The Complete Guide To Joining The Peace Corps

The Peace Corps, one of the great symbols of relief and assistance in countries around the world, is an opportunity for men and women of all ages to give a small part of their lives in the effort to help those much less fortunate than them. In 2007, the Peace Corps announced its highest volunteer number in 37 years with more than 8,000 volunteers and the Corps continues to grow as more people jump at the chance to help around the world. Many people want to join and help in the Peace Corps, and more than 160,000 people have, since it was established by President Kennedy in 1961. But, many more wonder what it involves and what they need to know before they can volunteer and sign up for the world famous Peace Corps. This informative book will guide you through the process of not only deciding whether you want to join the Peace Corps, but of showing you everything you will experience and need along the way. You will learn all of the basic lingo and necessary information needed to start the application process. You will be shown the specific qualifications to join and what you can do to boost your chances of submitting a winning application. Advice for older volunteers as well as those who are married or worried about entering another country as a minority or different sexual orientation is included in a special chapter about preparing for the Peace Corps mentality. Once you have applied and are ready for your Peace Corps commitment to start, you will learn what you should bring for two years abroad and what kind of training the Peace Corps will provide to you. A full list of the countries you might travel to and the languages you will need to learn are included, alongside the vital medical and safety information that you will need to remain safe during your travels. Learn how to stay in touch with home through the proper channels and how much travel and free time you will be permitted. Social interaction is a vital part of any volunteer commitment and you will learn how and when you can get to know you fellow volunteers and the rules for interaction with the local nationals. Finally, the process of returning to normal life will be hard, but this book will walk you through everything you need to know, including the procedure for coming home early and a full section on how to adjust to your life once more. You will also find information on incorporating your new outlook on life gained from the humbling experience of your travels into the life that you left back at home. For those interested in joining the Peace Corps who feel overwhelmed by everything it represents, this book will take your hand and walk you through every step of the way.

The Peace Corps is a great symbol of assistance around the world - an opportunity for men and women of all ages to help those less fortunate.

So, you want to join the Peace Corps . . . If you are interested in joining the Peace Corps, you probably have questions that run the gamut from "What is the application process like?" to "Is the Peace Corps effective as a development agency?" In this updated second edition, former Peace Corps volunteer Dillon Banerjee shares candid facts and insights about the experience in a practical question-and-answer format. With input from recently returned volunteers who served across the globe, this thorough guide presents valuable information including: • What Peace Corps recruiters look for in your application• Items you should--and shouldn't---pack for your two-year trip• Useful gadgets and technology that help volunteers stay connected from far away• Real answers to personal questions about culture shock, safety, dating, homesickness, and more Whether you're thinking of joining or have already been accepted and are preparing to leave, The Insider's Guide to the Peace Corps will help equip you for the unique challenges and rewards of the volunteer experience, regardless of your program area or country assignment. It's essential reading for anyone interested in "the toughest job you'll ever love."

It Depends" is a Peace Corps guide dedicated to present and future volunteers preparing for their first, second, or even third Peace Corps Journey. The title was inspired by the phrase often used by Peace Corps staff when volunteers asked questions about what to expect during their service. The Peace Corps staff always settled on the same answer, "It Depends." This guide draws from past volunteers' individual experiences as well as the author's personal journey and presents real stories, ideas, experiences, and advice on how to make the most of the Peace Corps lifestyle, experience, and journey. The author will take you through the Peace Corps life from start to finish, from considering Peace Corps to closing out your service. This guide is short, informative, fun, and will get any person considering Peace Corps excited to start the adventure and assist current volunteers in finding their next passion in life once their passion for Peace Corps has been completed.

Joining the Peace Corps can seem like a daunting task. However, if you ve ever been interested or have entertained the thought of it, this book is the all-inclusive guide you need. When you turn 18, you can join the more than 220,000 Americans who have served in 63 countries. This experience is truly life changing; if you feel like you re in a rut or want to get out there and do something that you might not be able to do in the future, joining the Peace Corps might be the answer. This book contains many interviews with young people who have served in the Peace Corps; they tell their stories and give practical advice about joining. You will learn how to apply, the specific qualifications to join, and what you can do to boost your chances of submitting a winning application. We also cover everything that comes after the application process, such as the countries served, the languages spoken, and the vital medical and safety information that you will need to remain safe during your travels, all explained simply. After reading this book, the young adult audience will feel prepared and will know exactly what to expect. This book even covers how to adjust to coming back home. Pack your bags for a great adventure this book has you covered.-- (11/30/2016 12:00:00 AM)"

For over 50 years, more than 225,000 Peace Corps volunteers have been placed in over 140 countries around the world, with the goals of helping the recipient countries need for trained men and women, to promote a better understanding of Americans for the foreign nationals, and to promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans. The Peace Corps program, proposed during a 2 a.m. campaign stop on October 14, 1960 by America's Camelot, was part idealism, part belief that the United States could help Global South countries becoming independent. At the height of the Cold War, the US and USSR were racing each other to the moon, missiles in Turkey and in Cuba and walls in Berlin consumed the archrivals; sending American graduates to remote villages seemed ill-informed. Kennedy's Kiddie Korps was derided as ineffectual, the volunteers accused of being CIA spies, and often, their work made no sense to locals. The program would fall victim to the vagaries of global geopolitics: in Peru, Yawar Malku (Blood of the Condor), depicting American activities in the country, led to volunteers being bundled out unceremoniously; in Tanzania, they were excluded over Tanzania’s objection to the Vietnam War. Despite these challenges, the Peace Corps program shaped newly independent countries in significant ways: in Ethiopia they constituted half the secondary school teachers in 1961, in Tanzania they helped survey and build roads, in Ghana and Nigeria they were integral in the education systems, alongside other programs. Even in the Philippines, formerly a U.S. colony, Peace Corps volunteers were welcomed. Aside from these outcomes, the program had a foreign policy component, advancing U.S. interests in the recipient countries. Data shows that countries receiving volunteers demonstrated congruence in foreign policy preferences with the U.S., shown by voting behavior at the United Nations, a forum where countries’ actions and preferences and signaling is evident. Volunteer-recipient countries particularly voted with the U.S. on Key Votes. Thus, Peace Corps volunteers who function as citizen diplomats, helped countries shape their foreign policy towards the U.S., demonstrating the viability of soft power in international relations.