1. U.S. PEACE CORPS RWANDA
PO Box 5657,Parcelle No.5186, Nyarutarama,Kigali,Rwanda
T elephone: 0252599-600; Fax: 0252 580 394
DESCRIPTION OF PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER SERVICE
Name: Shawn Grund Assignment: RWANDA
After a competitive applicationprocess stressingthe applicant’s skills, adaptability and willingness to
immerse himself in another culture, language, cross-cultural sensitivity, and the desire to serve in
underprivileged communities, Shawn Grund began his Peace Corps training on October 18, 2010 in
Philadelphia, PA. Grund then completed a 12-weektraining program in the center-basedtraining site
of Nyanza. During this time, Mr. Grund met each day with his fellowtrainees to participate in formal
training sessions and informal activities conducted in the local community. As part of the training,
Shawn met regularly with a ‘host family’, designed to give him first-hand experience with Rwandan
culture and family life and to immerse him among speakers of the Rwandan language, Kinyarwanda.
During the training period, the following was accomplished:
Technical Training: (105 hours) In preparation for his primary assignment of teaching Mathematics
and Information and Communication Technology (ICT), the technical training program included
pedagogical instruction addressing teaching methodology, learning styles, ability levels, the recent
switch from French to English as the medium of instructioninRwanda, and other challenges specific
to teaching in Rwanda.
Cross-Cultural Training: (20 hours) Study of Rwandan values and traditions with an emphasis on
Rwandan historyas well as social and cultural norms inRwanda and the perceptionof foreignersinthe
country.
Language Training: (100 hours) Intensive training and language application activities in written and
spoken Kinyarwanda. Shawn achieved a proficiencylevel of Intermediate-Mid by the end of training.
Development Theory Training: (14 hours) Dedicated to teaching the Peace Corps approach to
development and what is meant by ‘sustainable development.’ Classroom time was reinforced with
field activities that included a needs assessment survey for the local community.
Safety and Security: (10 hours) Health care in Rwanda, first aid, Volunteer safety and security,
preventative medicine, and nutrition.
On January 3rd, 2011, Shawn Grund swore in as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kigali, Rwanda. Mr.
Grund’s primary assignment was to work as a secondary school Mathematics and ICT teacher at
Groupe Scolaire Saint Jean Baptiste (later TTC St Jean Baptiste) in the rural community of Cyahinda
in Nyaruguru District of the Southern Province of Rwanda.

2. Primary Assignment:
As a Mathematics and ICT Volunteer, Shawn’s accomplishments included:
 Teaching Mathematics to students in Senior 2 (equivalent to 8th grade). Mr. Grund taught 6 hours
per week for one year (total of 216 hours of classroom instruction) to a class of 47 students.
 Teaching Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to students in Senior 4, Senior 5, and
Senior 6 (equivalent to US high school Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors). Mr. Grund taught 8
hours per week for two years (total of 504 hours of classroom instruction). Classroom sizes ranged
from 55-70 students and included 243 students.
 Accumulated 179+ hours of capacity building with his fellowteachers as TTC st Jean Baptiste
in the following areas
o English language use in classrooms (47 hours)
o Science-based methodology for classroom instruction (36 hours)
o Basic ICT skills (96 hours)
Secondary Projects/Activities:
In addition to his Primary Assignment, Shawn also accomplished the following:
 CreatedProjectiSABRE(ICT: Supplementing and Building ResourcesforEducators),designed
increase the ICT capacity of Rwandan secondary school teachers through community-level
trainings and supplemental resources.
 Authored, edited, and distributed a 150-page ICT technical training manual through project
iSABRE designed to supplement the Ministry of Education’s curriculaand provide all of the
information an ICT teacher in Rwanda would need to have in order to effectively teach the
subject.
 Built a media laboratoryfrom the ground up, which required repairing broken computers, part
and equipment requisition and acquisition, grant coordination, and general maintenance. The
Media Lab now includes 22 working desktop computers, 2 laptops, an LCD projector, a
typewriter, 2 televisions, 2 musical keyboards, 3 radios, a sound board, and 2 microphones.
 Oversaw the training of an ICT counterpart to ensure the survival, maintenance, and
sustainability of the Media Lab.
 Worked with 160 Senior 5 students (11th grade) to learn how to create email addresses and
understand how to use email over the course of 3 days in a village with limited power and
Internet access.
 Workedas a Volunteer Facilitator at Camp BE (Boys Excelling) NYARUGURU 2011, aboy’s
camp designed to assist young boys (age 12-17) inbecominggender equalityallies. In addition
to leading a small group of 12 boys, he also taught a session on Leadership Skills.
 Workedas the Scheduling and ProgrammingCoordinator for Camp BE RUHANGO 2012 and
was responsibleforsettingthe schedule for the campas well as the Trainingof Trainers, finding
other Peace Corps Volunteers to facilitate small and large group activities and classroom-style
lessons, creating lesson plans, designing afternoon and special activities, and overseeing the
camp as an Administrator.
 Attending training for, and participated in, the pre-service training of 36 new education
Volunteers. At the training, Shawn was responsible for planning and implementing sessions as
well as observing Volunteers while they underwent a ‘model school’ practicum and provided
feedback on their teaching style and technique.

3.  Served as a liaison between Peace Corps and the volunteer community during the
implementation of the Volunteer reporting form, including providing technical support to
Volunteers, assisting with creating and implementing training sessions, and conducting a
country-wide survey to determine how to improve reporting methods.
 Elected to represent his fellow Volunteers on the Volunteer Advisory Committee, as well as
being electedas the Committee’s Secretary. He served on the Committee in both roles for 14
months.
Volunteer Leader Service
In November of2012,Shawn Grund extendedhisservicefora periodof13monthsand becamea Peace
Corps Volunteer Leader based in Kigali, Rwanda, working in the areas of Volunteer Support and
Technology Integration
During Shawn’s service as a Volunteer Leader, he actedas the TechnologyIntegrationCoordinator for
Peace Corps Rwanda and fulfilled the following duties:
 Engaged Volunteers indiscussingany needs, concerns, or ideas about their service and
facilitate the continuationof these discussions withappropriate Staff members
 Assistedwith development and implementationof trainingevents and conferences.
 Designand implement strategiesand processes to helpintegrate the use of technologies into
Volunteer projects
 Providedadditional support and feedbackto Staff Volunteer Liaison.
 Createdand Implementedthe Electronic Resource Libraryof resourcescommonlyusedby
Volunteers and increasedthe capacityof the IntegratedResource Center (IRC)
 Encouraged Volunteers to work, communicate, and share with Post as a whole
 ParticipatedinVolunteer installations and site visits with Staff members
 Provide consul at Management Team meetings when needed
 Coordinatedand implement logistics for arrival of new Volunteers, including creatinga
welcome packet, pick-ups at the airport, facilitatingneeds during Pre-Service Training, and
assistingwith sessiononculture, safety/security, and programming.
In addition, Shawn also servedas the Volunteerism Coordinator for kLab Rwanda, a local
organization dedicatedto promoting, facilitating, and supporting the development of innovative ICT
solutions and their developers, and fulfilledthe followingduties:
 Conceived, planned, and implementedRwanda’s first ever Girl’s in ICT camp (Camp
TechKobwa), designed to improve the computer literacyof 50 rural girls, empower them as
technologyleaders, and support them in sharing their new knowledge
 ConnectedkLab Tenants and Mentors to volunteer opportunitiesbothin rural Rwanda and in
Kigali City
 Helpedfoster anenvironment of volunteerism and giving back among the kLab community
Shawn Grund’s service with Peace Corps in Rwanda ended on December 31st, 2013.

4. Pursuant to section5(f) of the PeaceCorps Act 22 U.S.C 2504 (f)as amended, anyformer volunteer
employed by the United States Government following his Peace Corps Volunteer service is entitled
to have any period of satisfactoryPeace CorpsVolunteer service creditedfor purposesof retirement,
seniority, reduction in force, leave and other privileges based on length of federal government
service. Peace Corps service shall not be credited toward completion of the probationary or trial
period or completion of any service requirement for career appointment.
This is to certifyin accordance withExecutive Order 11103 of April 10, 1963 that Shawn Grund
served successfullyas a Peace Corps Volunteer. His service ended on December 31st, 2013. He is
therefore eligible tobe appointedas a career-conditionalemployeeinthe competitive civil service on
a non-competitive basis. This benefit under the Executive Order extends for a period of one year
after the terminationof Volunteer service, except that the employing agencymay 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 that period.
Date: Steve Miller
Country Director
Peace Corps Rwanda