Peace Corps training gives every volunteer tons of materials, especially during PST. Wouldn’t it be great if you could use artificial inteligence to make it all available when you need it throughout your service? I found the perfect AI tool! By using Google’s NotebookLM, you can create your own AI assistant that’s an expert in YOUR Peace Corps materials. Think of it as having a super-smart AI PC staff assistant who’s memorized all your training materials and can answer questions about them instantly.
Why Create Your Own AI Assistant?
Picture this: It’s 9 PM, you’re planning tomorrow’s lesson, and you vaguely remember reading something about a great teaching technique in one of your training manuals… but which one? Instead of digging through piles of papers or searching through endless PDF files, you can simply ask your AI assistant: “What activities were recommended for teaching vocabulary to beginners?”
Your AI assistant will:
- Search through all your uploaded Peace Corps materials instantly
- Give you answers based specifically on YOUR training documents
- Point you directly to the relevant sections of your materials
- Help you brainstorm ideas while staying true to Peace Corps methodologies
How I Organized My Peace Corps Documents
I’ve found that breaking down materials into three main notebooks works best:
1. General Peace Corps Notebook
This is your catch-all for everything not program or language related:
- Safety and security guidelines
- Medical information
- Administrative procedures
- Grant Project materials
- Cultural resources
- General volunteer policies
- VRG materials
The great thing about this is it is specific to your country and your cohort. And everything you ask for is given with a direct reference to where the answers were found in your sources you uploaded.
For example, here’s a question I asked: What is the Where About’s policy?
As you can see, the AI assistant put together a detailed answer coming from 4 different sources (out of 18 I uploaded).
2. Education Sector Notebook
For Education PCVs (though this applies to every sector), this notebook contains:
- Teaching methodologies
- Lesson planning guides
- Classroom management resources
- Local education system information
What I also found very helpful was to also upload grammar book PDFs. NotebookLM can help you quickly locate teaching strategies or pull up relevant examples when you’re planning lessons.
For an example, I asked: What kind of activities can I do with flashcards?
The great thing about NotebookLM is that if I wanted more information about any of these activities, all I have to click the numbered link and it takes you back to the original source. And it highlights where it got the information.
3. Language Learning Notebook
Upload all your language materials here – textbooks, vocabulary lists, pronunciation guides, and cultural notes. You can even upload YouTube videos you found useful for your host-country language. NotebookLM can help you:
- Find specific grammar points when you need them
- Create quick easy-to-understand summaries of complex language concepts
- Generate practice exercises based on your materials
- Answer questions about language rules using your actual training documents
For example, I’m studying Eastern Armenian, and I was working on some “question words” materials for my tutor. So, I asked NotebookLM: Give me several examples using the question word “Ու՞ր”:
I like that it not only gave me some examples, but also gave some more details on usage. Again, it pooled information from 7 sources (out of 11).
Making the Most of NotebookLM
Here are some practical ways to use NotebookLM during your service:
During PST
- Upload materials as you receive them
- Ask NotebookLM to summarize lengthy documents
- Create quick reference guides for complex topics
- Simplify complex procedures or concepts
At Your Site
- Quickly find specific information without digging through papers
- Ask questions about policies or procedures
- Combine information from different documents to solve problems
- Create work plans using official PC teaching materials as reference
- Get answers when working on grants or VRG
Pro Tips
- Ask PC staff if there is a PDF or DOC file for any printed materials you’re given because NotebookLM can take PDFs, text, docs, URLs, & MP3
- Name your reference documents clearly (e.g., “Language_Week1_Greetings”)
- Start with your most frequently used materials
- Use NotebookLM’s chat feature to ask specific questions about your documents
Why This System Works
Every volunteer’s service is challenging, and having quick access to your training materials can make a big difference. Instead of searching through manuals or emailing PC staff for answers, you can quickly find what you need in your digital library.
Plus, since NotebookLM gives answers from your actual Peace Corps documents, you can trust that the information is correct.
Getting Started
- Choose one category to start with (I recommend your sector or language materials)
- Upload your core documents. You can upload 50 sources into one notebook. Just remember to remove old sources when PC gives you an update (ie. PCV Handbook).
- Spend some time asking NotebookLM questions about the content to see how it works
- Gradually add more documents as you need them
Remember, the goal isn’t to digitize every single piece of paper you receive, but to create a useful reference system for the materials you actually use.
And Added Bonus!
If you’re considering graduate school after your Peace Corps service, mastering NotebookLM now can give you a head start. Many grad programs require extensive research, and the skills you develop while using NotebookLM to manage your Peace Corps documents can easily transfer to academic work. From summarizing journal articles to organizing notes for a thesis, this tool can make your transition to student life smoother and more efficient.
Final Thoughts
As PCVs, we’re all about working smarter, not harder. Using NotebookLM to organize your Peace Corps materials isn’t just about being tech-savvy – it’s about having more time and mental energy to focus on what really matters: your community and your service.
Whether you’re struggling with a language concept, planning a lesson, or trying to remember the proper procedure for filing a travel reimbursement, having your Peace Corps knowledge base at your fingertips can make your service just a little bit easier.
Other Resources:
- NotebookLM.Google.com
- How To Use NotebookLM As A Research Tool
- How I use Notebook LM: Google’s Killer AI Note Taking & Research Assistant
- NotebookLM Tutorial: How To Use NotebookLM
- Ultimate NotebookLM Guide (Google’s AI Note-Taking App)
- Learn 80% of NotebookLM in Under 13 Minutes!
- Google’s NotebookLM AI will change my life-maybe yours too
The content of this website is mine alone and does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps.
