Youth Development Facilitator at Peace Corps in Ecuador, Ecuador

Are you motivated to join a team that is committed to supporting youth? Ecuador has an opportunity for you!

In Ecuador, more than one-third of the population is under the age of 18—an extraordinary source of creativity and potential. At the same time, many young people and their families face social and economic challenges that limit their access to opportunities for growth, leadership, and well-being. Poverty, migration, family separation, school disengagement, and limited access to supportive services can increase vulnerability, particularly in rural and underserved communities. Ecuador’s National Development Plan (2025–2029) prioritizes strengthening community-based systems that support young people and families.

As a Youth Development Facilitator, you will collaborate with organizations, schools, families, and young people to strengthen local capacity and expand opportunities for youth engagement and leadership development. You may support initiatives that foster life skills, civic participation, employability, and/or family engagement. Together you will create spaces where youth can learn, lead, and grow. In your supportive role, you will help communities develop stronger support systems for young people (11–24 years old), allowing the next generation to become confident, engaged, and resilient leaders of positive change.

SPECIAL NOTICE ABOUT CITIZENSHIP: Candidates who are dual citizens of Ecuador and the U.S. are not eligible to serve with Peace Corps Ecuador. Volunteer safety is of paramount importance, and the protections of U.S. citizenship promote Volunteer safety. If anyone holding dual U.S. and Ecuadorian citizenship were to face a legal, safety, or other emergency situation in Ecuador, the Peace Corps' ability to intervene would be limited. If you hold citizenship with both the U.S. and Ecuador, we encourage you to look at other opportunities with Peace Corps.

Required Skills

Associate degree in any field and at least two years of full-time, post-high school work experience (from any combination of roles). OR Bachelor's degree in any field. OR High school diploma or GED and four years of full-time, post-high school work (from any combination of roles).

Living Conditions

Volunteers will reside in the highlands and the Amazon regions of the country and live with a host family during training and for at least the first three months of service. Volunteers are encouraged to live with a host family throughout their entire service as this is the norm for most adults, including college-educated professionals who generally live with their parents until they get married and start a family of their own.

Activities

Train youth in core life skills, including self-esteem, goal setting, decision-making, communication, leadership, and prevention of alcohol and substance abuse.

Engage youth in clubs, camps, sports, arts, and recreational activities that promote positive behaviors.

Design and facilitate workshops for community stakeholders on positive youth development, facilitation skills, volunteerism, service-learning, advocacy, community assessment, and project management.

Strengthen organizational capacity and community development initiatives.

Support the implementation of community-led activities and youth-focused projects.

Train youth in employability and vocational skills to enhance workforce readiness.

Tutor through after-school and literacy programs to improve reading comprehension and academic performance.

Facilitate sessions with families and community members on parenting skills and positive youth development practices.

You may also work on additional projects that meet the community’s interests and priorities, such as an English language club or environmental clubs.

Training

As a Youth Development Facilitator, you will be trained in working with vulnerable youth to support their transition into healthy, productive, civically engaged adults. Peace Corps/Ecuador will teach you Spanish to help you comfortably live in and connect with the community. You will also receive language resources and learn possible secondary languages depending on your assignment site.

After 9 weeks of training, you will move to a rural, a semi-urban, and/or urban community where you will collaborate with a government, a non-governmental organization, youth centers and/or municipality. You will work with the community to assess the local needs and develop solutions based on supporting local partners assisting vulnerable youth and families in underserved communities with sustainable interventions.

Job Highlights

Gain practical expertise in positive youth development by applying community-based strategies and tools that are transferable to any career. Strengthen your Spanish language through immersive instruction from skilled Language and Cross-Culture Facilitators. Immerse yourself in the rich Ecuadorian culture and enjoy living in the Ecuadorian mountains or its Amazon region.

Couple Sector Combinations

Each person must apply separately and qualify for a position in a different sector than their partner.

Couple Training Conditions

Cross-sector couples will live with different host families who may reside in different communities during training. Cross-sector couples may see each other for joint-sector training days or on the weekends but neither are guaranteed.

Couple Living Conditions

Cohabitating couples are highly encouraged to present themselves as married throughout service due to cultural expectations.