PEACE CORPS

PEACE CORPS
Q & amp;A
Q. What is the mission of the Peace Corps?
A. The Peace Corps mission hasn't changed since the agency was formally authorized by Congress in 1961 to "promote world peace and friendship."
Q. What are the agency's goals?
A. The Peace Corps has three goals:
Help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.
Help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.
Help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.
Q. Where do Peace Corps volunteers serve? How many volunteers are serving now?
A. There are 6,678 Peace Corps volunteers serving in 70 countries around the world. Since the Peace Corps' founding, more than 168,000 men and women have joined the Peace Corps and served in 136 countries.
Q. How does the Peace Corps decide where to establish volunteer programs?
A. A request for Peace Corps service is normally initiated by the government of the country that would like volunteers to serve. The countries also request the type of assistance they need, which could be teaching English, environmental awareness, or small business advising.
In the past few years, the Peace Corps has established new programs in South Africa, Jordan, Bangladesh, Georgia and East Timor.
Q. How long are the volunteer assignments?
A. All assignments are for two years plus three months of training in your country of service.
Q. Can a person join the Peace Corps if not a U.S. citizen?
A. Only U.S. citizens may join the Peace Corps.
Q. What are the age requirements?
A. You have to be at least 18 to join. There's no upper age limit for Peace Corps service -- 7 percent of volunteers are over age 50.
Q. What are the educational requirements?
A. Most assignments require four-year college degrees. Applicants without a college degree may qualify by having three to five years of work experience in an area such as managing a business or working in a skilled trade.
Source: Peace Corps