What is the Peace Corps?

The Peace Corps was founded in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy to challenge individuals to serve their country by working and living in developing countries. His brother-in-law, Sargent Shriver, was the first director. The Peace Corps is a federal agency so reports to Congress and the President.

The three goals of the organization are:

• Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.


• Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.


• Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

Fast Facts

Total number of Volunteers and trainees to date: 190,000
Total number of countries served: 139

Current number of Volunteers and Trainees: 8,079

Current number of countries served: 68 posts serving 74 countries
Gender: 59% female, 41% male
Marital Status: 93% single, 7% married
People of Color: 17% of Peace Corps Volunteers
Age: 27 years old (average), 25 years old (median)
Volunteers over age 50: 5% (oldest Volunteer is 80)
Education: 95% have at least an undergraduate degree, 11% have graduate studies or degrees
Fiscal year 2008 budget: $330.8 million (which I've been told is smaller than the annual budget for the Army's band uniforms!)

Current regions: Caribbean, Central America & Mexico, South America, North Africa & Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe & Central Asia, Asia, & Pacific Islands

Current work areas: education, health & HIV/AIDS, business, environment, youth, agriculture, youth outreach, community development

Volunteers serve for 27 months -- 3 months of training and two years at their site

Notable RPCVs

• Jim Doyle, Governor of Wisconsin and wife Jessica Doyle (Tunisia 1967-69)
• Chris Matthews, host of NBC's Hardball (Swaziland 1968-70)
• Donna Shalala, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (Iran 1962-64)
• Christopher Dodd, U.S. Senator, Connecticut (Dominican Republic 1966-68)
• Mildred Taylor, author of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, winner of Newbery Award (Ethiopia 1965-67)
• Priscilla Wrubel, founder of the Nature Company (Liberia 1961-63)
• David Briscoe, chief correspondent of World Desk for Associated Press (Philippines 1966-70)
• Dane Smith, former president of National Peace Corps Association; former ambassador to Senegal and Guinea (Ethiopia 1963-65)
• Donald B. Clark, USAID mission director, Senegal (Burkina Faso 1969-71)
• Carl Pope, executive director of Sierra Club (India 1967-69)
• Thomas Petri, U.S. Representative from Wisconsin (Somalia 1966-67)
• And this is just a few!

All information from http://www.peacecorps.gov/. Check out the site for more info!