1. DESCRIPTION OF PEACE CORPS SERVICE
PCV FRANK JAVIER ALARCON
TORERAS & CITALÁ, EL SALVADOR
Frank Javier Alarcon arrived in El Salvador in July 2013 to serve as a Community Organization and Economic
Development Volunteer. He received eight weeks of pre-service training from July to October 2013 and two
additional weeks of training in November and December 2013 at the Peace Corps training facility in Nuevo
Cuscatlán, El Salvador. Pre-service training consisted oflanguage, cultural and technical instruction. Language
training included written exercises, grammar lessons,and conversations with an emphasis on learning Salvadoran
culture while cultivating language skills. Technical training emphasized small business development and the study
of community-based organizations in El Salvador and the resources (such as NGOs and government assistance)rural
communities can access to achieve their development goals. After successfully completing the training
requirements, Frank swore in as a Peace Corps Volunteer on October 3, 2013. Frank served in Toreras (La Unión
department) for the first ten months of his Peace Corps service and Citalá (Chalatenango department) for the
remaining thirteen.
School Book Collection
Frank acquired children’s book donations through the U.S. Embassy and purchased additional volumes with funding
from USAID’s Small Project Assistance program. The books were used to establish a book collection at the primary
schoolin Toreras to encourage children to read and teachers to utilize books as teaching tools. Frank created a small
book club composed of fourth, fifth and sixth grade students to gatherto read books and learn the value of reading.
Parental Advocacy
Frank helped organize parents of school-aged children to register a formal complaint with El Salvador’s human
rights watchdog in response to chronic teacher truancy at the primary schoolin Toreras. This involved persuading
the parents that there was a problem and that their advocacy could address it.
Community Organization Advising
Frank supported development-oriented community organizations throughout his service in both of his host
communities. He successfully persuaded a group in Toreras to eliminate a monthly membership fee that was
suppressing community engagement and damaging the organization’s credibility. He helped guide an organization
in Citalá toward gaining formal recognition from local authorities despite political tensions between the community
and the mayor.
Youth Entrepreneurship and Professionalism Training
Frank gave a weekly class on entrepreneurship and professionalismto high schoolstudents in Citalá. The purpose of
the class was to prepare students fortheir careers after high schooland encourage them to consider starting their
own businesses,as few formal jobs exist in the Citalá area. As part of the class,Frank facilitated trainings on job
interviewing and resume preparation and taught entrepreneurial skills including business plan development, market
research, leadership and data analysis. Frank also organized a schooltrip to a technical university in the capital for
students to learn about different careers and courses ofstudy.
Health Promotion
Alongside a Citalá-based government health promoter, Frank trained over 100 teens in HIV/AIDS prevention and
proper contraceptive use. Frank also led a series of nutrition workshops in the Citalá primary school,teaching over
100 students about the health risks associated with excess consumption of sugary beverages and otherprocessed
foods high in sugar.

2. Language Training and Support
Frank gave a weekly English class to twenty high schoolstudents at the Adventist College of Citalá, and also taught
elementary English to four public primary schoolteachers. Furthermore, Frank served as a translator for a group of
American dental professionals who came to Citalá to offer free dental procedures.
Business Formation
Frank acquired a $500 incubator grant from World Connect to help a group of entrepreneurs in Citalá launch a
gourmet café. He provided this group with ongoing advisory support on marketing, pricing, and business operations.
The café opened in August 2015 and immediately enjoyed robust sales.
Youth Development
Frank co-facilitated various workshops for youth on the subject of gender equality, both independently and as a
member of Peace Corps El Salvador's Women and Youth in Development/Gender and Development (WYD/GAD)
Committee. He also offered a weekly after-school drama class in Citalá to middle schoolstudents,in which he
emphasized kinetic learning and self expression with over 20 students.Additionally, Frank supported a robotics
education initiative at the primary schoolin Citalá by obtaining a $500 USAID Small Project Assistance grant with
which he acquired robotics kits to complement the school's existing materials.
Frank completed his Peace Corps service on September 11, 2015.
Pursuant to Section 5(f) of the Peace Corps Act, 22 USC 2504(f), as amended, any former Volunteer
employed by the United States Government following her/his 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
towards 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 PCV Frank Javier Alarcon
served successfullyas a Peace Corps Volunteer. His service ended on September 11, 2015. 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 Volunteer
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.
________________________________ ________________________________
Paul Bryan Butki Clelia de Saleh
Country Director Community Organization and Economic
Peace Corps El Salvador Development Project Manager
Peace Corps El Salvador