What are the Peace Corps Volunteer Programs?
It was 1960 when then-Senator John F. Kennedy called upon university students to promote world-wide peace by living and working in developing countries. Since that day, the Peace Corps has grown into a government agency that’s served more than 130 countries world-wide. Today’s Peace Corps volunteers live and work in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Central and South America, Europe an the Middle East. They work in traditional arenas, such as education and community development, as well as new and developing fields like communications and technology.
How the Peace Corps works:
Calling all U.S. citizens over 18: the Peace Corps wants you! It doesn’t matter if you’re young, old, or somewhere in the middle – anyone from any age group is encouraged to apply. And while college degrees are considered helpful for certain positions, you don’t have to have college experience, and there are special positions designed specifically for community college students.
Once you apply, the Peace Corps will examine your skill set and match it with an open volunteer position. You can put in a request for a specific geographic region, but placement will depend mostly on your background and the needs of the organization. Upon acceptance, the Peace Corps will give you medical insurance, dental insurance, a living allowance (commensurate with the area in which you’re placed), and take care of the travel fees. You’ll serve 27 months in the Peace Corps in total, during which you’ll earn vacation time. At the end of your service, you’ll receive $6,000 in transition funds to help you re-acclimate to life in the States. Oh, and don’t forget to call your loan officers: most students loans can be deferred during your service. Volunteers with Perkins loans are even eligible for a 15 percent cancellation of their outstanding balance for each year of Peace Corps service.
Benefits of serving in the Peace Corps:
Reading testimonials from former Peace Corps volunteers proves that you’ll get every bit as much out of the Peace Corps as you give (as well as make you teary-eyed). Participants speak of life-changing experiences, enduring memories, lasting friendships, and a renewed sense of purpose.
For more information on the Peace Corps, visit http://www.peacecorps.gov/.
