My Assignment

The Marshall Islands is a TINY country of around 60,000 in the Pacific Ocean just north of the equator (9 00 N, 168 00 E). You may have heard of them recently, as June 30th marked the 60th anniversary of controversial nuclear testing in the area. The islands comprise over 1200 islands with a total land mass of 70 square miles and sea area of 750,000 square miles! The Marshalls have a history with Japan, Spain, Germany and most recently the United States. After World War II, the UN Trusteeship Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands allowing the islands to be administered by the United States. In May 1979 the Republic of the Marshall Islands gained independence, but remains close to the US as a protectorate and under a Compact of Free Association (it was reworked and named as "Compact II" in 2003). The Marshall Islands is 19 hours ahead of PST.

I have been assigned to the Ailinglaplap Atoll, one of the 'main population centers' outside of the main island Majuro. The Ailinglaplap Atoll has 2,000 inhabitants and comprises 52 reef islets (islands) with a total of 5.76 square miles of land mass. I will be teaching on Bouj in the south, of which I do not yet know the size and population.

I am considered an employee of the Marshall Islands Ministry of Education, as this program is generously fully-funded by them. Their schools are tremendously in need; suicide rates among youth are high and in some areas a staggeringly low percentage pass high school entrance exams. The Marshallese have a predominantly oral tradition, and their language has only recently been translated into written form so there are very few Marshallese educational materials- and those that exist are not standardized. There are 76 schools in total, spread over great distances. On the outer islands, fewer than half of local teachers only have a high-school education. The government is greatly dedicated to improving the current system and enriching the lives of their students.

As with any supposedly altruistic venture, this project will likely leave me fuller than imagination allows at this point. Today I enjoyed a hot shower, ate green vegetables, wore jeans and spoke on the phone several times- all things I will not be able to do for most or all of my stay in the Marshall Islands. Images of paradise, fresh seafood, an embracing host family and cheery students fill my fantasies, but I know the real rewards may come long after I arrive. Hang around, I think we're in for something great!