About this role
Environmental Education Facilitator
Project Description: Want to promote sustainable environmental management and farming practices that integrate trees and woody plants into existing land use systems? Work alongside farmers and community members in Senegal!
Environmental degradation impacts ecosystems vital to communities in Senegal. Some traditional agricultural practices contribute to deforestation and reduce soil fertility and moisture retention. Extreme weather and coastal erosion are also diminishing the productivity of arable land. With well over a third of the population living below the poverty line, Senegal, like many of its regional neighbors, is affected by high rates of food insecurity and health vulnerability. To address these challenges, community-level interventions are needed to build awareness and skills for sustainable preservation.
As an Environmental Education Facilitator, you will collaborate with community members to strengthen land and orchard management practices. Together, you will also identify ways to increase access to nutritious foods and generate additional sources of income. In this role you will collaborate with community members to promote natural resource management practices and strengthen environmental education and nature-based solutions.
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: All Volunteers live with host families, a living arrangement that creates a sense of belonging and helps integration. Many Volunteer homes do not have electricity or running water. Instead, Volunteers collect their water from a community pump or well. Volunteers are placed in the arid northern regions, including St. Louis, Thies, Diourbel, and Louga; more temperate central regions of Fatick and Kaolack; and tropical regions south of the Gambia River, including Sediou and Kolda.
Activities: Facilitate environmental education lessons for youth clubs. Conduct field-based instruction of adults and out-of-school youth about relevant environmental issues and measures to address specific issues, such as solid waste management or soil degradation. Conduct trainings to expand and support income-generating activities. Strengthen natural resource management capacity. Promote reforestation and forest management practices.
You may also work on additional projects that meet the community’s interests and priorities, such as promoting ways to improve nutrition and increase access to nutritious foods through community gardens or smallholder farms.
Training: As an Environmental Education Facilitator, you will be trained in natural resource management, environmental education curriculum, and agroforestry best practices. Peace Corps/Senegal will teach you Wolof, Pulaar, Sereer, or Mandinka to help you comfortably live in and connect with the community.
After 10 weeks of training, you will move to a rural community where you will work with community members to assess the needs and develop solutions based on the participatory analysis for community action methodology. After three months at site, you will receive additional technical training tailored to the results of your community assessments.
Job Highlights: Learn Wolof, Pulaar, Sereer, or Mandinka from skilled Language and Cultural Facilitators. Gain international experience with environmental education curriculum, agroforestry best practices, and project management. Experience living within Senegal’s warm and welcoming culture.