Description of Peace Corps Service

In all the news and excitement of our latest transition it sometimes feels like our life and work of the last few years (in South Africa) gets glossed over. Yet we still relate to the various challenges Peace Corps Volunteers face, like recent budget reductions Volunteers in South Africa are dealing with today, and of course we can never forget our time in South Africa, which has certainly changed us in many ways.

Attached below is my Description of Service, a standard document created by the Volunteer at the end of service which must be approved by the higher-ups at post. This document can be used to briefly (in 2 pages) describe one's service over 2+ years, and also can serve as a letter of recommendation, as an official acknowledgement of service by Peace Corps staff. It's also a more succinct description of what I did in the Peace Corps than you would ever likely get from talking to me.

Description of Peace Corps Service
Elizabeth Jeanne Jackson
Republic of South Africa (2009-2011)

Introduction

Elizabeth Jackson began Peace Corps training July 24, 2009. Upon successfully completing a two-month intensive training and Setswana language program in the Mpumalanga Province in South Africa, Elizabeth was sworn-in as a Peace Corps Volunteer on September 17, 2009. From September 17, 2009, to April 16, 2011, she served as an Education Specialist in South Africa with the Schools and Community Resources Project.

Elizabeth served as a Policies and Management Specialist at Kgetleng River Area Office in the North-West Province from September 2009 to October 2010. At the Area Office Elizabeth supported school leaders from over 200 rural schools through workshops and school visits, also building the capacity of her counterparts. Elizabeth relocated and served as a Teacher Trainer at Sinethezekile Combined School in the KwaZulu-Natal Province from November 2010 to April 2011. Throughout her two years of service Elizabeth showed essential signs of cross-cultural adaptation and the skills needed to transfer this knowledge to other aspects of life.

Training

Elizabeth completed eight weeks of pre-service training in Marapyane, Mpumalanga. This training included:

• 105 hours of language training in Setswana

• 54 hours of technical training (e.g. pedagogy, school administration)
• 41 hours of Peace Corps core training (e.g. community empowerment, volunteer resiliency
• 38 hours of cross-cultural training
• 36 hours of personal health, medical, and safety/security training

Living with a host family, Elizabeth began to adapt to rural South Africa life, passing her Setswana Language Proficiency Interview in the last few weeks of pre-service training.

Elizabeth also completed in-service, Life Skills, and Mid-service trainings during her time as a volunteer.

Site Activities: Kgetleng River Area Office

As a Policies and Management Specialist at Kgetleng River Area Office, Elizabeth's tasks included:

• Organizing, developing, and delivering an initiation workshop for new principals, deputy principals, and heads of department in the area on topics related to policy, leadership and management, budgeting and finances, curriculum, and roles and responsibilities, in collaboration with the Area Manager, Circuit Managers, Lead Curriculum Specialist, and other Education Management specialists
• Developing, evaluating, and delivering quarterly 3-day workshops for School Governing Body leaders throughout the area on topics related to policy development, leadership and management, and budgeting and finances, in collaboration with other Management and Governance specialists
• Developing and delivering workshops for student leaders and educator liaisons throughout the area related to roles and responsibilities, national and regional policies, and related topics
• Organizing, managing, and administering the election of local Representative Council of Learners members to representative bodies at the regional and district levels
• Supporting and monitoring school leadership practices in the area via regular school visits/audits
• Improving the professionalism and effectiveness of practices in the Education Management and Governance Division related to workshop preparation, development, and delivery; duty and role clarification; the reduction of redundancies in work efforts between the division and other units; and enabling transportation collaboration between departments for school monitoring visits
• Serving as a consultant to colleagues at the Area Office and within the Peace Corps Volunteer community on issues related to education policies in a dynamic policy environment

While serving at Kgetleng River Area Office Elizabeth also assisted with the following outside tasks:

• Teaching and assisting educators at one local high school in History and Life Orientation
• Assisting with the administration of a regional-level National Science Week learner event
• Assisting with various project proposals for other Peace Corps Volunteers throughout the country
• Consulting on a learner-feedback survey to evaluate the effects of HIV/AIDS education on learners
• Assisting local school leaders with HIV/AIDS school policy development
• Assisting local educators with doctoral dissertation projects in educational research

Site Activities: Sinethezekile Combined School

During Elizabeth’s 6-month service at Sinethezekile Combined School, her tasks included the following:

• Developing and delivering weekly workshops for teachers in English education on topics related to literacy, teaching, public speaking education, reading and writing, and so on
• Assisting English educators to prepare for classes, developing resources, and teaching classes
• Holding workshops for educators to lead and organize student clubs for debate, newspaper, and drama
• Helping educators with higher education coursework in education, anthropology, English, etc.
• Counseling educators on the use of alternative classroom management practices

While serving at Sinethezekile Elizabeth also assisted with the following outside tasks:

• Administering eye examinations and helping with related administrative tasks for OneSight during its weeklong visit to the area to provide people with eye care and recycled eye glasses
• Helping draw up a needs assessment and write a grant proposal for the Maputaland Community Radio Station, which serves a disadvantaged community with independent news coverage
• Fundraising for the KLM Foundation, helping high-achieving youth receive a quality education

Peace Corps Support Activities

Elizabeth was also highly active in Peace Corps administration, assisting with various tasks:

• Preparing and giving sessions for in-service trainings related to curriculum and school policies
• Assisting with Education sector pre-service training, helping revise the training work schedule; evaluating, revising, and developing content related to the history of education in South Africa, South African education policy, economic disparity, community ownership and local empowerment, philosophy of education, educational organization and leadership, and related topics; delivering sessions on these topics among others; collaborating with other trainers; training local language trainers; and reporting and giving feedback regarding the effectiveness of training components
• Helping orientate Peace Corps Response Volunteers to South African educational organization
• Consulting and collaborating with staff to ensure that Education sector competencies, tasks, knowledge, and attitudes reflect contemporary practices and the context of education today
• Participating in online Volunteer support forums to help inform incoming Volunteers
• Writing articles for the Volunteer Newsletter on topics like travel and Volunteer loan financing

Peace Corps Goals Two and Three Activities

In addition to building local professional capacities at site and working with Peace Corps administration, Elizabeth was instrumental in sharing United States culture with South Africans and South African culture with citizens of the United States. Elizabeth’s activities in support of these goals include:

• Sharing culture with classrooms in Mpumalanga, North-West, and KwaZulu-Natal Provinces
• Sharing culture with host families, friends, and colleagues through relationships, attending parties, gatherings, and other social events, and sharing a generous spirit regarding difference
• Participating in the World Wise Schools program, writing letters to classes in St. Louis, Missouri
• Sharing pictures and blogs and emails about life in South Africa with friends in the United States
• Learning and speaking intermediate-low Setswana and novice-level isiZulu and Afrikaans

Pursuant to section 5(f) of the Peace Corps Act, 22 U.S.C. & 2504 (f), as amended, any former Peace Corps Volunteer employed by the United States Government following his/her Peace Corps Volunteer service is entitled to have any period of satisfactory Peace Corps service credited for the purpose of retirement, seniority, reduction in force, leave and other privileges based on length of Government Service.

This is to certify that in accordance with Executive Order 11103 of April 10, 1963, that Elizabeth Jackson served satisfactorily as a Peace Corps volunteer. Her service ended on April 15, 2011. Her benefits under the Executive Order extend for a period of one year after termination of volunteer service, except that the employing agency may extend the period for up to three years or a former volunteer who enters military service, pursues study at a recognized institution of higher learning, or engages in other activities which, in the view of the appointing agency, warrants extension of the period.

(Country Director Signature and Date)