Kendra O'Connor served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala from 2013 to 2015. She completed extensive training in Spanish, Mayan languages, health and development. As a health educator, she taught hygiene and life skills to over 500 students and trained 22 students as peer health promoters. She collaborated with local organizations to host health fairs and strengthen schools' health programs. O'Connor also managed HIV education projects, reaching over 1,500 youth, and strengthened healthcare networks. Her service helped improve health, sanitation and education in rural Guatemalan communities.

1. DESCRIPTION OF PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER SERVICE
Kendra O’Connor GUATEMALA
Kendra O’Connor began Peace Corps training on February 13​th​
, 2013 at the Peace Corps Training
Center in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas, Sacatepéquez, Guatemala, and completed the 12­week intensive
program. The program included:
● 188 hours of intensive Spanish language instruction, and 28 hours of Mayan language instruction
in K’iche.
● 288 hours of technical training in rural community health and development, school sanitation,
food security best practices, peer education strategies with very young adolescents, leadership and
engagement of local actors, small project design and management, monitoring and evaluation, and
participatory diagnostic strategies. Approximately one half of this technical training was practical
field experience.
● 56 hours of core training in cross­cultural values.
● 48 hours of medical and safety and security training.
● 8.5 hours of cross­sector priority programming trainings in HIV and gender equality topics.
Ms. O’Connor took the Oath of Enlistment in the Peace Corps on April 19​th​
, 2013. She worked in
collaboration with the Ministry of Education during his service in Guatemala. She served as a Health
Educator and Community Development Leader assigned to the Healthy Schools Project, which was
created to improve health and sanitation conditions in rural communities. She worked with 21 primary
schools within the municipalities of Olintepeque and San Francisco La Union. Of the 21, the principal
schools she collaborated with were Escuela Oficial Urbana Mixta Fidel Esteban Rodas, Escuela Oficial
Rural Mixta Cantón La Libertad, Escuela Oficial Urbana Mixta Pie del Cerro, Escuela Oficial Rural
Mixta La Cumbre, Escuela Oficial Urbana Mixta Párvulos del Centro, and Escuela Oficial para
Párvulos y Preprimaria Bilingüe Justo Rufino Barrios.
Health Educator
● Taught basic hygiene, trash management, environmental education, HIV prevention, and personal
life skills to 524 students.
● Trained and certified 22 students as Peer Health Promoters, responsible for educating fellow
students in various hygiene and environmental health topics.
● Designed and facilitated 5 formal training workshops for teachers to improve incorporation of the
Healthy Schools program goals, lesson planning and presentation of health subjects, project
design and management, and inter­institutional cooperation.
● Coordinated with local actors to hold a health corner design and implementation contest. In
preparation for the contest, over half of the schools evaluated established at least one source of
potable water for students’ use.
● Collaborated with local actors in health and education to host the first annual municipal nutrition
fair, inviting winners from the health nook contest to recreate their corners for display during the
fair. Over 100 community members attended the event and participated in nutrition and hygiene
games and demonstrations.
● Supported fellow volunteers in four different leadership camps for primary and secondary school
students during school vacations.
● Conducted all classes, teacher training and meetings in Spanish.

2. Project Management
● Trained over 200 educators in alternative education techniques and gender­equitable practices. Of
those 200, over half of the teachers submitted lesson plans for the creation of two health lessons
manuals.
● Solicited and administered over $150 of funds for the production of a locally developed health
curriculum for primary schools.
● Consulted and collaborated with School Directors to develop long range plans for improvement.
Secondary Projects
● Acted as Coordinator and regional representative for the Peace Corps Guatemala HIV Committee
from November 2013 to March 2015.
● Co­facilitated trainings in HIV awareness and prevention for over 1,500 middle school students in
Olintepeque and two other municipalities.
● Co­facilitated an HIV and stigma and discrimination workshop for over 100 nursing school
students.
● Designed and managed a two­day mental health and team strengthening workshop for 30 HIV
health care providers from the departments of Quetzaltenango and San Marcos. Over $1,750 in
funds was solicited and managed for the event, which took place in Panajachel, Sololá.
● Participated in the departmental network of HIV and LGBT organizations and supported them in
various activities and events, including the Xela Pride Parade.
● Volunteered to provide training to other Peace Corps Volunteers and host­country­national work
partners in various topics, including HIV, stigma and discrimination, working with and developing
parent­teacher organizations, and lesson planning.
● Collaborated with other volunteers in the design and implementation of the first annual Youth
Forum for Very Young Adolescents.
Pursuant to section 5 (f) of the Peace Corps Act 22 USC, Section 2504, as amended, any former
Volunteer employed by the United States Government following his/her Peace Corps service, is 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 1103 of April 10, 1963 that Kendra O’Connor
served satisfactorily as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Her service ended on April 1st, 2015. She is therefore
eligible to be appointed as a career­conditional employee in the competitive civil service on a
non­competitive basis. This benefit under the Executive Order extends for a period of one year after
termination of service, except that the employing agency may extend for a period 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 which, in the view of the appointing agency, warrants extension
of the period.
George Like, Director
Peace Corps/Guatemala
March, 2015