Job Description
The Universidad Industrial de Santander (UIS) is a leading educational institution located in Bucaramanga, Colombia that trains citizens as integral, ethical, politically aware and innovative professionals. UIS operates multiple regional campuses and engages in a broad range of academic, research, and community development initiatives. Current activities include specialized programs in agroindustry, tourism, language education, and training aligned with sustainable development goals (SDGs), fostering academic excellence and societal impact.
This engagement addresses critical development needs, including strengthening technical capacity in regional programs and enhancing the delivery of sustainable development training tailored to agroindustry and tourism. This will support university staff, local community leaders, and students involved in these sectors. The initiative aims to build competencies in program management, curriculum development, and community engagement, as well as address key gaps identified in regional outreach efforts.
The Virtual Service Pilot Participants (VSPPs) are requested to co-design and implement strategic initiatives to revise and develop a curriculum that supports agroindustry, tourism, language education, and SDG-focused training for staff and students.
The UIS team has not previously collaborated with the Peace Corps. They understand that the role of a VSPP is very different than a two-year Volunteer.
Desired Qualifications
Education: Master’s degree in education
Language: Advanced Spanish
Experience:
• Experience with virtual engagement and communication
• Experience with tourism or sustainable development
• Experience using educational technology platforms for virtual learning and training delivery
Required Skills
Education: Bachelor’s degree in any field
Language: Intermediate Spanish
Experience: 1 year of experience in curriculum design, workshop facilitation, or teacher training
Intercultural skills and motivation: Flexible, strong cross-cultural agility, high tolerance for ambiguity, able to work independently, resourceful, creative, and genuinely motivated and capable to serve virtually
Host Country Partner’s Mission and Goals
The Universidad Industrial de Santander is a public institution that trains citizens as integral, ethical, politically aware and innovative professionals. It appropriates, uses, creates, transfers, and disseminates knowledge through research, scientific, technological and social innovation, artistic creation, and the promotion of culture. It builds collaborative processes and social trust for the anticipation of opportunities, the recognition of challenges, and the construction of solutions to its own needs and those of the environment.
This institutional work, energized by diverse and open networks of knowledge and learning, seeks to strengthen a democratic, participatory, deliberative, and pluralistic society, with social justice and equity, committed to the preservation of the environment and good living.
Virtual Service Engagement and Tasks
The VSPP will engage in the following tasks, in collaboration with their Host Country Partners:
• Co-assess current teaching materials on sustainable development practices, tourism-focused business management enhancement, and community engagement for the tourism program
• Co-develop training curriculum and session plans
• Co-design and co-facilitate 3 (2-hour) virtual workshops with UIS faculty and students, strengthening their capacity in business management strategies and innovative tourism methodologies (Wednesdays, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Colombia time)
• Co-deliver a final presentation summarizing key outcomes, including recommendations for scaling the approach across regional campuses
• Provide guidance via email or a messaging platform to answer questions and support the implementation of co-designed strategies during the engagement (As needed, within 15 hours/week)
VSPPs are expected to engage on the tasks listed above for an estimated 5-15 hours per week. This engagement is estimated to be 10 hours per week.
Online collaboration will generally occur between 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Columbia time. Synchronous sessions will occur Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Specific times will be determined during orientation.
The Host Country Counterpart will have access to Zoom, Email, and WhatsApp for regular communication and collaboration.
Per the Child Protection Code of Conduct, when engaging online with minors (0-18), two adults must be present.