Dear Friends and Family,
As my days come to a close here in Ukraine, I would like to share with you one of the requirements I have fulfilled in closing my service - the writing of my description of service. Below you will find the very long document detailing all that I have done during my 2 year service in Velyka Lepetykha and throughout the Peace Corps community! It is quite impressive to see my accomplishments in writing and I wanted to share them with you all back home!
I will be sure to post one final update on my last projects and experiences at site in the coming week.
Happy November,
Megan
Description of Peace Corps Service
Megan Elizabeth Trout
Ukraine 2009 – 2011
After a competitive application process emphasizing professional skills, motivation, adaptability, cross-cultural understanding and medical fitness, Peace Corps invited Ms. Megan Trout into service as a Teacher of English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) in Ukraine.
Pre-Service Training
On September 27th, 2009, Ms. Trout joined the 37th group of Peace Corps Volunteers to serve in Ukraine. She entered an intensive 11.5 week community-based training program. The training program included 200 hours of Russian language training, 90 hours of technical instruction in TEFL methodologies, including six weeks of classroom teaching practice, and 40 hours of cross-cultural studies, including history, economy, and cultural norms. To reinforce language and cross-cultural learning, Ms. Trout lived with a Ukrainian family in the town of Boguslav, Kyiv Region, throughout training.
In preparation for her Peace Corps service, Ms. Trout taught at Boguslav Secondary School #1. While at the school, Ms. Trout taught English to the 4th, 6th and 8th grade students and began implementing the various methodologies that she was studying during the pre-service training. In coordination with four other trainees living in Boguslav, Ms. Trout organized a two-fold community project. Firstly, Ms. Trout developed a country studies map of the United States. The map highlighted American holidays and traditions and included a passage on each trainee, including: information on their state, family, education, hobbies and interests. Secondly, Ms. Trout developed a manual of classic American children’s songs and lyrics with accompanying lesson plans. Ms. Trout presented the materials to the English Department of Boguslav Secondary School #1, as well as the English Department of the Boguslav Technical School, in a seminar demonstrating ways in which the manual may be adapted to the English classroom.
Peace Corps Assignment
U.S. Ambassador John F. Tefft swore in Ms. Trout as a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) on December 17th, 2009 in Kyiv, Ukraine. As a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine, Ms. Trout’s program fell under the supervising authority of the Ministry of Education of Ukraine.
Ms. Trout was assigned to Velyka Lepetykha, a town of 9,000 Ukrainian and Russian speakers in the Kherson Region of Ukraine. She worked as a teacher of English at Velyka Lepetykha Secondary School #1, which has a student body of approximately 550 students and a teaching staff of 48 teachers. Ms. Trout was one of four English teachers at the school. She was overseen by the school’s director, Tamara Vasilevna Kybatko, and was directly supervised by her counterpart, Antonina Victorivna Kryvoviaz. Ms. Trout also worked closely with the two English teachers: Liudmyla Vitaliivna Hunko and Olena Yuriivna Kramska.
Primary Assignment
Velyka Lepetykha Community
Ms. Trout began teaching classes in December 2009. She worked primarily with students in the 5th through 11th grades, teaching the communicative method for 18 hours per week for two years (note: school years in Ukraine begin September 1st and end May 27th.) Ms. Trout taught the 5th, 6th and 7th grade students three times a week, while the 8th grade students met twice a week and the 9th and 11th graders met three times a week. In the 2010-2011 school year, Ms. Trout taught the 10th grade students four times a week.
In her first year, Ms. Trout developed a series of extracurricular English Clubs for her 7th and 9th grade students. Through these clubs, students had a weekly opportunity to speak English, play games in English, learn about American culture and traditions and watch English-language movies.
Ms. Trout increased the English language resources at her school with the help of Darien Book Aid. These new resources included elementary school level English language children’s books and poetry. Following the arrival of the books, Ms. Trout visited the 2nd grade classroom weekly to read to the students using the American children’s books.
Within the community, Ms. Trout lead an adult English Club which offered members of the community the opportunity each week to develop English communicative skills, practice English grammar and learn about American culture and traditions. Over Ms. Trout’s two years in Velyka Lepetykha, three members of the community were diligent in their attendance with another three members attending occasionally.
Throughout her service, Ms. Trout participated in the Coverdell World Wise Schools Program by becoming pen pals and corresponding with a 5th grade class at an elementary school in Faribault, Minnesota.
In March 2010, Ms. Trout attended the Peace Corps Ukraine 12th PEPFAR (Presidential Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) sponsored training on preventing new HIV infections and risky behavior. Ms. Trout attended the conference with Velyka Lepetykha Secondary School #1 Biology teacher and project counterpart, Tatiana Vladimirovna Pletyonnaya. Following the training, Ms. Trout and Ms. Pletyonnaya prepared a number of HIV/AIDS educational activities beginning with World AIDS Day 2010. On December 1st, students wore red in honor of those living with HIV/AIDS and in memorial of those who have died of the disease. Ms. Trout photographed the 54 students of the 1st – 11th grades, wearing red. The photograph was featured in the HIV/AIDS Working Group March 2011 newsletter, “The Cure.”
In the fall of 2010, Ms. Trout and Ms. Pletyonnaya successfully obtained a VAST/PEPFAR grant, in the amount of $983, to sponsor the project “HIV/AIDS Education for a Healthier Future.” This project developed a groundbreaking partnership between Velyka Lepetykha Social Services Center, Children’s Activities Center, Head County Hospital, Secondary School #1, and Secondary School #2. The project began by hosting four trainings in January and February 2011 to prepare the participants to be HIV/AIDS educators. These sessions trained 18 students of the 10th and 11th grades from Velyka Lepetykha Secondary Schools #1 and #2, as well as student representatives of the Children’s Activities Center, 26 adults from the five participating organizations and 54 health care workers from Velyka Lepetykha County, and the Head County Hospital. The trainings focused on the biology, transmission and prevention of HIV as well as the reduction of stigma and discrimination against those living with HIV/AIDS. Following the trainings, the educated individuals gave lessons in Schools #1 and #2 and the Children’s Activities Center. The lessons taught HIV/AIDS education to the 5th through 11th grade students. Following the lessons, students created posters presenting HIV/AIDS educational materials as well as hopeful messages for a world without HIV/AIDS. These posters were placed on display in the Children’s Activities Center. On March 3rd, 2011, Ms. Trout organized the “Youth Choose Health” concert in partnership with the Velyka Lepetykha Social Services Center. Eight schools in the region presented 10-minute skits on healthy lifestyles and HIV/AIDS education to further spread the word of HIV/AIDS awareness throughout the community. The PEPFAR project culminated in the painting of two World Map HIV/AIDS Murals in Schools #1 and #2. Ms. Trout organized the attendance and collaboration of seven Kherson Region PCVs to help complete the murals. Students, from their respective schools, in grades 7th through 11th, traced and painted the murals. The art directors of Schools #1 and #2 assisted in the organization of students and completion of the maps.
In the fall of 2011, Ms. Trout, in partnership with the Children’s Activities Center, organized a follow up concert to further spread the word of HIV/AIDS education throughout the Velyka Lepetykha County. A brigade of 12 students from the 11th grade of Velyka Lepetykha Secondary School #1 wrote, rehearsed and performed an informational play presenting the dangers of drug use and unsafe sex and their roles in the spread of HIV infection. The brigade traveled to 6 county schools to perform the play and distribute red HIV/AIDS awareness ribbons and HIV/AIDS educational booklets to those in attendance.
Ms. Trout also promoted clean water initiatives in Velyka Lepetykha. She wrote and received a grant, in the amount of $500, from Appropriate Projects, an initiative of Water Charities, to purchase and install a water filter in the cafeteria of School #1. Ms. Trout also purchased a water testing kit and in collaboration with School #1’s nurse, tested the local drinking water. Through the results of this test, Ms. Trout created a clean water initiative, which was promoted throughout the community to educate members on the importance of filtering water before consumption. The water testing results and clean water initiative were further shared with PCVs participating in the Environmental Working Group for distribution and use in additional communities. Ms. Trout repeated the water filter project in collaboration with PCV, Shannon Wentworth of Velyka Lepetykha Secondary School #2, writing and receiving a grant, in the amount of $420, from Appropriate Projects. The second grant purchased a water filter for School #2 to be used in the cafeteria for breakfast and lunch and to create a water fountain for student and teacher use.
Ms. Trout, in partnership with Svetlana Vladimirovna Artux, Home Economics teacher of Velyka Lepetykha Secondary School #1, also wrote and received a USAID funded Civic Small Project Assistance Grant, in the amount of $1505, for the project “Sewing a Stronger Future in Velyka Lepetykha.” The grant funded the purchase of 6 new electronic sewing machines, numerous meters of fabrics for the sewing of clothing items and bedding, a new iron, as well as sewing accessories including needles, threads, buttons and elastics. The project taught over 120 young ladies of the 6th – 9th grades how to sew clothing items such as pants, t-shirts and jackets, as well as the bedding items of sheets, blankets and pillowcases. Along with learning to sew, the young women were also taught women’s empowerment, independence through adopting new skills and the importance of volunteerism. Through partnership with the Velyka Lepetykha Social Services Center, completed sewn items were donated to both the Children’s Department of the Velyka Lepetykha Head County Hospital as well as to the children of women participating in the Social Services Center’s program for young, single mothers.
Ms. Trout, in partnership with the Velyka Lepetykha Center for Youth and Sport, led two Earth Day clean up campaigns. In April 2011 Ms. Trout organized the 10th and 11th grade classes to clean a path from the school grounds to the riverbank park one kilometer away. The clean up promoted awareness of littering among the students. Over 50 burlap sacks of garbage and recyclable materials were collected and properly disposed of through the support of the Center for Youth and Sport and town officials.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Peace Corps, Ms. Trout partnered with Peace Corps Volunteer, Jacob Rodriguez in the Poltava Region of Ukraine to complete a video pen pal project between respective 9th grade classes. Videos with clips of students asking and answering questions were passed between each class. Questions regarded such topics as the unique qualities of one’s region, how to make borsch in one’s region, as well as more important topics, such as the most prevalent problems facing teenagers in their community. The project offered students the opportunity to connect with students of another region and to understand how the social problems facing teenagers can be both similar and varying throughout the country.
Lastly, Ms. Trout invited Platinum Bank to Velyka Lepetykha Secondary School #1 to put on a Posidelki Party, a monetary party in which students learned about money, savings and banks through playing such games as “Monopoly for Children.” In September 2011 Platinum Bank hosted two parties educating the 2nd and 7th grade students on the value of money and personal savings.
The success of Ms. Trout’s efforts and her projects in Velyka Lepetykha was frequently published in the local newspaper. Ten articles were printed describing project efforts, successes and commentary from participating organizations and project counterparts.
In Ms. Trout’s free time, she visited the Velyka Lepetykha Music School twice weekly for bandura lessons. The bandura is a traditional Ukrainian, plucked, stringed, folk instrument. Olga Valentinivna Kononenko taught Ms. Trout how to both play the bandura and how to read Ukrainian sheet music.
During her time in Velyka Lepetykha, Ms. Trout continued her study of the Russian language by working with a Russian tutor. She attended two weeklong Russian Language Refresher seminars hosted by Peace Corps Ukraine. Ms. Trout achieved an Intermediate High score on the Russian language proficiency test given by Peace Corps Ukraine. Her ability to communicate in the local language enabled Ms. Trout to better integrate into her community, gained her the respect of host country nationals, and better facilitated her work in Ukraine, especially in Velyka Lepetykha.
Secondary Assignment
Peace Corps Community
In addition to her activities in Velyka Lepetykha, Ms. Trout was very active within the Peace Corps Volunteer community. From September 2010 – November 2011, Ms. Trout was the acting head of the Kherson Regional Collaborative, which aimed at fostering effective teaching, leadership development, and resource sharing among volunteers. She also acted as the Regional Collaborative Facilitator for Southern Ukraine, managing 5 Collaborative heads in their mission to develop connections among volunteers in their regions.
Ms. Trout was a member of the Environmental Working Group (EWG), serving on the Educational Resources Committee and as acting head of the Water Task Force. In May 2010 Ms. Trout developed an innovative partnership between EWG and the Ukrainian NGO MAMA-86, an organization devoted to developing green policy and practices in Ukraine to improve standards of living for generations to come. While acting as head of the Water Task Force, Ms. Trout was part of a group that wrote a grant to create a nation wide water-testing project. In September 2011, EWG and their Ukrainian project counterpart, MAMA-86, were awarded a $600 grant from the Northern California RPCV Association.
Ms. Trout also served on the Tourism Working Group (TWG), developing guides for volunteers on traveling within and around Ukraine. Ms. Trout developed “Overview of Russian Visas,” a guide for obtaining a tourist visa to Russia for volunteers, which was published in the Spring 2011 TWG Newsletter “Traveler.”
Ms. Trout was an active member of the Safety and Security Council (SSC), acting as Vice President from January 2010 – February 2011, then as President from February 2011 – September 2011. In her tenure with the Council, Ms. Trout developed safety materials devoted to home safety, transportation and traveling safety, as well as personal safety tips for volunteers. Ms. Trout took leadership of the Cell Phone Loaner Program, which offered cell phones to volunteers who find themselves without a phone due to loss, theft or accident. Through Ms. Trout’s efforts, the Cell Phone Loaner Program increased three-fold in donations from exiting PCVs and four-fold in loan requests from current PCVs. As acting President of SSC, Ms. Trout was responsible for scheduling all council meetings and publicity, developing the agenda, and supervising meeting progress.
While serving on the Safety and Security Council, Ms. Trout, in partnership with fellow PCV Nazgol Zand and Serhiy Pashynskyy, the Safety and Security Officer, developed and introduced the Confidential Peer Response Hotline in September 2010. The Confidential Peer Response Hotline (CPR Hotline) encourages the safety and security of PCVs by providing volunteers with a confidential support for reporting any issues, problems, or incidents, and to act as a link between Peace Corps staff and volunteers whenever necessary. Ms. Trout and Ms. Zand organized the gathering of 9 PCVs in Ternopil, Ternopil Region on November 2nd 2010, to participate in the “Active Listening Training” held by PCV Chuck Serface. Following the training, Ms. Trout and Ms. Zand selected 3 PCVs to serve as active PCVs on the CPR Hotline. Ms. Trout was placed in charge of managing the Hotline and its active PCV advisors and to report on its use to the Safety and Security Officers.
In addition to her work with the Peace Corps, Ms. Trout was very active in the summer at Peace Corps Volunteer hosted summer camps. In July 2010 and 2011, Ms. Trout served as a counselor for ABC Camp, which prepared 70 – 80 Ukrainian youth to become future leaders of Ukraine through learning project design and management, leadership, debate, art, and sharing culture while also participating in team building activities and the implementation of social projects. In addition to acting as a team leader, Ms. Trout taught project design and management as well as sharing world cultures. In November 2010, Ms. Trout participated in a Mini ABC Camp held in Kupiansk, Kharkiv Region, led by PCV Tiago Forte. The Mini ABC Camp focused on teaching Human Rights with an emphasis on Human Rights in Ukraine.
In August 2010, Ms. Trout participated in MASCOT Camp, which provided 70 – 80 Ukrainian youth with lessons and opportunities to experience social awareness, cultural exchange and means to express one’s creativity through the visual arts. In addition to serving as a team leader, Ms. Trout taught project design and management, visual arts and an elective focusing on music and the influence of digital technology on musical styles and techniques. Ms. Trout brought three students of the upcoming 11th grade class from Velyka Lepetykha Secondary School #1 to attend MASCOT Camp 2010: Olena Pletyonnaya, Inna Stets and Alina Yevtushenko. Following the camp, Ms. Trout guided the girls in their completion of a “YES” Grant--Youth Engaged in Society--a grant funded by the International Outreach Coalition. With Ms. Trout’s guidance, Olena, Inna and Alina developed the project “Don’t Smoke: You are Your Future,” an anti-smoking campaign focused on presenting the truth about the dangers of smoking. The girls distributed pamphlets on the dangers of smoking to students in the 5th – 11th grades. Additionally, they made a special presentation to their fellow 11th grade classmates on the adverse effects of smoking to one’s health and body. Outside of school, Olena, Inna and Alina distributed pamphlets to members of the community, while discussing with interested individuals additional details regarding smoking’s effect on the body. Through this project the three students learned the skills of grant writing and management, as well as project design and implementation.
In July 2011, Ms. Trout served as a counselor for Camp HEAL in Okhtyrka, Sumi Region. Camp HEAL is the HIV/AIDS Working Group’s annual summer camp that trains 70 - 80 Ukrainian youth on HIV/AIDS, human trafficking, healthy lifestyles and project design and management. In addition to serving as a teacher and team leader, Ms. Trout raised funds for Camp HEAL 2011.
Additionally, Ms. Trout served as a counselor for Camp IKNOW 2011 in Kabane, Lugansk Region. Camp IKNOW is an annual summer camp for 20 Ukrainian secondary school students that focuses on issues surrounding the environment, leadership, and project planning. Ms. Trout worked as both a team leader as well as teacher, heading the project design and management lessons at camp. Ms. Trout was able to invite two of her students, Oleg Sosna and Jenya Borovich, from Velyka Lepetykha Secondary School #1’s upcoming 11th grade, to attend Camp IKNOW 2011. Following camp, Ms. Trout assisted Oleg and Jenya in the organizing of a clean up project involving their fellow 11th grade classmates. Ms. Trout arranged the partnership of the Center for Youth and Sport and the local government in the project’s completion, ensuring the transport of collected waste following the project. Oleg and Jenya presented to the 11th grade class lessons learned from Camp IKNOW, including the art of composting and recycling. Following the presentation, Oleg and Jenya divided the 11th grade into teams and cleaned the territory of the school grounds through the center of town to the riverbank park, collecting glass, plastic and general waste to be disposed of properly through either recycling or dumping in the local landfill. The project taught Oleg and Jenya the skills of project design and management as well as the importance of recycling and taking care of one’s community.
Lastly, in October 2011, Ms. Trout attended a Day GLOW Camp. GLOW, “Girls Leading Our World,” is a camp implemented and sponsored by the Gender and Development Working Group. Campers participate in activities and challenging lessons discussing such important topics as leadership, healthy lifestyles, project design and management, as well as others. In addition to teaching self-esteem to campers, Ms. Trout brought three 10th grade female students from Velyka Lepetykha Secondary School #1, Yulia Shinkaretska, Yulia Obdienko and Masha Gryba.
Pre-Service Training Participation
In addition to Ms. Trout’s efforts with her fellow Peace Corps Volunteers, Ms. Trout was also frequently enlisted to work with incoming Peace Corps Trainees (PCT). In December 2010, Ms. Trout participated in the Swearing-In Conference of Group 40. She presented to PCTs the works and opportunities provided by the various organizations, including Environmental Working Group, Safety and Security Council, Confidential Peer Response Hotline, and the Tourism Working Group. Throughout the Swearing-In Conference, Ms. Trout provided detailed information regarding site placement, primary and secondary assignments, Ukrainian customs and traditions, as well as the difficulties and successes of being a sworn in PCV.
Ms. Trout participated in the Peer Advisor Program advising PCTs Monica Funigiello and Laura Veno, of Groups 40 and 41 respectively. The Peer Advisor Program’s goal is to build an informative support system for incoming PCTs and newly sworn in PCVs. Ms. Trout advised the trainees on teaching English with the communicative method, developing one’s local language skills as well as tips for succeeding as a Peace Corps Volunteer.
In May 2011, Ms. Trout was accepted into the “Adopt a Cluster Program” for Group 41’s clusters of Boguslav and Myronivka. Ms. Trout spent three days with her two clusters; attending and advising her PCTs on their language lessons, English classroom teaching, English clubs and general host family difficulties and questions. Ms. Trout remained in contact with her PCTs throughout pre-service training and after Swearing-In.
Also in May 2011, Ms. Trout was invited to present at Pre-Service Training (PST) University for Group 41. In partnership with the Gender and Development Working Group, the Safety and Security Council, the Safety and Security Officers as well as the Peace Corps Medical Officers, Ms. Trout developed and presented the training “Sexual Assault and Harassment Prevention and Response.” This training presented unsafe scenarios relevant to the typical lives of PCVs in Ukraine, and asked PCTs to think through each scenario and determine the best response to ensuring one’s safety, including how to go about reporting such incidents. Ms. Trout developed solutions as well as tips for protecting oneself in Ukraine, and shared this information with the PCTs throughout the training. Upon the request of Mr. Douglass Teschner, Peace Corps Ukraine Country Director, the training and accompanying solutions and recommendations were sent to Peace Corps Washington for review and approval for their use in future safety material development.
Following the success of Ms. Trout’s participation in PST University for Group 41, Ms. Trout was invited to participate in PST University of Group 42 in November 2011. Ms. Trout assisted Mr. Thomas Ross, Director of Programming and Training for Peace Corps Ukraine, in the execution of the trainings “Sexual Assault Awareness” and “Sexual Assault Reporting and Response.” Through these PST University events, Ms. Trout was able to develop resources and supportive guidance for the PCTs’ personal safety awareness in Ukraine.
Summary
Following Ukraine's Declaration of Independence in 1991, and its decision to become an independent, democratic country, a bilateral agreement was signed by US and Ukrainian Presidents to establish a U.S. Peace Corps Program in Ukraine in 1992. Since then, US Peace Corps Volunteers have been serving in Ukraine in the areas of business development, education, environmental protection, youth development, and community development. Ms. Trout’s work as a TEFL Volunteer, as well as her role as a representative of the people, culture, values and traditions of the United States of America, was part of a nation-wide development effort in Ukraine.
Ms. Megan Trout completed her Peace Corps service in Ukraine on November 17th, 2011.
