Oral history
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Collection
RPCV-ACC-2019-078
Daniel Jasper served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Turkmenistan from 2008 to 2010 and as a Peace Corps Response volunteer in St. Lucia from 2013 to 2014. In Turkmengala, Turkmenistan, a small town near the Iranian border, he taught English to elementary, secondary, and adult students, and helped develop English language testing protocols and 4th and 5th grade English language curriculum. After returning to the U.S., Jasper earned a Masters degree in public policy from Duke University and worked at several non-profits as part of the Peace Corps fellows program. With Peace Corps Response in St. Lucia, he helped pilot-test the teaching of chess as a mandatory part of the elementary school curriculum. He also taught chess at youth detention centers. Jasper talks about the importance of understanding and respecting the perspective of the person you are trying to help. He also reflects on the various ways communities cope with different forms of poverty. Interviewed and recorded by Evelyn Ganzglass, April 27, 2019. 1 digital audio file.