At any rate, I decided perhaps my job is not too boring to blog about and so I have created my little mini-series to chronicle my experiences. I will begin with a brief rundown of what exactly it means to be a PTS (Programming and Training Specialist, that is) for Peace Corps Belize.
In Belize, there are 2 of we PTSs and we are uncannily similar in our style and passion for the job – we often comment that we are like sisters from different parents. It makes working together pretty fantastic, if you ask me. We basically support everything programming and training related for the post. What does that mean? Well, a lot, really. Programming covers our major project areas and developing sites for volunteer assignments, supporting volunteers once in their sites, reviewing and compiling all volunteer annual reports for a master report in each project area (yes PCVs, we really do use those semi-annual reports!), helping to ensure our project goals are met through volunteer assignments and work, and whatever else is needed to support the good work going on to help the development of this beautiful country. This involves a lot of travel and DRIVING! 
I LOVE to drive and going two years without driving was tough, so when I got to start my standard-vehicle driving lessons, I was pretty ecstatic. The one-and-only fabulous Mr. Stanley (our PC driver) taught me what I needed to know to get back on the road. I had a bit of trouble with starting when I first learned, but I’m good now; there are only a few hills that tripped me up. I’ve been fortunate enough to see a lot more of the country now that I travel to some pretty remote areas to meet community leaders and principals in seeking partners for future volunteers and to visit our current volunteers to check-in and provide support and advice when I can and during their formal site visit meetings and events. This year, in particular, has been super busy because with 2010 our intake period changed. Therefore, in my contract year there are two pre-service trainings, which has translated to a very active and busy year. We had essentially four months to get all our sites for this new group fully ready, which put both the Program Managers (they each oversee two project areas), the PTSs and our PCVLs (Volunteer Leaders, of which Anthony is one) on the road weekly as we conducted our 3 site visits to 38 sites with the Christmas holiday right in the middle of it all (slowing down opportunities for meetings)! I think it’s been a good way to get my feet wet in this type of development work, and I am not complaining!
Erin and me presenting at a community meeting in a Spanish-speaking community - we really put our Spanish skills to work for this one!
The training side refers to all the training activities that occur for a volunteer in their 26 months in country. Pre-service training takes place for 2 months, during which I serve as a technical trainer; I coordinate the training activities for the education trainees and put together experiential learning opportunities to enable them to become acquainted with their project area and ways in which they will work within primary education in Belize. Additionally, I work with the whole Programming and Training (P&T) Team in facilitating training sessions during In-Service Training Workshops, All-Volunteer Conferences, Project Design and Management Workshops, COS Workshop (Close of Service) and other things in between, not to mention reviewing and writing learning objectives for our pre-service training and other training activities.
The current volunteer corps - and the people who I feel so fortunate to support!
Finally, within programming I am responsible for working with the HIV/AIDS Committee, supporting the Information Resource Center (IRC; it’s our resource library), and managing recurring funding opportunities and guiding volunteers through the grant-writing and request processes. The project areas I focus on are Education and Youth Development (essentially the projects in which I worked for two years – I was assigned as an education volunteer, but really had the most of my project work in the youth development area since that is where my experience and passion lies and since I did not have a strong background in literacy education to really bring out the goals of the education project – still I did my best in working with teachers to help them with strategies for their classes).
I was asked once to describe a typical day for me – well, there is no typical day (which seems to be common in my choices for employment!). I find a lot of parallels to my work in student affairs and think of myself as having now moved into “volunteer affairs.” On any given day, I may be working in the office reviewing grant proposals, checking in with volunteers, reading material related to projects to share with volunteers or as requested by a supervisor to be able to help with something; heading out on the road early in the morning to travel to villages or other sites to meet with a principal or other community leader to discuss Peace Corps and the role of the volunteer in either education or youth projects and helping them to complete an application; or visiting a volunteer for a site event or other activity they invite us out for. It’s always different and keeps me active and out exploring Belize. Right now, my time is completely different since it is devoted to training. My next few posts in the series will be dedicated to the role of the technical trainer. Until then, stay safe and healthy!
This is often the view when I am traveling out to villages! This, in particular, is up north in sugar cane territory.
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