Job Description
Since 2006, Peace Corps Mexico has worked in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) to strengthen the resilience of individuals and rural communities in Mexico. Peace Corps Mexico supports community-based efforts to instill a deep appreciation for the environment and local ecosystems within individuals and communities, while empowering them to take action to enhance local resilience. The program works with community members of all ages, from children to adults, with a focus on integrating a gender and youth perspective.
The program is guided by two core objectives. The first seeks that community members have greater knowledge and capacity to address the environmental stressors on both people and nature, while the second strives to facilitate actions that reduce these adverse impacts and promote increased resilience within the community.
To achieve the first objective, Volunteers engage in a range of activities. They co-facilitate educational activities through classes, workshops, environmental fairs, or talks that enhance individuals' understanding of local environmental stressors and seek to foster an appreciation for nature, which may include collaboration in the development of environmental education resources. Additionally, Volunteers co-train sessions to equip individuals with techniques to increase their resilience such as vegetable gardening for food production or the construction of cisterns to harvest and store rainwater.
To accomplish the second objective, Volunteers support the efforts of SEMARNAT and the community to implement sustainable soil and water conservation practices, as well as basic practices for responsible waste management such as composting, recycling, etc. Furthermore, Volunteers support the implementation of locally appropriate biodiversity conservation practices to preserve the unique ecosystems that surround rural communities such as monitoring biodiversity with the use of camera traps, creating gardens for pollinators, etc.
The focus of any Volunteer’s work will depend on local priorities as defined by SEMARNAT and the community, and as revealed through the “discovery” phase of a Volunteer’s service. Peace Corps Mexico Trainees visit their assigned communities during the fourth week of Pre-Service Training, which provides invaluable insight into the reality of their community and informs the remainder of their training.
Volunteers live in rural communities or small cities, and work under the supervision of SEMARNAT. They collaborate with local stakeholders—including community leaders, schools, and local organizations—to carry out program activities effectively and to ensure a lasting impact.
By joining the Environmental Awareness and Action Program, you will have an opportunity to make a tangible difference in the lives of individuals and communities in Mexico, not only for today but into the future. You will play a crucial role in adapting, fostering environmental stewardship, and empowering local stakeholders to take meaningful action to build resilience. Together, we can create a sustainable future and inspire positive change.
Required Skills
Qualified candidates will have an expressed interest in promoting environmental awareness in schools and communities, and one or more of the following criteria:
•Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any field
OR
•5 years' professional work experience
SPECIAL NOTICE ABOUT CITIZENSHIP: Candidates who are either dual citizens of Mexico and the U.S., or who were born in Mexico and became U.S. citizens after 1998, are not eligible to serve with Peace Corps Mexico. Volunteer safety is of paramount importance, and the protections of U.S. citizenship promote Volunteer safety. Under Mexican law, anyone born in Mexico who became a U.S. citizen after 1998, or anyone holding dual U.S. and Mexican citizenship, is considered a citizen of Mexico and not of the United States. If such an individual were to face a legal, safety, or other emergency situations in Mexico, the Peace Corps' ability to intervene would be limited. If you fit either of these categories, we encourage you to look for other opportunities with Peace Corps. Please note, the Peace Corps welcomes and encourages individuals with Mexican heritage but who do not hold citizenship with Mexico to apply.
Desired Skills
Competitive candidates will have at least one or more of the following:
•BA/BS in Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, Environmental Education, Natural Resources Management, or a related field.
•One or more years of professional work experience in environmental education, environmental or natural resource-related activities, and/or community resilience or adaptation practices.
•A basic understanding of environmental issues, ecology, and/or community resilience.
•Experience organizing and/or facilitating environmental activities.
•Experience teaching environmental content to all ages.
•Experience with effective classroom management and non-formal education.
Additional skills:
•Community mobilization.
•Experience working with children and/or youth.
•Experience with group management/participatory methodology.
•Teaching in formal or non-formal setting, lesson planning, etc.
•Experience in project design and management.
•Monitoring and evaluation, including the use of data collection and reporting tools.
•Ability for self-directed work and effectiveness in unstructured and ambiguous settings.
Living Conditions
Most Volunteers are assigned to small rural communities (200 to 5,000 people) or small to medium-sized towns (up to 50,000 people) in central Mexico. Some cities or towns may be more progressive, while rural areas and small towns tend to have more traditional and conservative values; this could be quite different than what most Volunteers are accustomed to and require significant adaptation.
A Volunteer community could be located up to 10 hours from the Peace Corps Mexico Office. Routine travel could range from a short walk or bike ride of 15-20 minutes to several kilometers. Travel to a larger community that provides access to services, better communication, and transportation could take up to two hours by vehicle, depending on road conditions. However, all assigned communities are located within a one-hour walking distance from public transportation.
All Volunteer communities have some form of communication, whether landline or cell phones, telephone booths, satellite phones, or internet access. However, due to the isolation of certain communities or adverse weather conditions, service can be slow or intermittent and may even be inactive for several days. Nevertheless, there is always a larger community within a two-hour distance where communication is more reliable. In most of central Mexico, especially in mountainous areas, it can be cold in the evening throughout much of the year. Daytime highs can be very hot, but a jacket and hat can be useful in the evening. Temperatures can range from freezing to the upper 90s. Layering is a good strategy year-round, and Volunteers should be prepared for rainy weather.
To promote community integration and language learning, host family stays are required during the 10-week Pre-Service Training (PST) and during the first three months of service. A host family could be a couple with children, a grandmother living alone, a single parent who works all day, or any other type of family. After living with a host family for the first three months, some Volunteers decide to live independently in apartments or small houses, if suitable and affordable housing is available. Other Volunteers continue to live with a host family. Additional information on living conditions can be found at: https://www.peacecorps.gov/mexico/preparing-to-volunteer/living-conditions/
Language Skills Additional Information
Candidates must meet the minimum language requirements to be considered for an invitation.
Spanish is essential for a successful and satisfying service. Candidates who have more than the minimum Spanish required are better able to integrate into their communities and work environment. There is high quality, but limited, in-person language instruction during Pre-Service Training. Trainees are expected to integrate as much as possible with their host families, maximizing exposure to Spanish throughout the ten-week training program. Every Trainee will take a Language Proficiency Interview (LPI) exam at the end of Pre-Service Training and must achieve an ACTFL-certified level of Intermediate Mid in order to swear in as a Peace Corps Volunteer. For that reason, candidates are strongly encouraged to work on improving their language skills before departing for Peace Corps Mexico.
Couples Comments
Couples can have a very positive and productive experience serving in Mexico.
Mexico can accommodate couples that serve together in the same sector. In this case, both partners must apply and qualify for:
Environmental Awareness and Action Facilitator
During the 10-week Pre-Service Training, couples have the option of living with the same host family or living separately to maximize Spanish language learning.
For the first three months of service in their host community, couples live together with the same host family. After this time, they may choose to stay with the host family or rent an apartment or small house. Although couples live in the same town, they are normally assigned to different universities to have a greater impact. However, depending on the circumstances, they could be assigned to the same university.
Some couples may encounter challenging situations such as being asked questions about having children or they may be the subject of comments or jokes about being monogamous. During Pre-Service Training, staff and Volunteers address these issues, and Volunteers develop their own strategies for resilience and to adapt to such realities.
The Peace Corps works to foster safe and productive assignments for same-sex couples, and same-sex couples are not placed in countries where homosexual acts are criminalized. Because of this, same-sex couple placements are more limited than heterosexual couple placements. During the application process Recruiters and Placement Officers work closely with same-sex couple applicants to understand current placement opportunities.
In the case of Peace Corps Mexico, the Environmental Awareness and Action Program is unable to accept same-sex couples at this time because Volunteers are placed in communities that tend to maintain very conservative views.
Language Requirements Information
Candidates must meet one or more of the language requirements below in order to be considered for this position.
A. Have completed 4 years of high school Spanish coursework within the past 8 years.
B. Have completed a minimum 2 semesters of Spanish college‐level coursework within the past 6 years.
C. Be a native/fluent speaker of Spanish.
Competitive applicants typically attain a score of 50 on the Spanish College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exam or a score of Novice‐High on the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Oral Proficiency Interview.
