About this role
Adolescent Health Educator
Project Description: Want to support adolescents in building confidence and making healthy life choices? This opportunity in Guyana is for you! Youth in Guyana face serious challenges, including depression, early pregnancy, unsafe sex, sexually transmitted infections, and violence. These issues are compounded by bullying, poor body image, low self-esteem, weak coping skills, and limited psychosocial support. Guyana has the second-highest suicide rate in the world, and adolescent mental health struggles are deeply rooted and multifaceted. Young people also encounter significant barriers to sexual and reproductive health information and services, often leaving them to make uninformed and risky decisions. Teenage mothers account for roughly one-fifth of all births in Guyana. While the Ministry of Education’s health and family life education curriculum includes comprehensive sexual and reproductive health content, teachers have requested more training to deliver the content more effectively. The Ministry of Social Cohesion’s Department of Youth offers community-based programs, but adolescents participate inconsistently. As an Adolescent Health Educator, you will collaborate with health care workers and teachers to strengthen health education. Together, you will equip adolescents with the knowledge and skills to grow into informed, responsible adults. Your collective efforts will contribute to reduced rates of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, improved educational and employment outcomes, and a more productive workforce that supports national development.
Required Skills: 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).
Living Conditions: Volunteers serve in regional communities ranging from remote towns to semi‑urban villages. Volunteers will live in a private room within their host family’s house. Daily life may include modest living conditions with limited electricity, internet, and running water. While most sites are rural, Volunteers can visit larger markets monthly to restock supplies.
Activities: Conduct community assessment to identify priorities. Strengthen the technical capacity of service providers to effectively deliver health services and high-quality health education. Facilitate the health and family life education curriculum. Train teachers on utilizing innovative facilitation techniques in the classroom. Facilitate engaging club and camp activities for adolescents. Guide health care workers to provide age-appropriate services.
You may also work on additional projects that meet the community’s interests and priorities, such as conducting menstrual health workshops or assisting local libraries.
Training: As an Adolescent Health Educator, you will be trained on lesson planning, capacity-building facilitation, and counselling basics. Peace Corps/Guyana will teach basic Creolese to help you comfortably live in and connect with your community.
After 10 weeks of training, you will move to a semi-rural community where you will collaborate with the staff at schools and nearby organizations to assess needs and develop solutions for improved health.
Job Highlights: Advance your skills in project planning, design, and facilitation while gaining hands‑on experience supporting global health initiatives. Build transferrable communication and collaboration skills that will serve you in any profession. Make a lasting impact by supporting young people to make informed, healthier choices.