Rachel Surkin

Rachel provides leadership, oversight, and technical support to youth, education and leadership development programs in the Education Programs Division. She is also the Chair of IREX's Youth Community of Practice.

Current programs include the Youth Civic Engagement and Dialogue Program in Romania and Moldova, Edmund S. Muskie Graduate Fellowship program, the Youth Theater for Peace projects in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, the Youth Development Competencies Program in Russia, the Student Journalism in China program and the Legal Education and Development Program for Tajikistan. She also contributes to new business development.

Prior to IREX, Rachel worked as the Programming and Training Officer for Peace Corps Azerbaijan, where she developed education, youth, and community economic development programs and all related training for Peace Corps Volunteers. Previously, she held several positions in Peace Corps/Washington and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Kingdom of Tonga.

Rachel holds a master’s degree in International Education from George Washington University and an undergraduate degree in English and French from Franklin and Marshall College.