The Peace Corps is an independent agency and program of the United States government that trains and deploys volunteers to provide international development assistance. It was established in March 1961 by an executive order (10924) of President John F. Kennedy and authorized by Congress the following September by the Peace Corps Act.[2]
The official goal of the Peace Corps is to assist developing countries by providing skilled workers in fields such as education, health, entrepreneurship, women's empowerment, and community development. Volunteers are American citizens, typically with a college degree, who are assigned to specific projects in certain countries based on their qualifications and experience. Following three months of technical training, Peace Corps members are expected to serve at least two years in the host country, after which they may request an extension of service. Volunteers are strongly encouraged to respect local customs, learn the prevailing language, and live in comparable conditions.
In its inaugural year, the Peace Corps had 900 volunteers serving 16 countries, reaching its peak in 1966 with 15,556 volunteers in 52 countries. Following budget cuts in 1989, the number of volunteers declined to 5,100, though subsequent increases in funding led to renewed growth into the 21st century; by its 50th anniversary in 2011, there were over 8,500 volunteers serving in 77 countries. Since its inception, more than 240,000 Americans have joined the Peace Corps and served in 142 countries.[3]
The PeaceCorps is an independent agency and program of the United States government that trains and deploys volunteers to provide international development...
States Marine Corps). These usages often overlap. Corps may also be a generic term for a non-military organization, such as the US PeaceCorps and European...
of notable persons who have served as volunteers in the United States PeaceCorps, along with their terms of service. Each volunteer is listed only once...
National PeaceCorps Association (NPCA) is a North American non-profit organization supporting the PeaceCorps community. Founded in 1979, the NPCA is...
States from 1977 to 1981. She was also known for her contributions as a PeaceCorps volunteer in India and for writing two books during her son’s presidency...
programs include: AmeriCorps VISTA, or Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA), was founded in 1965 as a domestic version of the PeaceCorps. The program was...
diplomatic corps in Southeast Asia. The book caused a sensation in diplomatic circles and had major political implications. The PeaceCorps was established...
Carol Spahn is an American executive and current director of the PeaceCorps. Spahn earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Catholic University of America...
a PeaceCorps volunteer in Bolivia, where he started using Super 8 film in his spare time. The camera was purchased for him by fellow PeaceCorps volunteer...
she is still leaving on her PeaceCorps mission. Hal says he is coming, too, having just been sworn into the PeaceCorps by Ralph's friend Li'iBoy. Hal...
suburb. After he finished his university education, Theroux joined the PeaceCorps in 1963 as a teacher in Malawi. In a later life interview, he described...
general; his brother-in-law Sargent Shriver served as director of the new PeaceCorps, and Ted was elected to the U.S. Senate from Massachusetts, occupying...
Shriver was the driving force behind the creation of the PeaceCorps, and founded the Job Corps, Head Start, VISTA, Upward Bound, and other programs as...
Institute of Politics, from 1995 to 1999 and served as the director of the PeaceCorps. He is the longest serving president in the history of HWS, serving from...
Anniversary “Salute to PeaceCorps Giants,” hosted by the National Archives, Moyers said, "The years we spent at the PeaceCorps were the best years of...
Uganda to American parents. His father, Delano Lewis, served as the U.S. PeaceCorps' associate director and country director for Nigeria and Uganda at the...
of the Republican Party, he previously served as the director of the PeaceCorps from 1989 to 1991 under President George H. W. Bush. Coverdell was born...
CIA case officer who defected to the Soviet Union. Howard served as a PeaceCorps volunteer in Bucaramanga, Colombia. There he met Mary Cedarleaf in 1973...
the then current heads of state formerly participated in the IVLP. The PeaceCorps is a cultural exchange program run by the United States government. Founded...
Postal Service, United States Agency for International Development, PeaceCorps, and the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Currie's...
International has worked with the U.S. PeaceCorps in a number of countries. The organization has trained PeaceCorps volunteers in Guatemala, and has worked...
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