About this role
Youth Development Sports Facilitator
Project Description: Are you a staunch believer that sports can be a powerful tool to teach essential life skills? Communities in Belize are eager to work with you!
Belize faces a critical challenge as the country’s future social and economic stability depends heavily on the opportunities provided to youth today, yet the 42 percent of the population that makes up the country’s youth still lack consistent access to life skills programs. This challenge persists due to limited human and financial resources in schools, gaps in training for educators, limited opportunities for structured extracurricular activities, and the absence of positive approaches in youth programming. National data continues to highlight that youth-related concerns—such as unemployment, violence, and school disengagement—indicate how gaps in education impact long-term outcomes.
As a Youth Development Sports Facilitator, you will collaborate with schools to integrate life skills education into sports and physical education. Your supportive role will strengthen the support offered by youth service providers, such as village councils, sports associations and/or youth development organizations. Alongside your colleagues, you will transform the outlook and self-esteem of local youth by providing the needed skills for a successful adulthood and to positively contribute to the country’s 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 will live in a mix of rural and city/town work sites across Belize. Volunteers live with host families during training and the first six months after arriving at their permanent work site. After their first six months at site, Volunteers may remain with a host family or pursue independent living. Although Belize has modern western amenities, most host families live in small and basic accommodations.
Activities: Design and facilitate youth life skills programs via school clubs, sports, physical education classes, or family fun days. Plan and deliver youth programs outside of school that incorporate life skills and positive youth development approaches. Guide youth service providers on the application of organizational development skills, such as program design and evaluation, development of policies and procedures, strategic planning, governance, communications, and administration. Train parents and caregivers on topics including positive youth development approaches and life skills. Create strategies to deepen families’ and/or caregivers’ positive engagement with their children.
You may also work on additional projects that meet the community’s interests and priorities, such as structured read-aloud activities at primary schools and after-school extracurricular clubs.
Training: As a Youth Development Sports Facilitator, you will be trained on basic coaching principles, life skills development and facilitation, lesson planning, and positive youth development approaches. Peace Corps/Belize will teach you Spanish or Kriol language—dependent on the predominant language at your work site—with a goal of language proficiency, to help you comfortably live in and connect with the community.
After 11 weeks of training, you will move to either a rural community or a town where you will collaborate with organizations focused on youth-focused organizations to assess the local needs and develop solutions based on available resources.
Job Highlights: Develop transferrable professional skills by facilitating life skills and physical education sessions, coaching youth sports, and supporting organizational development of youth service providers. Immerse yourself in a culturally rich country that is home to a mix of Mestizo, Creole, Maya, Garifuna, and several smaller ethnic groups. Learn a new language and develop lifelong friendships.