Interview with Jolene Pearson, April 7, 2022

Project: Peace Corps: The Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Oral History Project

Interview Summary

Jolene Pearson served in Jamaica as an early childhood teacher trainer from 1977-1979. Initially told they didn’t have a place for early childhood teachers in the Peace Corps, a year after she applied she got a letter inviting her to join a project in Brazil (later changed to Jamaica). When she finished training in Kingston, Peace Corps told her to go to Highgate, her site, and find herself a place to live. Flummoxed by how to do that, she remembered, that before leaving Minneapolis, someone had given her the phone number Jamaican teacher. Miraculously, when Jolene called, that person was looking for a roommate in Highgate! Jolene was impressed by the industriousness, creativity and national pride of the Jamaican people. She, alongside her Jamaican counterparts, helped promote play and hands-on learning as effective tools for teaching young children. Initially disappointed to be assigned to her remote small town, she grew to appreciate the advantages that came with it, especially around safety and integration into the community. Joining Peace Corps gave her the inspiration to go to graduate school in Boston upon her return, and she went on to earn a Ph.D. and teach at the university level.

Interview Accession

2022oh0305_pcrv0562

Interviewee Name

Jolene Pearson

Interviewer Name

Candice D. Wiggum

Interview Date

2022-04-07

Interview Rights

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Pearson, Jolene Interview by Candice D. Wiggum. 07 Apr. 2022. Lexington, KY: Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.

Pearson, J. (2022, April 07). Interview by C. D. Wiggum. Peace Corps: The Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Oral History Project. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington.

Pearson, Jolene, interview by Candice D. Wiggum. April 07, 2022, Peace Corps: The Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Oral History Project, Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.





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