Community Economic Development Facilitator

Peace Corps

🇨🇴 Colombia

On-site

5 days ago

Project Description

Recent graduates and business professionals are invited to support Colombia’s next generation of entrepreneurs.

Rural and semi‑urban communities in Colombia face persistent economic disparities. These challenges are driven by institutional factors—such as unequal access of quality education, health care, and public services—as well as socio-spatial barriers. With only 16% of rural households having internet, the significant digital divide impacts available opportunities. The Government of Colombia is prioritizing financial literacy and entrepreneurship skill development among youth and women to encourage economic participation and growth in these underserved areas.

As a Community Development Educator, you will collaborate with schools, vocational training institutions, and community groups to develop essential business skills. You will also support micro-enterprises, such as vendors and small-scale agricultural producers, to streamline and scale their operations. These efforts will create more economic opportunities, which will improve household financial security and contribute to long-term economic growth.

Required Skills

• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any field
OR
• 5 years' professional work experience

SPECIAL NOTICE ABOUT CITIZENSHIP:

Candidates who are dual citizens of Colombia and the U.S. or who were born in Colombia and became U.S. citizens after July 4, 1991 are not eligible to serve in Peace Corps Colombia. Under Colombian law, anyone born in Colombia who became a U.S. citizen after 1991 or anyone holding dual U.S. and Colombia citizenship is considered a citizen of Colombia, and not of the United States. If an individual faced a legal, safety or emergency situation in Colombia, the Peace Corps' ability to intervene would be limited. If you fit one of these categories, we encourage you to look at Peace Corps Volunteer assignments in other countries.

Living Conditions

Volunteers will live in small, rural communities or medium-sized, semi-urban towns within the Caribbean and Andean regions, typically no more than six hours from a major city. Volunteers live with host families during training and the first six months of service. Volunteers may then move to independent housing. Most Volunteers can walk, bike, or take public transport to reach their work site within 30 minutes.

Job Highlights

Build your entrepreneurial knowledge as you teach business basics to students and support micro-business owners and community groups.

Advance your Spanish proficiency through daily collaborations and community interactions.

Immerse yourself in Colombian culture and cultivate lifelong friendships.

Activities

Facilitate classes and activities that build entrepreneurial thinking, socio-emotional skills, vocational orientation, and life planning. 

Strengthen entrepreneurial knowledge and skills, confidence, and community participation among youth and women’s groups. 

Facilitate workshops on personal financial management and basic business practices. 

Support micro-enterprise owners to access to professional development opportunities and resources.

Coordinate with Colombia’s national vocational training agency to enhance technical training opportunities in rural communities. 

You may also work on additional projects that meet the community’s interests and priorities, such as business-focused English conversational clubs or digital literacy workshops.

Training

As a Community Development Educator, you will be trained on strategies for effective project design and management, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship. Peace Corps/Colombia will support you in learning technical Spanish vocabulary to help you comfortably live in and connect with the community.

After 10 weeks of training, you will move to rural or semi-urban community where you will collaborate with teachers and community groups to assess needs and develop long-term solutions.

Couple Living Conditions

Couples who are selected for the same sector will live together but work with different local partners, which may be in the same community or in neighboring communities (not more than 30 minutes apart)., Cohabitating couples are highly encouraged to present themselves as married throughout service due to cultural expectations.

Couple Training Conditions

Same-sector couples may live with different host families during training but will see each other for joint-training sessions and may have time together on weekends.

Country: Colombia
Partner Organization Name: Schools, vocational training institutions, community groups
Language Requirement: Spanish 1
No Degree Required: No
Primary Sector: Community Economic Development
Apply By: 15-Jan-2027
Know By: 01-Mar-2027
Start Date: 21-Aug-2027
Assignment Length (months): 24
Positions Available: 25
Accepts Couples: Yes
Accepting Applications?: Yes
Request Type: 162 Community Services
Posted on LinkedIn: No
Couple Types: Heterosexual and same-sex couples are accepted for this program.
Couple Sector Combinations: Each person must apply separately and must qualify for a position in either the same or a different sector than their partner.

Community Economic Development Facilitator · Peace Corps

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