About this role
Elementary School Science Teacher
Project Description: Do you wish to cultivate environmentally conscious leaders? The youth in Guyana are looking to learn about nature-based solutions. Educators in Guyana partner with communities to identify environmental challenges and implement sustainable initiatives, such as waste management, eco-tourism, natural resource management, or environmental awareness and resilience projects. Many Guyanese teachers are young and lack training in modern, inquiry‑based science methods, leading to reliance on traditional teacher-centered methods and limited coverage of key concepts. The Ministry promotes the 5E Model, grounded in constructivism, to help learners build understanding through hands‑on experiences and improve critical thinking and problem‑solving.
As an Elementary School Science Teacher, you will collaborate with teachers for grades 3–6 to plan and teach engaging science lessons. Together, you will improve teaching practices and enhance the students’ learning and critical thinking, strengthening the community’s ability to sustainably manage natural resources and adapt to extreme weather. Using innovative, learner-centered approaches, you will bring science to life by connecting lessons to students’ everyday environments.
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 experience (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: Facilitate community assessments to identify community priorities. Develop lesson plans and supportive educational materials. Teach engaging environmental science lessons. Facilitate outdoor education and activities for youth clubs and camps that build awareness of the country’s biodiversity while fostering leadership skills. Develop and strengthen existing training modules on nature-based solutions to environmental issues. Support team projects and activities to address community-identified priorities. You may also work on additional projects that meet the community’s interests and priorities, such as strengthening organizational development through the adoption of improved practices, enhanced tools, or strategic resources.
Training: As an Elementary School Science Teacher, you will be trained on Guyana’s education system, inquiry-based learning, differentiated learning, and lesson planning. Peace Corps/Guyana will teach you basic Creolese to help you comfortably integrate and connect with your new community. After 10 weeks of training, you will move to a hinterland, riverine, or coastal community where you will collaborate with elementary school staff and nearby organizations. You will work with the community to assess needs and develop solutions based on your collective findings to build the capacity of Guyanese to be better environmental of your locality’s natural resources.
Job Highlights: Gain international experience applying the 5E inquiry-based learning model to teach environmental topics. Make a meaningful impact by providing outdoor learning opportunities for the youth to build leadership skills. Experience a unique Caribbean country and South American culture while building enduring relationships.