DESCRIPTION OF PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER SERVICE

Benjamin Kowalski - VOL ID XXXXXXXX

PROGRAM No. XXXXXXX - ECUADOR
(OMNIBUS 107)
After a competitive application process stressing applicant skills, adaptability and cross-cultural
understanding, Benjamin Kowalski was invited into Peace Corps service in Ecuador. Mr. Kowalski
entered on duty on January 18, 2012, participating in an intensive program of community based training in
Tumbaco which included intensive instruction and field work in Spanish, cross-cultural studies, personal
health and safety, and the technical skills required in the TEFL Program.
Mr. Kowalski successfully completed training and was sworn in as a Volunteer on April 4, 2012. During
his service in Ecuador, he was assigned to Colegio Andrs F. Crdova in Caar, Caar where he served as
a TEFL Teacher Trainer.
During his Peace Corps service, Mr. Kowalski was involved in the following activities:
Teacher Training
As a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) volunteer, Mr. Kowalskis primary project focused
on training local teachers to improve their English language skills and teaching methodologies. Following
the Peace Corps model for teacher professional development, he met with teachers from the English
Language department on a daily basis to co-plan classes and discuss teaching methodology. After
planning classes, together with the local teachers Mr. Kowalski implemented lesson plans daily, sharing
the in-class teaching responsibilities. This co-teaching model provided opportunities for teachers to
practice new techniques, develop successful classroom routines, and receive feedback about their classes.
Together with the local teachers Mr. Kowalski developed annual, unit and lesson plans based on the
government mandated curriculum, while at the same time incorporating outside materials to make dynamic
engaging classes.
Using local resources and recognizing the need for a centralized English department, Mr. Kowalski
obtained and converted an unutilized space at the school into an English lab. This area is now used by
English teachers to plan cooperatively, make and store teaching materials, and host classes of students for
special activities.
Holding daily afternoon teacher training classes made Mr. Kowalskis school into a hub for teacher
professional development for all the public middle and high schools in the area. Teachers from five
different institutions came to his school to develop their language skills and learn successful teaching
methodologies. These sessions also focused on preparing local teachers for the government required
TOEFL exam which was first instated while Mr. Kowalski was serving as a volunteer.
Working full-time at Colegio Andrs F. Crdova, Mr. Kowalski became an integral faculty member of the
institution. He played on the Faculty soccer team, organized student homerooms for festival parades and
cultural events, and chaperoned field trips.
Afterschool Summer Programs
At his main counterpart school, Mr. Kowalski led an afterschool English program for a group of
exceptionally dedicated students that wanted the opportunity to advance their language skills beyond the
classroom. Students practiced their English through songs, games, creating videos, and field trips.

During the first summer break after the 2011-12 school year, Mr. Kowalski collaborated with a fellow
Peace Corps volunteer, and the director of a local music and arts academy (Acadmia Tarpuy) to organize
a summer camp program for students in and around the underserved rural community of San Rafael, near
Mr. Kowalskis site. Through a variety of games, songs, art projects and other out-of-the classroom
learning experiences, students practiced English in an exciting and dynamic way. This camp led to the
creation of an afterschool program at the arts academy which further served the needs of the students in
this community.
Interprovincial Workshops
After completing his first year of service Mr. Kowalski attended a Peace Corps training session making
him eligible to facilitate province-wide workshops in coordination with the Ecuadorian Ministry of
Education. These workshops focused on test taking skills for the government mandated TOEFL Exam and
on communicative teaching methodologies. Throughout his second year of service Mr. Kowalski
presented at workshops in five different provinces around the country on a variety of topics often
collaborating with other volunteers.
Bilingual Education
In his second year of service Mr. Kowalski began teaching at a bilingual elementary school in community
of Quilloac just outside of the town of Caar. Recognizing that students from this community when
entering middle school were less prepared than their counterparts that attended schools in the city center,
he offered introductory English classes. Working at the bilingual school also provided an opportunity for
Mr. Kowalski to integrate deeper into the indigenous community of Caar by learning the Kichwa
language through interactions at the school and participation in cultural events.
United States Embassy ACCESS Program Camp
In March of 2014, Mr. Kowalski received training conducted by master teachers from the English
Language Fellows Program. After receiving this training Mr. Kowalski coordinated with other Peace
Corps volunteers to facilitate a three-day overnight English language camp for students participating in the
United States Embassys ACCESS Scholarship Program on the island of Santa Cruz in the Galapagos
Islands.
Pursuant to Section 5(f) of the Peace Corps Act 22 U.S.C. 2504(f), as amended, any former Volunteer
employed by the United States Government following his/her Peace Corps Volunteer Service is entitled to
have any period of satisfactory Peace Corps service credited for purposes of retirement, seniority,
reduction in force, leave and other privileges based on length of Government service. That service shall
not be credited toward completion of the probationary or trial period of any service requirement for career
appointment.
This is to certify in accordance with Executive Order 11103 of April 10, 1963, that Mr. Kowalski served
satisfactorily as a Peace Corps Volunteer. His service ended on April 5, 2014. He is therefore eligible to be
appointed as a career-conditional employee in the competitive civil service on a non-competitive basis.
This benefit under the Executive Order extends for a period of one year after termination of the Volunteer's
service, except that the employing agency may extend the period for up to three years for a former
volunteer who enters military service, pursues studies at a recognized institution of higher learning, or
engages in other activities that, in the view of the appointing agency, warrant extension of the period.
_________________________
Mara Dolores Chacn
Program Manager

_________________________
Alexis Vaughn
Country Director