, Training, and Evaluation Guidance" (PT&E Guidance) will assist field PT&E staff to optimally support trainees and Volunteers to build the capacity and contribute to improving the lives of people in their country of service. The PT&E Guidance consists of four parts. Part 1 of this guide provides an overview of the Peace Corps' mission, goals, and approach to development. Part 2 of this guide explains the way in which the Peace Corps works to achieve its mission by helping host countries provide a public benefit and improve well-being among their community members through implementing Peace Corps projects. Part 2 outlines how to develop a project plan, including a project framework, as well as the development of a monitoring, evaluation, and reporting plan. Part 3 of this guide explains the Peace Corps' approach to training design and will help post staff assess, design, and adapt an effective training program to prepare and empower Volunteers throughout their service. Part 4 covers topics related to management and implementation of Peace Corps PT&E. This section covers planning, budgeting, and funding, as well as building effective teams and Volunteer support. All four parts of this guide are intended to provide simple and easy-to-use reference materials for post staff as they build quality programs.

Data-driven decision making is part of our everyday lives. For example, we examine our children's immunization charts in order to indicate what vaccinations they have received, as well as what vaccinations are missing and expired. We use information, like a chart, to make decisions about what to do and what not to do. Data-driven decision making in education follows the same type of process: We use student performance, household, and school assessment data to inform decisions about the planning and implementation of school improvement strategies. This Facilitator Guide is to be used when training Volunteers, their counterparts, and supervisors to serve as workshop facilitators in Community Data-Driven Decision Making (CD3M) in education. It outlines the potential format, sessions, materials, objectives, time, sequence, and content of a CD3M workshop. The guide is based on pilot workshops conducted in Guatemala (May 2011) and the Philippines (June 2011) with Volunteers, their counterparts and supervisors, and Peace Corps staff. Training session ideas are included, as well as data collection tools designed and piloted by the participants of those workshops. It is expected that facilitators will adapt this guide and materials to contextualize the workshops for optimal effectiveness at their posts.

Understanding the concept of culture helps people live with others of different backgrounds within the classroom, the local community, and the worldwide scale of political, social, and economic interaction. The lessons presented in this book help students begin to more fully understand their own culture and how it has shaped them; to understand the perspectives of other cultures; and to provide an increased awareness of the value and practicality of social service within and beyond the bounds of schools. Lessons are adapted from the Peace Corps' cross-cultural training workbook "Cultural Matters" and from other Peace Corps curriculum resources. The book is divided into four sections: (1) "Introduction"; (2) "Unit I: Culture in the United States" (Introducing Culture; Features of Culture; Defining Culture; Culture Is Like an Iceberg); (3) "Unit II: Culture beyond the United States" (On Being Seen as Different; Americans; Generalizations: How Accurate Are They?; Interpreting Behavior: Expanding Our Point of View; Resolving a Cross-Cultural Misunderstanding; Seeing Both Sides of an Issue; A Fundamental of Culture -- Cultural Context; Brief Encounters; Window into Another Culture); and (4) "Appendix: Taking Action -- Additional Ways to Become Involved." (BT)

The Peace Corps Programming and Training System (PATS) manual is designed to help field staff members of the Peace Corps train volunteers. This supplement to the PATS manual was developed to provide complementary information about key aspects of Peace Corps programming and training for women in development. It is intended for individuals involved in Peace Corps programming and training, such as Peace Corps staff, contractors or consultants, and staff of host country agencies. The supplement uses examples drawn from a wide variety of countries to illustrate the programming and training development process. This supplement provides an overview and framework of how Peace Corps sectors can integrate gender into their "mainstream" development efforts. It provides guidelines for project planners, managers, and trainers designed to help make the integration of women into project and training design and implementation smoother and more routine. Following an introduction in the first section, the following topics are covered in the remaining sections: (1) using PATS to integrate gender concerns across sectors; (2) project development in agriculture, education, environment, health, small business, urban areas, and writing volunteer assignment descriptions; (3) training in gender and development; and (4) evaluation. Appendixes contain 11 references and a gender checklist; and sample program goals objectives, milestones, and tasks list. (KC)

The Peace Corps Programming and Training System (PATS) manual is designed to help field staff members of the Peace Corps train volunteers. This supplement to the PATS manual was developed to provide complementary information about key aspects of Peace Corps programming and training for youth development. It is intended for individuals involved in Peace Corps programming and training, such as Peace Corps staff, contractors or consultants, and staff of host country agencies, Peace Corps volunteers, counterparts, and beneficiaries. The supplement uses examples drawn from a wide variety of countries to illustrate the programming and training development process. The first section of the supplement provides an overview of Peace Corps' past, current, and potential role in youth development and addresses how the use of PATS can enhance that role. Following this introduction, four sections provide information on program assessment, project development, training, and evaluation. These sections correspond directly to sections in the PATS manual. Two appendixes provide (1) project goals, objectives, and milestones planning sample; and (2) task lists. (KC)

This Peace Corps volunteer language training manual is based on the experience of two pre-service trainings and was guided by the Peace Corps language training curriculum. The learning approach is competency-based or topic-oriented to provide survival competencies. Three main sections review phonetics, topics for discussion, and practical grammar exercises. Phonetics includes pronunciation as well as cyrillic orthography. Topics offered for discussion include greetings, family, in the classroom, food, shopping, directions, transportation, housing, at work, communication, health, social situations, and community services. Each topic is structured and includes introduction of new language and grammar patterns, practice activities, bilingual vocabulary lists, and grammar notes. Practical grammar concentrates on pronouns, numerals, nouns, verbs, and adjectives. A vocabulary and listing of functional Russian phrases is given, and a reference section lists texts for continued study. (Contains 17 references.) (NAV)

This teaching manual is designed for the Spanish language training of Peace Corps volunteers serving in Chile, and focuses on daily communication skills needed in that context. It contains 12 topical lessons outlining targeted language and communication competencies, suggested classroom activities, phrase and vocabulary lists, grammar and usage notes, and dialogue. Lesson topics include: greetings and introductions; family and home; community and customs; expressing basic needs; food and restaurants; leisure activities; expressing likes and dislikes; discussing work; Chile and its history; discussing the Peace Corps; telephone and written communication; services; and housing. (MSE)

This manual describes an approach to training provided by the Peace Corps that is known as community-based or Fully Integrated Training (FIT). FIT is a decentralized training program, in which trainees are divided into small groups and placed in separate communities for the duration of the preservice training program. The main part of the manual is organized in three chapters. Chapter 1 provides a basic overview of the training design, followed by a step-by-step guide to planning and developing a community-based training program. It deals in basic terms with setting up or structuring the program in the field. These steps are divided into major categories of logistics, community-based training content, and training seminars. Chapter 2 provides more detailed discussion of some of the key elements that define the decentralized training model: questions about decentralization, site selection, characteristics of the smaller training groups, integration of the elements of training, and the expanded role of both host-country national personnel and village-based staff. The discussions are illustrated with examples of how the model was implemented in some countries. The third chapter provides a more detailed discussion of the following issues presented in the first section: training content, staffing and staff training, administrative support, budget considerations, logistics, and inservice training (IST). The manual contains eight appendixes that include the following: housing criteria, site criteria, family checklist, and three case studies of community-based training in Guyana, Benin, and Sri Lanka. (KC)

This workbook serves as a map to guide Peace Corps trainees through their cross-cultural experience and as a record of thoughts and feelings as they live and work in their host country. The workbook examines the behaviors and values of people in the host country in relation to those of the people in the trainees' native country; it does not intend to suggest that American culture is superior or inferior to the host country's culture. The workbook covers the following fundamentals of culture: the concept of self, personal versus societal obligations, the concept of time, the locus of control, and comparing American and host country views. Following an introduction, the workbook contains the following chapters: (1) "Understanding Culture"; (2) "American Culture and American Diversity"; (3) "Styles of Communication"; (4) "Culture in the Workplace"; (5) "Social Relationships"; and (6) "Adjusting to a New Culture." Appendixes contain information on using cultural informants, joining in, keeping a journal, learning from the media and the arts, critical incidents, and studying an institution. Answers to chapter questions are also provided. (BT)