Youth Leadership Development Facilitator

Job DescriptionPanama is commonly referred to as "puente del mundo, corazón del universo" (bridge of the world, heart of the universe).

It is also a land of mixed realities.

Its strategic geographic location influenced the construction of the canal, which accelerated immigration and contributed to Panama's diverse population.

With one of the fastest growing economies in the region, Panama is an international logistics, banking, and tourism hub.

However, Panama also has the second-worst income distribution among Latin American countries, with approximately 22% of the population with income below the national poverty line.

Panamanian youth face heightened socio-economic instability, few professional and personal development opportunities, and low civic and educational engagement.

The Panamanian government is committed to increasing youth education, civic engagement, and employability, especially the Ministry of Education (MEDUCA) and Ministry of Social Development (MIDAS).

Peace Corps Panama's Youth Leadership Development (YLD) program complements national youth development initiatives by equipping youth with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to successfully navigate life challenges, make positive contributions to their communities, and pursue employment opportunities.

The program focuses on collaboration with local partners to provide opportunities for Panamanians ages 10 to 24 years old to strengthen their communication skills, develop self-esteem, navigate relationships, engage with their communities, and pursue future employment.

YLD Volunteers collaborate with counterparts at secondary schools (e.g., counselors, social workers, and teachers), as well as community members and local institutions (e.g., government agencies, churches, IT centers), to co-plan and co-facilitate in-school workshops, after school clubs, camps, recreational activities, service-learning projects, and awareness days.

These activities may focus on self-esteem, communication, conflict resolution, goal setting, leadership, employability skills, digital literacy skills, or gender equality.

Through collaborating with Panamanian community members, Volunteers take part in a mutually beneficial capacity-building experience and ensure that all activities are aligned with community interests, desires, and priorities.

During their first three months in the community, Volunteers learn about the Panamanian education system, the culture of the school, youth priorities, and opportunities to implement and strengthen positive youth development programs.

In collaboration with teachers, youth service providers, and community leaders, Volunteers will perform a participatory community analysis to assess school/community resources and, based on the findings, will create a plan for service.

YLD Volunteers support ongoing youth-oriented programs in schools and the community, bringing new ideas, approaches and/or techniques to those spaces while incorporating youth and counterpart's assets to ensure relevance and sustainability.

During Pre-Service Training and throughout service, Peace Corps Panama provides learning experiences to strengthen Volunteers' competencies in areas such as positive youth development and participatory analysis.

The most important skill to be successful as a Volunteer is the ability to communicate ideas clearly and to develop strong interpersonal relationships.

Creativity in using locally available resources will also be helpful.

Volunteers must be prepared to be proactive, self-driven and to motivate others.Required SkillsQualified candidates will have one or more of the following criteria:
• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any field OR
• 5 years' professional work experienceDesired SkillsCompetitive candidates will have one or more of the following criteria:
• Master's degree in Social Work, Psychology, Education, Youth Development, Applied Behavioral Science or related field.

• Bachelor's degree in Social Work, Social Studies, Psychology, Education, Youth Development, Applied Behavioral Science or other related field and at least 3 months of experience working with youth and/or families
  • 3 years' of professional experience working with youth and/or families, preferably from under-resourced communities.
• Experience working with children/youth in formal/non-formal educational settings (camps, clubs, extra-curricular activities, service-learning projects, etc.)
  • Experience teaching, coaching, or mentoring adults and youth in formal and informal settings
  • Experience with mutual collaboration in a service setting
  • Experience with public speaking, facilitating classes/workshops/presentations or the performing arts, both in person and virtuallyLiving ConditionsCommunity Locations YLD Volunteers are placed in rural or per-urban communities, which may range in population from 200 to 3,000.HousingHousing in Panama varies among communities and may include concrete block or plank walls and cement floors; stilted wood houses; adobe structures with mud floors; and/or furnished apartments.

Communities generally have basic utilities and infrastructure, including cell phone signals, treatable water, and sometimes electricity.

The reliability of these services varies from community to community; and may be impacted by seasonal changes.

All Volunteers receive training on how to treat their water should they need to.

Volunteers may have to use solar panels or pay a small fee at stores with generators to charge or run electronics.

Personal solar panels and generators can be acquired in Panama.

Peace Corps/Panama assesses each community and house to ensure that basic health and safety criteria are met.

Volunteers are required to live with a host family during their first three months of service.

After three months, Volunteers may opt to live in pre-approved independent housing that meets Peace Corps/Panama's housing criteria.Food and DietThe Panamanian diet varies according to the region and the ethnic makeup of the population.

Most often the diet consists of rice, beans, bananas or plantains, yucca (cassava), and corn.

Rice and beans (kidney beans, lentils, and black-eyed peas) is a staple dish.

Corn is served in many stews but is usually ground, boiled, or fried.

Sancocho is a traditional soup prepared with root vegetables and chicken.

Most rural areas have many fruits available, including mangos, papayas, pineapples, avocados, oranges, and guanábanas (soursops).

The availability of garden vegetables, such as tomatoes, sweet peppers, and cucumbers, varies according to the region and the season.

The most common meats are chicken, pork, and beef, which are often deep-fried or stewed.

Fish is available sporadically in coastal regions and riverside communities.

Panamanians frequently follow diets based on their region, culture, and seasonally available produce.

Depending on the Volunteer's diet, they may be inclined to start a garden, plan for trips to larger cities to acquire products at supermarkets or adjust to locally available options.

Larger towns and cities have at least one familiar, US chain restaurant.

Computer, Phone, and Internet AccessHost communities generally have reliable cell phone service, though it might be a 10-minute walk to reach.

Internet speed and reliability will vary depending on the location of the community.

Volunteers may access Wi-Fi through the local public school, visit a community internet center, or visit a private internet café in a larger town.

In Panama City, Volunteers have access to Wi-Fi, desktop computers, and printers at the Peace Corps Panama office.

Peace Corps Panama does not provide Volunteers with a cell phone or data plan but does provide all Volunteers with a SIM card on arrival.

Many cheap data plans are available in Panama.

Many Volunteers bring an unlocked cell phone from the United States or buy one in country.

Should you Volunteers choose to bring electronics, it is their responsibility to maintain and insure them.

Be aware that service providers in Panama do not fully support phones with eSIMs or will charge extra, which will be at the Volunteer's expense.

Currently serving Volunteers have reported that newer iPhone models have difficulties connecting to local phone data signals, causing them to purchase an additional phone.Language Skills Additional InformationPre-Service Training (PST) emphasizes language acquisition through structured and unstructured language-building learning experiences, while also focusing on strengthening intercultural competence.

These critical skills will help create a foundation for the ability to serve as a Volunteer in Panama.

The technical knowledge and skills that Volunteers arrive with and/or gain during your training will not be effective if Volunteers do not have the necessary communication and intercultural skills.

Trainees will receive three Language Proficiency Interviews (LPI) to assess language progress before, at mid-point, and at the end of PST.

To qualify for service, Trainees must achieve an Intermediate-mid level of Spanish as outlined by ACTFL Guidelines by their final LPI.

Intermediate-mid level speakers can: start, sustain, and close simple conversations at the sentence level, connect them, as well as ask and answer simple questions.Trainees are assigned to a Language and Culture Facilitator (LCF) who will do their best to support Trainees in achieving the required level.

They provide well-rounded support as Trainees adapt to a new method of language-learning and will persistently challenge Trainees to speak out loud, make mistakes, converse with, and build relationships with native speakers, such as members of your host training community.

LCFs will also be an important cultural informant and guide as in adapting to the local culture.Couples CommentsPeace Corps Panama can accommodate a limited number of couples; either within the same program or as a cross-sector couple.

Couples from the same sector will live with the same host family during PST and are requested to speak Spanish with each other and the host family to improve language learning.

Cross-sector couples will live with different host families and in different (but nearby) communities during PST.

It may be possible that cross-sector couples spend weekends together during PST, but not a guarantee.During service, all couples they may live together first with a host family and then on their own or be placed with a family guide and living on their own upon arriving in the community.

Couples will be placed in medium to large communities, to ensure sufficient work is available for both Volunteers.The Peace Corps works to foster safe and productive assignments for same-sex couples, and same-sex couples are not placed in countries where homosexual acts are criminalized.

Because of this, same-sex couple placements are more limited than heterosexual couple placements.

During the application process recruiters and placement officers work closely with same-sex couple applicants to understand current placement opportunities.Language Requirements InformationCandidates must meet one or more of the language requirements below in order to be considered for this position A. Completed 4 years of high school Spanish coursework within the past 8 years B. Completed minimum 2 semesters of Spanish college-level coursework within the past 6 years C. Native/fluent speaker of Spanish Candidates who do not meet the language proficiency levels above can take the language placement exams to demonstrate their level of proficiency.

Competitive applicants typically attain a score of 50 on the Spanish College Level Examination Program CLEP exam or a score of Novice-High on the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL OPI).