The Primer

So there I was.  I graduated in December with a masters degree from Georgia Tech, and now it was time to find a job.  Except I didn't find a job.  I mostly caught up on movies, video games and books for a while.  Frankly, I wasn't all that excited about joining the real world.  Then I read about WorldTeach, a nonprofit organization that facilitates volunteer teaching positions in developing countries.  The program I read about was in the Marshall Islands.  I went to the WorldTeach website, read about the various programs, and found out that while I had missed some program deadlines (sorry Micronesia), the Guyana program application deadline was only a few weeks away.  Upon reading about the program, I became really excited about the prospect of volunteering in Guyana.  Some information about the country and the program can be found below the break.

 Geography

My first thought was "well, I don't really want to go to Africa."  Then, I investigated the program and found that, lo and behold, Guyana is in South America!

Helpful South America location map (click to enlarge).

Guyana is bordered by Venezuela to the west (Chavez!), Brazil (Rio!) to the west and south and Suriname (umm) to the east.  The country was named “Guiana” by Christopher Columbus in 1498 and is Amerindian for “land of many waters.”  Guyana is a former British colony, and the official language is English.  While the majority of WorldTeach volunteers abroad teach English, in Guyana, English-speaking volunteers can teach a variety of subjects.  Culturally, Guyana has more in common with the English-speaking nations in the Caribbean than its South American neighbors.

 Education

The Guyanese educational system contrasts greatly from the United States’ public systems.  The country is currently experiencing a great need for teachers in primary and secondary schools.  The schools where WorldTeach places volunteers are often overcrowded and lack teaching supplies.  There is additionally a great shortage of math and science educators in the country.  When reading about the WorldTeach opportunity in Guyana, I became very excited about the idea of living in a foreign country, working with underprivileged youth and teaching math and science.

Logistics

When I arrive in Guyana, I'll spend a few weeks in a major city (likely Georgetown, the capital) for training.  Then I'll go to the village or town where I'll be teaching.  In Guyana, students are placed in secondary schools based on testing and prior performance.  I'll probably be teaching at one of the bottom tier schools.  I'll have a full schedule of classes, hopefully in math and science.  The Guyanese Ministry of Education, in concert with WorldTeach and the local school, will provide housing.  I will receive a small living allowance, which is comparable to those which local teachers in the country receive and should cover basic expenses.  School is broken up into 3 semesters, with breaks around Christmas and spring break time.

Onward

In the future, I hope to have some more in-depth posts about the country, my placement, my personal and professional goals and my fund raising efforts.  There will also probably be some more bad MS Paint photoshops to look forward to.