Jake Walters, PC Response Volunteer

On October 2nd 2010, Peace Corps Romania welcomed Jake Walters, its first Peace Corps Response Volunteer (PCRV). Walters, a former TEFL volunteer in Romania, will be working with the Ovidiu Rom organization.

Ovidiu Rom helps schools and communities successfully integrate impoverished children into the education system at an early age. Fiecare Copil in Scoala (“Every Child in School”) is a national initiative to enroll every child in kindergarten by the age of five and see them advance successfully through high school graduation. As part of their mission Ovidiu Rom is preparing to kick-off a National Contest among municipalities to promote “Every Child in Kindergarten.” The project aims to demonstrate (to the government, the public and other funders) that providing incentives to poor parents to register their children for kindergarten and increase their attendance makes a major positive difference in behavior & outcomes. The National Competition will focus on recruiting impoverished 3 to 6 year old children for kindergarten and then monitoring their attendance in class and helping coordinate the school and local community’s involvement.

As part of his assignment, Walters will serve as the project coordinator for this initiative and will be responsible for raising awareness around the project and for communicating regularly with municipal authorities, school principals and teachers. Additionally, he will be participating in the selection of the winning communities and will be monitoring the implementation of the program and adherence to procedures.