About the Peace Corps

To me, the Peace Corps is something I've pretty much always known about. Maybe not really strong specifics, but I knew that you went to a developing country for 2 years to volunteer.  That's at least the founding principles.  But it surprises me how many people don't really know anything about the Peace Corps.  I've been getting some questions that just seem so outrageously obvious to me, but it's possible that our generation has grown up hearing more about the Peace Corps and being exposed to more things than previous generations.

The best place for the information is at www.peacecorps.gov though information can certainly be found on various sites and offer different views or condensed information.  But in general, here is the rundown of the more needed information:

Background Info

• more than 190,000 americans have served/volunteered in 139 host countries
• 3 goals are: (1) helping the people of interested countries meet their need for trained men/women, (2) helping promote a better understanding of americans on part of the people served, (3) helping promote a better understanding of other people on the part of americans
• applications are on a rolling basis, and while the application length of time could be as short as 3 months, it is usually more like 6-12 months
• the process is: complete online application/essays/3 recommendations, receive legal kit in mail, interview with recruiter, receive dental/medical kit in mail, wait and wait for it to be cleared, then be invited. Not as easy as sounds.

Where and What?

• regions volunteers go: Caribbean, Central America & Mexico, South America, North Africa & Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe & Central Asia, Asia, & Pacific Islands
  
• you can't choose where you serve, but you can vocalize a preference, but no guarantee, if you want Ecuador, you could be in Peru or even Morocco or Mongolia! Depends where they need you.
  
• volunteers serve 27 months overseas--3 months of training, and 24 months of volunteering
• volunteers are usually in their community alone, but close enough to visit other volunteers on weekends
  
• Volunteer Work Areas: education, health & HIV/AIDS, business, environment, youth, agriculture, youth outreach, community development
  

Etc.

• knowledge of a foreign language isn't required, but certainly helps, and all locations learn a language during training
  
• there is no age limit in the PC, though you must be 18, the oldest volunteer was like 86
  
• volunteers are given an allowance so they can live at the approximate level of the locals; they are also provided medical & dental care, transportation to and from service, approx $6,000 and 18 month of health insurance upon returning to the states
  
• certain medical conditions are accepted, some aren't, the list is here