The Peace Corps Volunteer program is often called life-defining by the more than 235,000 Americans who have served. Get the chance to fully integrate into a host country community, where you will live and work on projects ranging from education to business development. Peace Corps Response sends experienced professionals to undertake short-term, high-impact service assignments in communities around the world. Bring valuable skills and experiences to projects in places where they are needed most.
Service Activities
Find a volunteer program that is the right fit for you. Each program has different time commitments and requirements but all offer the opportunity to serve abroad and make the most of your world.
Community Need Addressed
The Peace Corps is a service opportunity for motivated changemakers to immerse themselves in a community abroad, working side by side with local leaders to tackle the most pressing challenges of our generation.
Agriculture: Lead grassroots efforts to fight hunger
Agriculture Volunteers work with small-scale farmers and families to increase food security and production and adapt to climate change while promoting environmental conservation.
Community Economic Development: Help communities lift themselves
Volunteers work with development banks, nongovernmental organizations, and municipalities to encourage economic opportunities in communities. They frequently teach in classroom settings and work with entrepreneurs and business owners to develop and market their products.
Education: Teach lessons that last a lifetime
Education is the Peace Corps’ largest program area. Volunteers play an important role in creating links among schools, parents, and communities. They may work in elementary, secondary, or post secondary schools, teaching subjects such as math, science, or conversational English; or as resource teachers or teacher trainers. Volunteers also develop libraries and technology resource centers.
Environment: Forge a global movement to protect our planet
Volunteers lead grassroots efforts to protect the environment and strengthen understanding of environmental issues. They teach environmental awareness in schools and to local organizations, empowering communities to make their own decisions about how to conserve the local environment.
Health: Build healthy global communities
Health Volunteers work within their communities to promote important topics such as nutrition, maternal and child health, basic hygiene, and water sanitation.
Youth in Development: Empower the next generation of leaders
Volunteers work with youth in communities to promote engagement and active citizenship, including gender awareness, employability, health and HIV/AIDS education, environmental awareness, sports and fitness programs, and information technology.
Position Outcomes
Promote world peace and friendship by fulfilling three goals:
To help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.
To help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.
To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.
Benefits
Health coverage, Housing, Living allowance, Non-competitive eligibility (federal jobs), Relocation allowance (if applicable), Stipend, Student loan forbearance, Training
Competencies You Will Develop
Communication
Demonstrate sensitivity and empathy, Maintain open lines of communication with others, Speak clearly, in precise language and in a logical, organized and coherent manner
Teamwork
Use appropriate strategies and solutions for dealing with conflicts and differences to maintain a smooth workflow
Decisions
Accepts responsibility, Anticipate the consequences of decisions, Identify and prioritize the key issues involved to facilitate the decision making process, Involve people appropriately in decisions that may impact them, Quickly respond with a back-up plan if a decision goes amiss
Tools
Seek opportunities to improve knowledge of tools and technologies that may assist in streamlining work and improving productivity
Planning
Able to prioritize various competing tasks, Create environment of contribution, Create plan of action, schedule tasks so that work is completed on time, Demonstrate the effective allocation of time and resources efficiently, Drive decision making, Effectively delegate tasks, Set goals
Service
Understand and anticipate the needs of others