P EACE C ORPS INDONESIA

P ARTNERS UPDATE
V OLUME 1, I SSUE 1 A UGUST , 2010

Peace Corps Indonesia Report January to June 2010

BACKGROUND

M ISSION

On December 11, 2009, the Governments of Indonesia and the United States signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishing a Peace Corps program in Indonesia. Deputy Minister Bambang Sutedjo of the National Development Planning Agency (BAPPENAS) and Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs William J. Burns were signatories on behalf of Indonesia and the United States, respectively. The intent of the MoU was to deepen the level of technical cooperation, particularly at the grassroots level, and the cultural understanding between the two nations. An independent agency of the U.S. Government, Peace Corps is a people-to-people organization which brings American men and women as Volunteers to host countries to work in areas such as education, public health, youth

development, environment, agriculture, and small enterprise development. Its Volunteers serve for two years and work in partnership with host organizations at the community level. The MoU formally established BAPPENAS as the Indonesian party responsible for oversight of the Peace Corps program in Indonesia. Representatives of BAP-

PENAS, other relevant Ministriesparticularly, the Ministry of Education (Kemendiknas) and the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) and Peace Corps make up a Joint Steering Committee to discuss and agree upon the nature and scope of Peace Corps activities in Indonesia, particularly important during the first year of operations.

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps to promote world peace and friendship. Peace Corps is an independent U.S. government agency that provides Volunteers for countries requesting assistance around the world. Since 1961, nearly 200,000 Volunteers have served in 139 countries. The Peace Corps mission has three simple goals: Helping people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women. Helping promote a better understanding of the American people on the part of the peoples served. Helping to promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

C URRENT O PERATIONS

Following the signing of the MoU, it was agreed that Peace Corps Indonesia would begin in the area of English teaching and place its first group in the province of East Java. Peace Corps officially assigned a representative and other staff to Indonesia in January 2010 and they set up an office in Surabaya, the capital of East Java. Peace Corps staff members met

with provincial representatives of the Ministries of Education and Religion to discuss potential placements. Based upon lists of schools provided by these representatives and often accompanied by them, Peace Corps met with school principals and other staff to discuss potential placements. During the same period, Peace Corps Washington recruited a first

group of Peace Corps Volunteers for the Indonesian Program. The group arrived in Indonesia on March 18, 2010 and participated in a nearly twelve week pre-service training which ended on June 3, 2010. Deputy Minister of BAPPENAS, Bambang Sutedjo, participated in the closing ceremony and welcomed the Volunteers to service. U.S. Ambassador Cameron Hume, a former Peace Corps

Volunteer, spoke at the ceremony. The current group of 18 Peace Corps Volunteer have now been placed at senior high schools throughout East Java to support Indonesian teachers in implementing effective teaching practices intended to lead to improved student performance. They will also support school and community members through workshops and extra curricular activities within their schools and communities.

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PRE SERVICE TRAINING FOR VOLUNTEERS

P ARTNERS

UPDATE

Upon arrival in Indonesia, all Trainees undertake an intensive Pre Service Training (PST) program. The PST currently takes place in small villages around Malang and Batu, through a collaboration with University of Muhammadiyah Malang. Upon the successful completion of PST, Trainees became Peace Corps Volunteers. The purpose of the PST is to prepare Trainees to thrive as self-reliant Volunteers during Peace Corps service. PST provides an instructional and experiential forum to prepare Volunteers to begin their work professionally, communicate effectively, adjust culturally, and to access resources. It prepares Trainees to work as partners with their schools and communities in reaching their goals. Throughout the training, Trainees are challenged to demonstrate to Peace Corps their desire and ability to live and work in Indonesia as effective and resourceful Peace Corps Volunteers, as professional development workers, and as individuals with enthusiasm for cultural exchange. Peace Corps training methodology is based on the experiential learning model. The experiential approach is learner-centered and allows Trainees to take responsibility for their learning alongside their facilitators. This approach builds on the current knowledge and skills of the Volunteers. The program consists of five major training components:

The Community Project Component prepares Trainees to be catalysts for community development in their host communities. During the training program, Trainees work hand in hand with community leaders and members to design and implement projects which are based on community needs and implemented by the community members with the help of Trainees. (This year Trainees participated in community clean-ups, an International Day celebration, a mural project, and providing English lessons to a local government group.) In the Safety and Security Component, and throughout all aspects of training, Volunteers learn how to adopt lifestyles and exercise judgment that promote safety and reduce risk in their homes, at work, and during their travels. The Health Component prepares Trainees to independently maintain their physical and mental well-being, with the support of Peace Corps medical staff, during their two years of Peace Corps service. For every Trainee, the training program sets pre-established qualification criteria which must be met in order to be sworn in as a Peace Corps Volunteer by the end of training. Staff continually monitors Volunteers progress throughout the nearly 12-week period. Volunteers are assessed in the following categories: ability to use Bahasa Indonesia, integration into the local community, cross-cultural adaptation, personal safety, health knowledge, and technical knowledge and skills.

The intensive Language Course prepares Trainees to communicate in Bahasa Indonesia in specific work related and everyday situations. Six days a week, Trainees attend 4-hours language classes in small groups. Language training continues throughout service; Peace Corps also provides support for language tutors after Trainees have sworn in as Volunteers and moved to their permanent assignments. The Technical Component prepares them to work within the Indonesian school system, to become effective teachers at their host schools, and to continue their learning throughout their service. This component consists of both technical courses and a practicum held at high schools in Malang and Batu. During the practicum, Trainees work with Indonesian teachers, observing, planning and co-teaching lessons. Peace Corps staff evaluate Trainees throughout this process, observing their lessons and providing feedback to ensure Trainees work well with their Indonesian counterparts and are demonstrating competence in lesson planning and classroom management. An additional element of the technical component is attending a day-long workshop with the principals of their assigned schools. This workshop allows the Volunteer and principal to begin planning for their two-year partnership.

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P AGE 3

A CCOMPLISHMENTS

TO

D ATE

F UTURE P LANS

December 2009: Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Government of Indonesia and the United States, establishing a Peace Corps program in Indonesia. The National Development Planning Agency (BAPPENAS) is established as the Indonesian government responsible for the oversight of Peace Corps Indonesia activities. January 2010: Peace Corps Indonesia begins discussions with the provincial representatives of the Ministries of Education and Religion to identify potential sites. Peace Corps Washington begins inviting prospective Volunteers to serve in Indonesia, beginning March 2010 February 2010: Peace Corps Indonesia begins site development visits to prospective schools March 2010: 20 Peace Corps Trainees arrive in Indonesia and begin Pre-Service Training April 2010: Peace Corps Indonesia staff move into permanent office space in Surabaya. Volunteer sites are proposed by Peace Corps Indonesia and reviewed by the Ministries of Education and Religion, and BAPPENAS June 2010: 200 guests attend Volunteer Ceremony celebration at the University of Muhammadiyah Malang. 19 partner Principals attend three-day training workshop

Peace Corps future in Indonesia will be built on strong partnerships. As outlined in the December 2009 MoU, BAPPENAS will convene a meeting of the Joint Steering Committee to discuss Peace Corps Indonesias activities and plans for 2011. The discussion will address issues such as: Number of Peace Corps Volunteers to be recruited in 2011 Provinces for Peace Corps Volunteers placement in 2011 Nature of Peace Corps activities in 2011 and in the future Feedback to Peace Corps on its first year of operations Peace Corps Indonesia will submit to its headquarters office in Washington, DC its proposed operating plan in August 2010. The plan proposes bringing a second group of English Teaching Volunteers to Indonesia in April 2011 for the start of a pre-service training program. From December 2010 through March 2011, Peace Corps Indonesia staff members will be visiting prospective schools, as recommended by the Ministries of Education and Religion and submitting a placement plan no later than May 2011. The new group of Volunteers would be ready to begin their service in June 2011. The Volunteers currently at their sites are beginning two years of service as English teachers and community members. They will teach 16 to 20 hours a week in the tenth and eleventh grades, collaborate with their teaching colleagues to develop communicative approaches to language teaching, and participate in extracurricular activities based on the needs and interests of the school and community. Volunteers live with Indonesian host families throughout their service, and continue to study Bahasa Indonesia, or other local languages. Volunteers are visited by Peace Corps staff members on a regular basis, and are asked to submit reports on their successes and challenges three times a year. Summaries of those reports will be provided through this Partners Update. Partners are likewise encouraged to visit the Volunteers. Peace Corps Indonesia provides at least three training events to Volunteers over the course of their service: an In Service Training (October, year one), a Mid-Service Training (July, end of year one) and Close-of-Service Workshop (March, year two). To the fullest extent possible, Peace Corps Indonesia will invite teaching counterparts to these events.

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INDONESIA

With Thanks to Our Partners and U.S. Government Colleagues

Badan Perencanaan dan Pembangunan Nasional The National Development Planning Agency (BAPPENAS)
Phone: +62 31 561 5808 Fax: +62 31 561 5837 Contact Persons: Ken Puvak, Country Director kpuvak@id.peacecorps.gov M. Miftahudin, TEFL Program Manager mmiftahudin@id.peacecorps.gov

Kementrian Agama The Ministry of Religion (Kemenag)

Kementrian Pendidikan Nasional The Ministry of Education (Kemendiknas)

USAID W WW. P EACECORP S . GOV The United States Agency for International Development The regencies and municipalities, schools, Madrasahs and host families throughout East Java which have warmly welcomed our Volunteers.

THE PEACE CORPS SINCE 1961

PEACECORPS PROJECT CRITERIA

As Peace Corps Indonesia develops its programs, we continue to reach out to local, provincial, and national partners. Peace Corps Indonesias TEFL program, and any additional programs, will be designed to meet the following criteria, established by Peace Corps for use by all its programs worldwide. A strong Peace Corps project... Increases local capacity in a demonstrable way. Strives to address expressed priorities of those who have limited access to resources and opportunities. Seeks sustainable results that complement other development efforts. Has local participants as partners in designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating the project. Addresses Peace Corps initiatives and cross-cutting themes as appropriate, including analyzing gender relationships and promoting womens participation to increase their status and opportunities. Places Volunteers where they engage with those they serve and their skills match locally identified needs. Does not displace qualified and available workers with Volunteers. Uses the types and numbers of Volunteers that are consistent with available applicants. Has local Peace Corps staff and resources to train and support Volunteers to complete their assignments successfully. Has host government agencies, civil society organizations, and communities as partners who can support the project and the Volunteers. Is continuously evolving.