Peace Corps was established in Ukraine in 1992 when Ukrainian President Leonid Kravchuk and American President George Bush signed a bilateral agreement to establish a Peace Corps program in Ukraine.
Since that time the United States Peace Corps has cooperated with numerous progressive organizations. American Volunteers work and live side by side with Ukrainian colleagues for two years sharing experiences and developing relationships that often last a lifetime.
Goals
- helping the people of Ukraine in meeting their need for trained men and women
- helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of Ukrainians
- helping promote a better understanding of Ukrainians on the part of Americans
Projects
Teaching English as a Foreign Language:
Volunteers teach English in Secondary Schools, Universities, and Pedagogical Colleges. They also facilitate teacher trainings at the In-Service Teacher Training Institutes. While applying new teaching methods, Volunteers assist Ukrainian teachers in developing their classroom repertoire, and help their students acquire language skills that will help them succeed both in further education and in a future career.
Youth Development:
Volunteers working in secondary schools, vocational technical schools and cooperating with local departments of family, youth and sports help young Ukrainians prepare for their careers and lives in the new Ukraine. They offer young people in-school lessons, extracurricular activities, and conduct community projects aimed at preventing substance abuse and the spread of HIV. They promote healthy lifestyles, develop skills in information technology, basic business and leadership, civics, ecology and career development.
Community Development:
Volunteers work mostly with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and in partnership with municipal government organizations and businesses. They promote social and economic development at the grass-roots level. Vounteers’ goals are to increase the capacity of individual community members and service providers, to assist local institutions in achieving organizational sustainability, and to foster cross-sector cooperation between NGOs, government entities and private enterprise.