Peace Corps World Wise Schools

Summer is just around the corner! As the school year winds down and thoughts turn to vacation, consider Coverdell World Wise Schools resources for summer enrichment ideas and inspiration for next year. Spend some time reflecting on the year’s successes and on the new ways you hope to integrate global perspectives in the coming year.

Before students leave for vacation, challenge them to use some of their free time this summer to become more globally engaged. Start by sharing some of the stories in this month’s “Ask a Volunteer” to begin a discussion about the lives of children around the world. Recommend summer reading that provides an international perspective, including Peace Corps Volunteers’ cross-cultural stories. Encourage students to become involved with a global issue—the environment, education, health, water scarcity, human rights—by volunteering or educating themselves and others. Invite students who travel abroad or host international visitors to share their cross-cultural reflections with you and their peers. Rich summer experiences can help students return to school energized and excited for new learning.

Coverdell World Wise Schools congratulates you on a successful school year and wishes you a safe and relaxing summer! As you start planning for the new year, check back in with us for exciting new resources, including an adaptation of Building Bridges for young children, an updated service learning module, and new web-based global issues investigations. We encourage you to share your ideas for new resources, or feedback on our existing resources, by writing to wwsinfo@peacecorps.gov.

Q: Students in the U.S. are looking forward to summer vacation.

When do students in your country of service have an extended school vacation?

What are some typical vacation activities?

A: The children of Bulgaria enjoy a summer break spanning from June 15 to September 15. During the three-month “po-chief-ka,” children do all the things urban dwellers do in America, only a little different. ... more

Stephanie Dunnam, Elementary Education Peace Corps Volunteer, Bulgaria

First Lady Michelle Obama highlighted the importance of service and global engagement in her commencement address at George Washington University, where students met her challenge of completing over 100,000 hours of community service.

Peace Corps Volunteer with students in Peru

Global Issues: Working with Communities

Explore Peace Corps projects around the world and inspire students to find their own community project this summer: working in a community garden, developing a recycling program, or fundraising for a cause they believe in.

Cuisine from Around
the World

Travel around the world without leaving home by preparing international foods with recipes contributed by Peace Corps Volunteers and overseas staff.

Language Lessons

Help students maintain their language skills over the summer! Students can practice with the Language Lessons, and read and listen to stories in French, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, or Portuguese.

Peace Corps Volunteer with host family in Cambodia.

Not enrolled in Correspondence Match yet? Now is the best time to sign up for the program for the upcoming school year and avoid the fall rush.

For those already matched with a Peace Corps Volunteer, remember that your matches are designed to last the Volunteer’s entire service, usually two years. Please stay in touch with your Volunteer over the summer break, both to keep your correspondence active, and to make plans for the new school year’s correspondence.

If you know that your Volunteer is ending Peace Corps service over the summer and would like a new Volunteer, please let us know by sending an email. This will allow us to place your name on the teacher waiting list as soon as possible.

Playing Together with Kids in Lesotho Featuring pictures and stories of children playing, this new e-book by Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Madeline Uraneck is a fantastic resource for young readers to see how children are similar around the world.
Folk Tales From Guatemala to Togo to Russia to Vanuatu, folk tales from around the world will capture students’ imagination. Students can also enhance their language skills using the French or Spanish translations.
Peace Corps Stories Voices from the Field is a collection of Peace Corps Volunteers’ stories offering older readers an opportunity to broaden their perspectives on the world and themselves. Uncommon Journeys also includes Volunteers’ essays with insights about their cross-cultural experiences.