Secondary Education Math Teacher at Peace Corps Kenya

Peace Corps Volunteers’ work will complement and support the Government of Kenya (GoK) efforts from the grassroots level by addressing secondary school teacher shortages in math/science subjects, supporting ICT integration efforts in education, collaboratively promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education, codevelopment of teaching and learning materials, promotion of gender equity and inclusion, and supporting cocurricular activities including career guidance, HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention, and life skills trainings.

However, more than the skills they bring, the most successful Volunteers in Kenya are patient, flexible, and have a passion for serving/supporting others. All STEM Volunteers will work collaboratively with local counterparts in four focus areas:

• Build teacher capacity through Communities of Practice
• Increase student skills in STEM through direct classroom teaching
• Promote increased community involvement to support school activities
• Codevelop materials and increase access to materials/resources to support a STEM approach to math and science

As with all Peace Corps programs, flexibility and a positive attitude will be important for this project. Volunteers may be asked by counterparts to provide instruction on a variety of subjects aside from the one they have been invited to teach. Volunteers will coteach in the classroom and support activities to collaboratively build capacity among with counterparts and coteachers. Activities might include the broader community with things like math competitions, math fairs, camps and clubs, and school improvement projects. Along with classroom teaching, many Volunteers get involved supporting school clubs, sports, youth conferences, and other extracurricular activities. Education Volunteers also work with counterparts to integrate HIV/AIDS, malaria, and gender equality work into their teaching and community development activities in a culturally effective and appropriate manner.

NOTE: Social distancing and other COVID19 mitigation measures imposed by the Peace Corps, Government of Kenya, and/or host country partners may result in disruption in school activities or school year calendar.

Corporal punishment is illegal in Kenya. While the government has regulations regarding corporal punishment, these rules are not always followed or enforced at the local level. Volunteers may encounter different levels of corporal punishment. Many Volunteers find this challenging, particularly when it is necessary to develop good working relationships with colleagues in the classroom. Peace Corps Kenya encourages open dialogue between Volunteers and their colleagues, and exploring culturally appropriate and acceptable alternatives to corporal punishment. You will receive training and resources on how best to manage situations of corporal punishment in the classroom, using the Safe School curriculum.

Peace Corps Kenya promotes gender awareness and girls’ education and empowerment. You will receive training on gender challenges in Kenya and you will have the opportunity to work with your counterparts to coimplement genderrelated activities that are contextually appropriate. During your service, you are encouraged to work with community members to promote genderequitable norms and increase girls’ sense of agency. As part of your work, you will also report on these efforts and their impact.

Required Skills

Competitive candidates will have one or more of the following criteria:

• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary Education with a concentration in math
• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any discipline with secondary certification in math
• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in Math, Engineering, or Computer Science
• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any discipline with a minor or equivalent (15 semester/22 quarter hours) in math

Desired Skills

Most successful candidates will have one or more of the following relevant qualifications and qualities:

• Prior teaching experience
• Ability to teach large classes (50+ students)
• Experience designing educational content
• Ability to adapt and use different classroom management techniques
• Experience in school and/or community presentations with children, youth or adult learners
• Interest and/or familiarity with HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention
• Must have interest or skills working with primary or secondary school age children
• Experience with graphic design, T.V. captioning, filming, editing or creativity in developing HIV/AIDS educational materials
• Experience with youth development, particularly life skills development, promotion of healthy lifestyles, camps, youth clubs, scouts, etc.
• Candidates should be prepared to cope with cultural differences and engage in discussions for positive change, especially on corporal punishment in schools.