The Peace Corps is a unique organization, well positioned to add distinct value to the contributions of other Global Health Initiative (GHI) partners through the placement of human resources at the grassroots level. The Peace Corps supports the core principles of the GHI Initiative through its comprehensive approach to integrated programming in the priority health areas and by: 1) increasing knowledge on disease transmission, and prevention; 2) promoting behavior, social and organizational change; 3) capacity building of community members, health workers, and grass-roots organizations; and 4) strengthening linkages between communities and organizations and health facilities.

Sustainability Conference (1) Volunteers and Escojo Peer Educators will organize and lead a Sustainability Conference to give support to active Escojo groups who are no longer working directly with a Peace Corps Volunteer in their community. They will be instructed in how to maintain their groups, how to work with their Escojo Coordinator, how to collect and process data from Escojo-related activities, and how to report according to the Peace Corps procedures and guidelines provided by the PEPFAR initiative for monitoring and reporting.

Executive Conferences (2) Volunteers will create an opportunity to promote dialogue between key Escojo/PEPFAR high level local organization stakeholders of the Dominican Republic to encourage collaboration, coordination, and ensure partnership and promote the sustainability of the Escojo/PEPFAR Initiative

Institutional VAST Grants Consortium (10) 10 VAST grants (up to US$18,000/each) will be available for Escojo Consortium organizations. The grant requests will be prepared by PCV's assigned to the 10 organizations affiliated to the Consortium and will provide resources for institutional strengthening of Consortium activities, and the promotion of Escojo and Healthy Communities activities.

OVC and PLWHA Annual Conference A conference for NGOs and GOs working with OVC and PLWHA populations to share and coordinate strategies to support these populations with a focus on gender, discrimination and HIV prevention.

Peace Corps DR will have the following activities:

National Escojo Conference (2) is a semi-annual event to plan Escojo activities to be implemented by PCVs and project partners. Also, it is a forum to share best practices and success stories.

Regional Workshops (4) are skill building training events and will be facilitated by PCVs working on Escojo/PEPFAR and with Escojo trainers. These three-day conferences will focus on training youth in the basic Escojo curriculum which includes healthy decision making, HIV/AIDS prevention, avoiding adolescent pregnancies, building self-esteem, and focusing on creating positive futures.

Sub-regional Management Workshops (2)are to train PCVs and project partners that will host sub-regional meetings to monitor the progress of the Escojo Plan of Activities.

Sub-regional Escojo Follow-up Meetings (10) are field days organized by a PCV and project partners to discuss with all the PCVs and project partners in a given geographical area the progress of the Escojo Program.

Regional Coordinator Workshops (2) are planned to develop the leadership, supervisory and training skills of outstanding youth trained by PCVs.

Teaching Aids Materials Workshops are for PCVs and Regional Coordinators to assist them to develop low-cost teaching aids materials to do their work.

Provincial Network Workshops (10) are to train local Escojo Youth and Healthy Community Groups to establish a provincial leadership network to coordinate HIV prevention projects.

Health Promoter Conference (1) PCVs and all active Healthy Communities (Comunidades Saludables) groups, will participate in this annual conference to provide further training for the Healthy Communities participants who are community leaders who go back to their rural communities to work directly with families. The training will focus on 1) increasing and maintaining the level of quality HIV/AIDS information and education being carried out in the communities, 2) continuing the current social marketing campaign, and 3) promoting the sustainability of the Healthy Community groups. The Conference will serve as a forum to share best practices and success stories.

Health Promoters Regional Workshops (2) Participating Healthy Community Health Promoters and PCDR Volunteers will attend the conference in their geographic area. These three-day conferences will focus on training the Health Promoters in the basic Healthy Communities curriculum of healthy decision-making which includes HIV/AIDS prevention, basic health, building self-esteem and focusing on creating positive futures.

Health Promoters Certification Workshops (1) Rural community leaders will be trained and certified as Healthy Community Trainers. These Healthy Community Coordinators will be selected from the Healthy Community Health Promoters that have been trained by PCDR Volunteers and that have shown dedication, responsibility and have developed strong facilitation skills to train their peers in the promotion of HIV/AIDS prevention and basic health.

Sub-regional Management Health Promoter Workshop (2) These workshops are skill building training events in which PCVs bring members of the Healthy Community Groups to be trained as trainers to orient other women.

GLOW National Conference - Leadership Training for Girls (1) Dominican Girls and young women will receive training in leadership, healthy decision making and prevention of HIV/AIDS and early pregnancy through the use of interactive activities. PCV's and Escojo Regional Coordinators (HCN's) will organize and facilitate each conference. The purpose of the 5-day conferences is to provide a gender based orientation for young women in positive decision making skills and training in HIV/AIDS awareness, non-discrimination and prevention.

GLOW Regional Conferences (2) The conferences will focus on training youth Peer Educators in the basic GLOW goals of positive decision making with a gender perspective, which includes HIV/AIDS prevention (using the ABC model), avoiding adolescent pregnancies, building self-esteem, and focusing on creating positive futures. The conferences will also be used for planning activities for International Women's day and as a lead up to the national Camp.

Regional Diversity Conferences for Youth (3) PCV's from all program sectors will develop and facilitate three Regional Diversity Conferences for GLOW and ESCOJO Youth in three regions of the Dominican Republic. These conferences will focus on training in non-discrimination including discrimination against those with HIV/AIDS, reducing stigma and racism, and improving Dominican/Haitian relations. Another focus of discussion will be risk issues linked to tourism and sex industry. In particular, there will be a focus on how race relations are affected by HIV/AIDS-related issues in the Dominican Republic and in what ways discrimination against people living with HIV has impacted particular regions of the country. A number of the Peace Corps Youth Program Volunteers work with young people that are HIV positive and the conferences will serve as a forum to share and learn together. The Peer Educators will share this information in their communities.

Knowledge is Strength ToT Workshop (1) A TOT workshop to train PCVs, key health staff, ESCOJO regional coordinators and GLOW leaders in use of key messages and materials based on barrier analysis results to promote HIV testing among sexually active young people and Most at Risk youth Populations in bateys.

Knowledge is Strength Regional Workshops (4) One-day regional workshops to train ESCOJO regional coordinators, key GLOW and Escojo members in use of key messages and materials to promote HIV testing among sexually active young people and most-at-risk youth populations in communities where they are working.

Gender and Discrimination Conference A conference to train PCVs, key health staff and youth leaders in working with Most at Risk youth Populations (MARP) in batey communities with emphasis on gender, discrimination and HIV prevention

Sports for Life TOT Camp (2) Volunteers and their key sports leaders will be trained to incorporate sexual health and HIV/AIDS prevention activities in sports (such as volleyball, softball, and baseball) to reach out to populations that do not attend the more formal Escojo trainings. Trained youth leaders will incorporate the healthy decision making and HIV prevention training into sports in their specific communities. Youth that are interested in learning more in a classroom setting will be encouraged to join their local Escojo group to receive more formal training. Others will be selected to participate in further TOT trainings to continue with HIV prevention through sports actives, thus reaching at risk populations.

Economic Empowerment TOT 30 PCVs and 30 university peer educators will participate in a TOT workshop to facilitate a business planning & healthy life skills curriculum to young adults age 15-25.

Sub-regional Health Promoter Follow-up Meetings (10) These meetings are field days organized by a PCV and project partners to discuss with all the PCVs and project partners in a given geographical area the progress of the Healthy Community Program

HIV Prevention VAST Grants (50) 50 VAST grants (up to US$500/each) will be available for Escojo youth groups in 2011. These grant requests are prepared by PCV's and local Peer Educators and will provide resources for community Escojo groups to develop and organize local conferences and activities for HIV/AIDS prevention training or other supportive activities. The use of these funds will generate the development of local educational materials and the purchase supplies necessary to carry out these trainings. Also, these grants will provide resources for the youth groups to develop their training by providing funding in order to organize local community based activities and workshops focused on the goals of the Escojo initiative.

World AIDS day events (5) Volunteers and Escojo Peer Educators will promote the attendance and will participate in The World AIDS Day for 300+ participants. It will take place on December 1, 2011. The purpose of this event is to create awareness among our target populations about the existence of and need to address the problem of HIV/AIDS.

GLOW Sub Regional Exchanges (3) The Sub regional exchanges encourage local girls' or boys' groups who have participated in GLOW or the Boys Camp to share experiences, reinforce HIV prevention training and network with other groups from the same region, as part of strengthening them. The exchanges are planned and programmed by the groups

International Women's Day events (3) Drawing attention to gender and HIV/AIDS, the vulnerability for girls and women, as well as Gender and HIV prevention will be emphasized in events to celebrate International Women's day on March 8th. Volunteers and Peer Educators will plan and implement 3 simultaneous events in different parts of the country.

Gender & Leadership Training for Boys (1) PCV's and Escojo Regional Coordinators (HCN's) will collaborate on this camp directed at male adolescents (12-14), incorporating HIV/AIDS awareness and sexual education training. The purpose of this 4-day camp is to provide a gender based orientation for young men in life skills, positive decision making and training in sexual education and HIV/AIDS prevention. Using best practices, PCDR will develop an appropriate program for young Dominican men, focusing on "new masculinity," character development, adolescence and manhood, and healthy decision making.

GLOW VAST Grants (100) 100 GLOW Grants (US$250/each) will be made available to encourage local groups in gender and AIDS prevention initiatives.

Knowledge is Strength: HIV Testing: Coordination visits to Centers Coordinating visits with PCVs, Escojo Regional coordinators, youth and other group members to testing centers in order to familiarize youth with the centers. Numbers of visits in each region depends on the interest shown.

GLOW National Sports Camp (1) Volunteers will organize an annual sports camp with the excitement of a tournament combined with training in teamwork, leadership, healthy decision making and HIV prevention.

Brigada Verde Regional Conferences (4) Dominican Youth and PCDR Volunteers working in the PCDR Environment Sector will attend the regional workshop (in their geographic area). These three-day workshops will focus on training Dominican youth in basic community environmental action and healthy decision making, HIV/AIDS prevention, building self-esteem and leadership, and focusing on creating positive futures. The workshops will also serve to develop the foundation of a social marketing campaign that will be launched at the national conference.

Brigada Verde National Conference (1) PCV will participate with active Green Brigades Groups in a conference to further training for the Brigada Verde participants focusing on (1) Peer sharing of successful interventions from each region, (2) maintaining the level of quality information and education on HIV/AIDS being carried out in the communities, (3) launching a social marketing campaign, and (4) promoting the sustainability of the Brigada Verde groups at the community level.

Economic Empowerment Conference Adolescents and young adults trained by PCVs and peer educators participate in a 3-day conference to support their start-up businesses and motivational speakers who are finalists of a business planning competition. The ESCOJO methodology of making healthy decisions and planning for their future.

Economic Empowerment Follow-Up Volunteers will facilitate a meeting with the winners of the future entrepreneurs' conference to establish how they will manage budgets to start up their small businesses, with an emphasis on making healthy decision and planning for their future

ESCOJO Soap Opera (Telenovela) The ESCOJO-inspired soap opera that will serve as a complement to the ESCOJO manual will be produced by an ESCOJO theater group and distributed to regional coordinators and educators who use the ESCOJO methodology.

OVC & PLWHA Camps (2) Specially trained and experienced PCV's will collaborate on two annual camps that will focus on 1) single mothers and children in extreme situations; 2) OVC (children 14 or under) including those living and/or working on the streets. The camps will incorporate HIV/AIDS awareness and sexual education training and will create a safe, supportive environment for vulnerable children where they can be together, learn and play while experiencing a different environment from their everyday situation. The camps will take into account the participants' hard realities and the curriculum will focus on keeping safe, HIV prevention and testing, increasing self esteem, building support systems, children's rights, access to Government support, importance of medication, and anger management.