Peace Corps volunteers sworn in

Eight US Peace Corps volunteers will serve as Literacy Trainers in primary schools across the island.
The beneficiary schools are Micoud Combined, Desruisseaux Combined, Canaries Primary, Grand Riviere, Ti Rocher Primary, Aux-Leon Combined, and Anse-La Raye Combined. The volunteers will be teaching literacy development in the classrooms, as well as at community after school programmes.
The United States citizens were sworn in at a virtual ceremony at the Bay Gardens Hotel on Aug. 4. They form part of a larger group of 28 volunteers in total, who will serve in Dominica, Saint Vincent and Grenada.
The ceremony was addressed by US Country Director Ms. Anna Todorova who exhorted the volunteers to serve with distinction.
“Make yourselves and country proud,” she said. “The service you’re about to enter will take you to different places over the course of the next two years. You will teach in classrooms, engage in after-class programs, and share opportunities to build literacy.”
She urged them to serve with dignity, respect, humility, grace and gratitude, adding that the motivation to join the Peace Corps is always a desire to serve.
The swearing-in-ceremony was also addressed by the Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology and Vocational Training, Dr. Pauline Antoine Prospere. Speaking on the value of literacy to the island she said that the decision to send the volunteers to work collaboratively with schools, “is a testament to the transformative power of education.” Literacy she said, is a priority in Saint Lucia’s school system.
Prior to their swearing-in, the volunteers fulfilled a nine week training exercise that involved living with host families in various communities in Saint Lucia. They will serve for a period of two years.