The Peace CorpsA Journey To Discoveryby Jessica Richey

History

The Mission of the Peace CorpsPromoting World Peace and Friendship

RequirementsAgeHealthCitizenship

ProgramsEducationYouth OutreachCommunity DevelopmentBusiness DevelopmentEnvironmentAgricultureHealth and HIV/AIDSInformation Technology

Facts

BenefitsProfessional and CareerEducationalFinancial

Melissa OsgoodDevelopment CoordinatorApplication ProcessI really want to feel like I made a change in this world.Sub-Saharan Western AfricaMixed Emotions

Karl JensenVietnam WarPhilippinesWorld Banking System$50 a month Celia

Dan McLaughlinMarriedSlovakiaEnglish TeacherHolidaysOther challenges seem trivial.Peace Corps Recruiter

Kelly MoeWorld Beyond South DakotaLatin America or Africa?HondurasTiny VillageRe-Adjustment

Works CitedPhotos:Earth. December 6, 2004.http://www.buckminster.info/Index/Earth.htmJFK Signing Executive Order. December 3, 2004. http://www.classbrain.com/artteenst/publish/article_111.shtmlJFK. December 1, 2004. http://www.mylaszlo.com/lps-krank/my-apps/soundblox/speeches/jfk.jpgOxford Maps. December 1, 2004. http://web.comlab.ox.ac.uk/oxinfo/maps/Philippines Map. December 6, 2004. http://www.sel.barc.usda.gov/scalenet/images/Philippines.gifHouse. December 6, 2004. http://home.hawaii.rr.com/revmikeyoung/images/54.%20Caican%20house.jpgSlovakia. December 6, 2004. http://www.infobank.sk/slovakia/slovakia.jpgHonduras Map. December 7, 2004. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/mapshells/central_america/honduras/honduras.htmAfrica Map. December 7, 2004. http://www.mytravelguide.com/g/maps/Africa-map.gifOthers:University of Michigan. http://www.umich.edu/~bhl/bhl/myumich/daybook/dbook58.htmJohn F. Kennedy Library. http://www.jfklibrary.org/j101460.htm

Thomas Jefferson once said, Peace and friendship with all mankind is our wisest policy, and I wish we may be permitted to pursue it.

The Peace Corps is a volunteer government organization. Volunteers are sent to a third world country to promote peace. During my presentation Im going to share with you the history of the Peace Corps, the process of applying, some facts, and Ill introduce you to three people who have been volunteers and one who is about to leave.

Mother Teresa said, If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.

In 1960 Senator John F. Kennedy, challenged University of Michigan students to serve their country, and promote peace by living and working in developing countries.

How many of you who are going to be doctors, are willing to spend your days in Ghana? Technicians or engineers, how many of you are willing to work in the Foreign Service and spend your lives traveling around the world? On your willingness to do that, not merely to serve one year or two years in the service, but on your willingness to contribute part of your life to this country, I think will depend the answer whether a free society can compete. I think it can! And I think Americans are willing to contribute. But the effort must be far greater than we have ever made in the past.Three simple goals comprise the Peace Corps mission: 1. Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women. 2. Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served. 3. Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of all Americans.Volunteers must be at least 18 years old, in good health, and a U.S. Citizen.There is no upper age limit for volunteers.The length of service is 27 months: 3 training, 24 service.

Although these are the minimum requirements, most programs require a bachelors degree or five years of work experience. EducationYouth OutreachCommunity DevelopmentBusiness DevelopmentEnvironmentAgricultureHeath and HIV/AIDSInformation TechnologyCurrent number of Volunteers and Trainees: 7,733 Gender: 58% female, 42% male Marital Status: 84% single, 10% married People of Color: 15% of Peace Corps Volunteers Age: 28 years old (average), 25 years old (median) Volunteers over age 50: 6% (oldest Volunteer is 81) Education: 83% have undergraduate degrees, 14% have graduate studies/degrees You give and you get. The chance to make a real difference in other people's lives is the reason most Volunteers serve in the Peace Corps.

Professional and Career Job experience, and cross-cultural training.

Educational College credit for your work and scholarships.

Financial During Service: Peace Corps provides Volunteers with a living allowance that enables them to live in a manner similar to the local people in their community. It also provides complete medical and dental care and covers the cost of transportation to and from your country of service. After Service: $6,000 toward your transition to life back homeDevelopment CoordinatorApplication ProcessI really want to feel like I made a change in this world.Sub-Saharan Western AfricaMixed Emotions

Worked as a Development Coordinator for a school in NY. She had thought about the Peace Corps since high school, and now felt it was time for her to join. She wants to make a difference in the world, loves traveling, reality check.

Although, she said shes willing to go to any country, since she speaks French, she was placed in Africa, but she will not know where in Africa until later.

Fears: safety in a third world country, political uprisings, wars and human rights crimes.Excited: Experience a new place, new people, do thing she never though possible.

Sit and wait point now. Scheduled to leave in early January.

Vietnam WarPhilippinesWorld Banking System$50 a month Celia

MarriedSlovakiaEnglish TeacherHolidaysOther challenges seem trivial.Peace Corps Recruiter

World Beyond South DakotaLatin America or Africa?HondurasTiny VillageRe-Adjustment

Kelly Moe is from St. Onge. His father is friends with Karl Jensen. Through Jensen, Moe learned about the Peace Corps.

During his senior year of college he applied. In his application he checked he wanted to go to Latin America. But, because he didnt speak Spanish the Peace Corps placed him in Africa. He said he wasnt interested, and would wait until a position in Latin America opened up. They called him later, and he was told he would leave for Honduras on July 24th, 2001.

Before he left he met all of the other Honduran Peace Corps volunteers in Miami. He had expected to meet a bunch of hippies. He was surprised when he arrived. There were men from Wall Street, and a girl who had a designer purse that cost more than my car.

He was placed in a tiny village. There was no electricity in the entire town. And once a week the water would turn on, for a short period, in his house. Moe worked in coffee production. He worked with a team of Honduran men, and they developed new types of machinery, for example coffee dryers.

I realize a lot of time you can do without.

After three years of service, adjusting to life in the U.S. was difficult. I was homesick for Honduras, moody and miserable.

Honduran girlfriend, just received a visa, must be married in the first three months shes in the U.S.CONCLUSION