Online Digital Literacy & TESOL Course Mentor for English Teachers

Host entity: Rousto Charity

Areas of expertise: Community development, Education, Training, capacity building

Application deadline: 12/11/2026

Mission and objectives

Our mission is to promote the social, economic, intellectual and informational development of cities and districts of Tajikistan, particularly through the empowerment of youth and women.

Assignment context

Contribution to Organization Objectives

Our organization aims to improve educational outcomes in developing regions by providing local teachers with international pedagogical training. By securing the USD 200 funding for this TESOL program, we have resolved the financial barrier for these 5 to 6 English teachers in Tajikistan.
However, funding alone is not enough; without digital literacy guidance, the teachers risk dropping out due to technical frustration. This volunteer task directly secures our investment by building the teachers' digital capacity, eliminating technical dropout rates, and successfully upgrading local English teaching standards in Tajikistan.

Background Context (The Larger Project)

This volunteer assignment is a critical component of our broader "Tajikistan English Educators Capacity Project." The project focuses on empowering regional and rural public school teachers who have limited access to modern professional development.

Many of these teachers are highly motivated but have never navigated a modern, structured Learning Management System (LMS) like Coursera, Canvas, or Moodle. The volunteer acts as the vital human bridge between the raw funding we provide and the actual completion of the international certification.

Specific Information the Volunteer Needs to Know

To successfully accomplish this task, the volunteer must keep the following organizational parameters in mind:
• Digital Infrastructure Constraints: Internet connection in regional Tajikistan can be unstable, slow, or expensive. The volunteer needs to be highly patient and ready to suggest low-bandwidth alternatives (such as taking screenshots of errors or communicating via text-light channels like Telegram).
• Language Barriers: While these individuals are English teachers, their conversational and technical English may still be developing, especially regarding specialized computer terms (e.g., "browser cache," "file extension," "hyperlink"). Communication must be kept clear, simple, and free of complex corporate or technical jargon.

Task description

The Online Volunteer will serve as a digital facilitator and tech mentor for 5 to 6 English teachers in Tajikistan who are completing an online TESOL course. The volunteer is not responsible for teaching the TESOL content itself, but rather for ensuring the teachers can successfully access, navigate, and submit work on the online platform.

• Phase 1: Digital Onboarding (Week 1):
• Lead a live virtual walkthrough showing teachers how to create accounts, set up passwords, navigate the user dashboard, and find syllabus modules.
• Phase 2: Active Course Mentorship (Weeks 2–8+):
• Help teachers locate assignments, read grading rubrics, download PDF resources, and troubleshoot media playback errors (e.g., video streaming or audio downloads).
• Guide teachers on how to format documents (PDF/Word), attach files, and successfully upload final essays or lesson plans into the learning portal.
• Explain automated quiz mechanisms and ensure teachers know how to review system feedback on incorrect answers.
• Phase 3: Administrative Closing (Final Week):
• Guide teachers through downloading, saving, and verifying their digital TESOL certificates.

Daily & Weekly Logistics

• Communication Channels: All formal orientation and group workshops will take place via Zoom. Day-to-day text questions, quick technical troubleshooting, and instant text updates will be managed via a dedicated Telegram group chat.
• Scheduled Time Commitments: The volunteer must be available for 2 to 3 hours per week in total. This includes:
• One fixed 1-hour weekly group video call for collective platform questions (the time and date will be agreed upon mutually depending on the availability of both volunteer and teachers).
• Flexible hours during the week to answer text-based technical queries via the group chat.

• Status Updates & Reporting: The volunteer will submit a brief weekly bullet-point progress update via email/WhatsApp/Telegram to the nonprofit coordinator, highlighting individual teacher progress (e.g., "3 teachers completed Module 2; 2 teachers need help uploading their PDF essay next week").
• Teamwork Structure: The volunteer will work independently as the primary mentor for this specific cohort of teachers. They will not collaborate with other online volunteers, but will report directly to the nonprofit’s internal project coordinator for strategic milestones or system-wide barriers.

Skills and experience

Technical Skills & Experience

• E-Learning Platform Familiarity: Practical experience navigating major Learning Management Systems (LMS) such as Coursera, Canvas, Moodle, or Udemy, including an understanding of how to upload assignments, take quizzes, and track course progress.
• Basic Digital Troubleshooting: Ability to guide users through everyday technical fixes over text or video, such as resolving file-upload errors, adjusting browser permissions, resetting passwords, and managing slow file downloads.
• Virtual Collaboration Tools: Proficiency in setting up and hosting interactive sessions using video conferencing software (Zoom) and managing mobile communication channels (Telegram or WhatsApp).

Educational & Professional Qualifications

• Academic Background: A degree or current studies in Education, Communications, Information Technology, International Development, or a related field.
• Mentoring or Coaching Experience: Prior experience in tutoring, digital onboarding, technical support, or online training—ideally working with adult learners or individuals with limited tech fluency.
• TESOL Awareness (Asset): While the volunteer does not teach the content, having a TESOL/TEFL certificate or basic familiarity with how online language teacher training is structured is highly beneficial.

Soft Skills & Interpersonal Competencies

• High Patience & Empathy: Exceptional patience and an encouraging mindset to support educators who may experience intense anxiety or frustration when dealing with technology.
• Clear & Accessible Communication: Ability to break down technical processes into simple, step-by-step instructions, completely avoiding complex computer science or corporate jargon.
• Cross-Cultural Sensitivity: High level of cultural awareness and respect for regional teachers, keeping in mind that language barriers or shyness might make teachers hesitant to ask for technical help.

Full eligibility requirements, conditions of service and application instructions are available on the official UNV platform.