Peace Corps Programs in China



Peace Corps Programs in China

In 1993, the first Peace Corps Volunteers arrived in China to assist in a teacher training project. Now Volunteers are teaching at more than two dozen colleges and institutions across Southwestern China.

English Education
The primary goal of the English Education project is to teach English to students at teacher training colleges who plan to become English teachers themselves upon graduation. Volunteers also work to improve the skills of their fellow faculty members and to develop resource materials. Volunteers in China are more restricted than Volunteers in other countries with regards to opportunities to work on secondary projects in their communities. However, many Volunteers are very active with secondary projects at their schools, carrying out activities such as Earth Day celebrations, drama clubs and lectures on American culture and holidays.

Environmental Education
This is a new program for Peace Corps China, with August 2000 marking the first swearing-in for a group of 10 Volunteers. The Volunteers are teaching in middle schools, teachers' colleges and universities. Courses range from environmental economics to "green" English, depending upon the background of the Volunteer and the needs of the school.

By Dorothy Augustine on Saturday, September 01, 2001 - 2:22 pm: Edit Post

I am interested in serving in China as a teacher of English. I have had my application in for more than 2 years, with my first country of interest (Morocco) being made unavailable because of my asthma. Can anyone tell me of problems associated with a chronic asthma problem which would obviate my serving in China?

By basilstamos on Friday, June 20, 2003 - 2:48 am: Edit Post

I am a board certified internist presently living in Taiwan studying Mandarin. I would like to work/volunteer in China as a physician. If anyone has any information please e-mail me at basilstamos@yahoo.com

By Anonymous (60.160.184.126) on Monday, February 05, 2007 - 4:42 am: Edit Post

Volunteers work with children and poor farmers in Yunnan, China. Educational program (in English) includes learning Chinese language.

Yunnan Institute of Development DRH

Yunnan Institute of Development, DRH (YID) is a non-profit non-formal adult education institute approved by Yunnan Provincial Education Department in 2001. Our mission is to promote social development in China, India and Africa. Participants get trained in 11-month courses as ‘Development Instructors’ in an international challenging environment to develop themselves and the world around them. Participants are both Chinese and foreigners; the area of development work can be both in Yunnan, India and Africa.

Education is based on ‘Learning by doing’; the Institute is a place where the participant plans and implements his/her own education, where the teacher is a facilitator, and where YOU the participant are the overall responsible of your own education. This is an important factor why you can learn that much in such a short time.

Through our activities and programs we wish to address some of the basic issues of the world such as poverty alleviation and development, HIV/AIDS, environment protection, etc.
We envision and will create YID to be a place where people from all walks of life and from a diversity of backgrounds can equip themselves with skills and knowledge to take part in changing the world for the better – both in China and abroad.

YID wishes to be an example of education and development, where the participants understand themselves as the driving force, where development and change happen by us, and with us!
Develop the World and Develop Yourself.

This is done on many levels through the different activities and programs we run;

The Development Instructor Program
The Development Instructor Program has as its aim to participate in closing the gap between rich and poor through sending able-bodied and willing people with a human and economic surplus to take part in creating development in countries and societies where there is a lack of this.
The Development Instructor Program does this in cooperation with the International Development Organization, The Federation of Associations connected to the HUMANA PEOPLE TO PEOPLE MOVEMENT on the basis of Solidary Humanism (www.humana.org). The purpose is to create opportunities for development to happen together with people in China, India and Southern Africa. The Development Instructor Program creates the opportunities for ordinary people to make an extraordinary difference!

YID - Outreach and Community Work
YID wishes to be an active entity in the development of Yuxi Prefecture, - especially in the poor and under-priviledged remote counties of Xinping and E-shan.
The Institute is a place where people can be informed about China, Africa, the World, about global development and important current issues in our world. It is a place where knowledge and culture can develop and flourish and be exchanged among people.
YID is also itself an active part in creating development for the villages in the mountains: We work with local people to improve their health, education, economic, social and environmental conditions. We teach income generating activities, do training on nutrition, health and hygiene, educate people on HIV/AIDS, operate Pre-schools, train teachers, make youth clubs, improve garbage systems in villages, - and many more practical things.

Our philosophy:
Knowledge is power - and has always been.
Action is the way in which knowledge can be processed - to the good or to the detriment of people, societies and the future.
To make out of knowledge and action ONE tool - and to define what this tool should do for people and for the world - is a radical action.
Looking at human history as such over the long haul, it is a common phenomenon - but looking at many people and relations of today's world, it is not something you can take as a given.
It is very often, that knowledge is had by some - and action is done by others. And knowledge without action is making things stillborn. As action without knowledge leads to nowhere.

So for the Development Instructor this combination and its political demands are indeed a healthy and interesting combination to seek as the objective.
Being able to combine knowledge and action and to make this combination into a tool of change is of pivotal importance.

Our History:
The Institute started in November 2001. It’s part of the 19 DRH schools international network. (www.drh-movement.org) From 2001-2004 we had several 14-month courses (6 month preparation at the Institute, 6 month development work in China or Africa, 2 month conclusion and evaluation) with opportunity to work either in Africa or in China.
In 2005 we started 11 month courses only focusing on development work in Yunnan

Contact Details:
Address Nie Er Lu 49-51 653100 Yuxi
Yunnan Province, Peoples Republic of China
Telephone: +86 877 20 59 695
Fax: +86 877 20 59 359
E-mail: maciek@volunteerchina.org
Internet www.volunteerchina.org