U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
        Here’s how you know
    Goverment symbol**Official websites use .gov**
            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
        Lock symbol**Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
            A lock (
              A locked padlock
                 ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive
              information only on official, secure websites.
 Skip to main content JoinDonate
    About
    About
          About
        
About menu block one
  

        
        What We Do
                Our Impact
                Agency FAQs
About menu block two
  

        
        Our Team
                Careers
About menu block three
  

        
        Agency Overview
                            Budget and Performance Plans
                Disability and Accessibility
                Federal Register Notices
                Open Government
                Plain Writing
                Privacy Policy
                Strategic Plan

  

  
Serve
    Serve
          Serve
        
Serve menu block one
  

        
        AmeriCorps
                            AmeriCorps NCCC
                AmeriCorps State and National
                AmeriCorps VISTA
                AmeriCorps Seniors
                            AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent Program
                AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP
                AmeriCorps Seniors Senior Companion Program
Serve menu block two
  

        
        Volunteer
                            9/11 Day
                MLK Day
Serve menu block three
  

        
        Find Your Fit
                Serve FAQs

  

  
Partner
    Partner
          Partner
        
Partner menu block one
  

        
        How it Works
                            AmeriCorps NCCC
                AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent
                AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP
                AmeriCorps Seniors Senior Companion
                AmeriCorps State and National
                AmeriCorps VISTA
                Research and Evaluation
                Volunteer Generation Fund
Partner menu block two
  

        
        Partnerships
                Communities and Initiatives
                Funding Opportunities
Partner menu block three
  

        
        Partner FAQs

  

  
Members & Volunteers
    Members & Volunteers
          Members & Volunteers
        
Members & Volunteers menu block one
  

        
        Your Benefits
                Segal AmeriCorps Education Award
                Education Award FAQs
Members & Volunteers menu block two
  

        
        Alumni
                Members in VISTA
Members & Volunteers menu block three
  

        
        Member and Volunteer FAQs
                Safety and Security

  

  
Grantees & Sponsors
    Grantees & Sponsors
          Grantees & Sponsors
        
Grantee & Sponsors menu block one
  

        
        State Service Commissions
                State and National Direct Grantees
                State Subgrantees
                VISTA Sponsors
                Research and Evaluation Grantees
                Volunteer Generation Fund and Days of Service Grantees
Grantee & Sponsors menu block two
  

        
        RSVP Grantees
                Foster Grandparent Program Grantees
                Senior Companion Program Grantees
                Senior Demonstration Program Grantees
                NCCC Project Sponsors
Grantee & Sponsors menu block three
  

        
        Manage Your Grant
                Grantee and Sponsor FAQs

  

  
Newsroom
    Newsroom
          Newsroom
        
Newsroom menu block one
  

        
        News
                Blog
Newsroom menu block two
  

        
        Stories
                Events
Newsroom menu block three
  

        
        In the News
                Communication Resources



  
Contact
    Contact
    JoinDonate
search Breadcrumb

              Happy Birthday Peace Corps
      Submitted by 
eschneider
 on 
Thu, 03/03/2022 - 13:38Mar 07, 2022
        AmeriCorps staff
  

                    **Spotlighting Returned Peace Corps Volunteers Who Continued their National Service Journey**

Happy Birthday, Peace Corps – from your domestic partner in service.

On March 1, 1961, just three months into his presidency, President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps. The bold idea of an international volunteer organization was first mentioned at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor after then-Senator Kennedy was campaigning for the presidency on October 14, 1960. During his remarks at 2 a.m. to more than 10,000 students, the senator issued a challenge:
                  “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.”
      / John F. Kennedy

      Following this speech, 1,000 students signed a petition to serve abroad. Two weeks later, Senator Kennedy proposed “a peace corps of talented men and women.” After becoming the president and receiving more than 25,000 letters responding to his call to serve, President Kennedy signed an executive order establishing the Peace Corps.

      JFK signing Executive Order creating Peace Corps

      In August 1961, President Kennedy welcomed the inaugural group of volunteers to serve in Africa to the White House before they departed. Tanganyika, Ghana, and Colombia were the first countries to participate.

For more than 60 years, the Peace Corps has promoted world peace and friendship in 142 countries.

And during the pandemic they did not stop serving. Over the past two years, the Peace Corps continued its development work led by the agency’s counterparts and overseas staff members, virtual service, and the second-ever domestic deployment in the US to aid in the COVID-19 response alongside FEMA.

And aside from all this service, did you know many Returned Peace Corps Volunteers come back from their service ready to continue their national service journey with AmeriCorps? And many that had to leave service early overseas due to the pandemic, chose to keep serving in AmeriCorps.

Like Kieran. He began his two-year service in Madagascar as an English teacher. He taught sophomore classes, each with nearly 60 students. In addition to lesson planning and evaluating students’ progress, he also privately tutored anyone interested. However, due to the pandemic, Kieran left Madagascar and returned to the US only 18 months into his service.

      AmeriCorps member Kieran on Peace Corps Service
  AmeriCorps Member Kieran with students
          Previous
                Next

      Wanting to do something more, Kieran joined AmeriCorps and served with the VISTA program in North Kansas City with KidSight MO, a children’s vision screening nonprofit that specializes in providing follow-up care and financial assistance to kids who have potential vision problems. While serving Kieran said, “The impact of my service has been positive. I work with truly wonderful people doing great work! COVID makes things difficult, but I am happy to be where I am.”

      





AmeriCorps member, George Austin smiling
        George Austin, an AmeriCorps member serving with FEMA Corps as a team leader in Southern Region joined AmeriCorps after serving in the Peace Corps.

“My Peace Corps service helped me prepare for my AmeriCorps NCCC service by preparing me to become more self-sufficient and thus allow me to become more independent,” said George. “Peace Corps is an incredible experience, and doing AmeriCorps beforehand is a great steppingstone into Peace Corps.”

      Sage was selected to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer in Mozambique as a community health and youth services promoter starting in April 2020. But due to the pandemic, never deployed. After the disappointment of having her service term canceled, Sage contacted a former professor who recommended AmeriCorps. She serves with the VISTA program with CASA of Yellowstone County in Billings, Mont. In this role, Sage recruited Native American and culturally competent mentor matches for Native American children who have been removed from their homes. Sage recruited 16 volunteers to serve 14 youth in need, expanding their families’ access to services addressing educational, housing, and mental health needs.

      AmeriCorps member Sage working at CASA booth

      “Serving as an AmeriCorps member has given me the chance to serve a new community in ways that I would not have imagined for myself,” said Sage. “My work challenges me and gives me the opportunity to work with a group of amazing people."

Astin joined the Peace Corps after her AmeriCorps service with the State and National program. She served at Social Capital Inc in Woburn, Mass., at the James L. McKeown Boys & Girls Club. She supported the After the Bell program, an afterschool program featuring mentoring youth and leading specific activities   focused on the environment and engineering.

In the Peace Corps she served in Nkob, Morocco, as a yaouth development volunteer in a Dar Chabab (translated to ‘Youth House’). Her main focus, in collaboration with Moroccan counterparts, was to create, schedule, and implement engaging activities like doing arts and craft, skits, and English classes.

      





“My time with AmeriCorps inspired me to continue serving with the Peace Corps because of the natural next step in community development,” said Astin. “I had just spent my AmeriCorps service within a community, new to me, and I was able to succeed by learning from others and sharing my skills and ideas. I was eager to see if my experience could translate in a foreign country.”
        Astin in Morocco

      These are just four examples of Americans who stayed on their national service journey through both Peace Corps and AmeriCorps. There are so many more out there.

*Did you successfully complete both a full-time service term or its equivalent in AmeriCorps, and the Peace Corps or Peace Corps Response? Learn more and apply for the Harris Wofford Joint Service Award.*

Americans serving in Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, or both come together to meet the moment and step up for those in need, even when there are considerable challenges. We are thankful for all the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers who bring their service experience with them when they join the AmeriCorps team. Please join us in wishing Peace Corps a happy birthday.

AmeriCorps is keeping the national service celebration going in the month of March. Join us in celebrating AmeriCorps Week.

Inspired to serve? Visit americorps.gov/serve or peacecorps.gov/volunteer to learn more.
          PreviousCelebrate with Us: AmeriCorps Week is March 13-19NextNew $25K grants available to bring generations together in service Back to main content Sign up to hear about our latest news, events, and opportunities.
  Sign up for our newsletter
    Footer about
  

        
        About
                            What We Do
                Our Impact
                Our Team
                Careers
                Agency OverviewFooter serve
  

        
        Serve
                            AmeriCorps
                AmeriCorps Seniors
                Volunteer
                Find Your FitFooter partner
  

        
        Partner
                            How it Works
                Funding OpportunitiesFooter Members & Volunteers
  

        
        Members & Volunteers
                            Your Benefits
                Segal AmeriCorps Education Award
                Alumni
                Safety and SecurityFooter grantees & sponsors
  

        
        Grantees & Sponsors
                            eGrants
                History Checks
                LitmosFooter newsroom
  

        
        Newsroom
                            News
                Blog
                Stories
                Events
                In the News
                Communication Resources
      Bringing Americans together to serve communities

Follow us
  
  1-800-942-2677
            
    help@americorps.gov
    USA.gov / Office of Inspector General / FOIA and Privacy Act / Federal Register notices / No FEAR Act/ Employee Whistleblower Rights / Contractor and Grantee Whistleblower Rights / Office of Special Counsel / STOCK Act / Fraud Alert

Accessibility / Privacy policy / Site map / Donate / Join

**AmeriCorps.gov**
An official website of AmeriCorps. Produced and published at taxpayer expense. 
 You are leaving AmeriCorps.gov
 The website you’re going to is not part of the AmeriCorps domain and may not be under AmeriCorps’ control. Its privacy and security practices and policies may differ from AmeriCorps’. AmeriCorps is not responsible for the link, nor does it endorse the content of the third-party website. Click on the continue button to proceed to the external website; otherwise click cancel to stay on AmeriCorps.gov.
 Cancel Continue