Co-facilitate Teaching English and Improving Students’ Soft Skills - Ukraine

Eligibility

Must be at least 18 years of age.

Must be a U.S. citizen.

Activity/project background

Vocational colleges in Ukraine – particularly applied pedagogical and electromechanical institutions – are committed to preparing resilient educators and technical specialists who sustain both the social and industrial workforce development during challenging times. They aim to equip students with advanced teaching and technical skills in fields such as pedagogy, social work, electrical engineering, mechanics, and information technology, while fostering a culture of innovation and lifelong learning. They combine practical training with applied knowledge to ensure students are prepared for immediate employment, ensuring graduates can contribute to schools, communities, and critical infrastructure and will be able to meet the demands of the modern labor market. These colleges would benefit from greater exposure to contemporary, student-centered teaching approaches and genuine American cultural contexts. While students receive strong theoretical grounding in English, there is a critical need for consistent interaction with native speakers to improve fluency, listening comprehension, and confidence, which is limited at the vocational educational establishments. By collaborating with the Virtual Service Pilot Participants, these colleges seek to empower students with intercultural communication skills, technical precision, and the ability to advocate for Ukraine on the global stage.

Engagement and tasks

• Co-assess student needs and existing pedagogical resources to develop a comprehensive syllabus for 26 virtual English Club sessions
• Co-design and adapt interactive teaching materials and multimedia resources focusing on American culture, youth life, and modern pedagogy
• Cofacilitate a 60-minute virtual English-speaking session once per week for a group of 15–20 students to enhance their fluency and cultural awareness
• Evaluate student progress and debrief with the Host Country counterpart to adapt future lesson plans and teaching strategies
• Develop a final digital portfolio of the resources and lesson plans created during the engagement to ensure sustainability for the college's future curriculum

VSPP is expected to engage on the tasks listed above for an estimated 5–15 hours per week.

Specific times will be determined during orientation.

Online collaboration will generally occur between 4:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. Ukraine time.

Optional Additional Activities

• Help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.
• To help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.
• To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

Essential Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in any field
• Experience: 1 year of TEFL/TESOL teaching in the U.S. or abroad
• Intercultural skills and motivation: Flexible, strong cross-cultural agility, high tolerance for ambiguity, able to work independently, resourceful, creative, and genuinely motivated and capable to serve virtually

Desired qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in education, TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), or pedagogy.
• Certificates in online teaching or curriculum development
• Experience: Virtual engagement and communication
• Working with pre-service teachers, student teachers, or conducting training for trainers workshops
• Knowledge of secondary education
• Familiarity of European educational standards
• Proficiency using digital engagement tools