PCV
Guatemala
Guatemala
Associate degree in any field and at least two years of full-time, post-high school work experience (from any combination of roles).
OR
Bachelor's degree in any field.
OR
High school diploma or GED and four years of full-time, post-high school work (from any combination of roles).
Health centers, non-governmental organizations
(PCV) Spanish 1
Volunteers live and work in the departments of Sacatepéquez, Chimaltenango, Sololá, Quiche, Totonicapán, and Quetzaltenango. Most Volunteers live in medium-sized to larger rural communities (3,000 to 40,000 people) that have electricity and running water, but the supply may be intermittent. Volunteers will be required to live with a host family for the full duration of their service in Guatemala. While each living situation is unique, Volunteers can expect their own private bedroom and bathroom access.
Yes
Health
24
Yes
No
Yes
No
Gain hands-on international development and public health experience by supporting a variety of community-health initiatives.
Strengthen Spanish language proficiency through daily immersion and collaboration with community members.
Build meaningful relationships and cultural understanding by living alongside host families and participating in community traditions.
Interview healthcare stakeholders, identify existing health education activities, and analyze available data in a needs assessment.
Identify opportunities for health promotion and education within the community.
Plan and implement collaborative activities to address priority health needs.
Develop educational resources to enhance educational events.
Train health workers in adult-learning techniques and youth service providers in creating safe spaces for health education on topics such as teen pregnancy prevention.
Apply behavior change analysis using the designing for behavior change framework to guide interventions.
Support home visits with health workers to provide individualized health education.
You may also support community-driven initiatives based on local priorities and your own interests, such as community-wide 5k races and health fairs.
As a Community Health Promoter, you will be trained on adult education methodologies and health intervention best practices. Peace Corps/Guatemala will strengthen your Spanish language skills to help you reach an intermediate level of oral proficiency, which will help you comfortably live in and connect with the community. Volunteers in areas where Mayan languages are spoken may elect to study the language once they arrive at their assigned site.
After 10 weeks of training, you will move to your assigned community where you will collaborate with health service providers and community leaders to assess the local needs and develop solutions based on positive community health.
Only heterosexual couples can be accepted for this program.
Cohabitating couples are highly encouraged to present themselves as married throughout service due to cultural expectations.
Cross-sector couples will live with different host families who may reside in different communities during training. Cross-sector couples may see each other for joint-sector training days or on the weekends but neither are guaranteed.
Each person must apply separately and qualify for a position in a different sector than their partner.
As the preeminent international service organization of the United States, the Peace Corps sends Americans with a passion for service abroad to work with communities and create lasting change. Volunteers develop sustainable solutions to address challenges in Education, Health, Economic Development, Agriculture, Environment and Youth Development. Through their Peace Corps experiences, Volunteers gain a unique cultural understanding and a lifelong commitment to service that positions them to succeed in today's global economy. Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, more than 240,000 Americans of all ages have served in 142 countries worldwide.
