Deadline:
As soon as possible
Location(s)
Haiti Mongolia Mozambique Nepal Sierra Leone Vanuatu Worldwide
Overview
Peace Corps Volunteers work at the grassroots level to create change that lasts long after their service. As a Volunteer, you can make an investment in our world—one handshake, one project, one friendship at a time—that leads to new possibilities in service and when you return home.
Details
Is Peace Corps Right For Me?
Motivated, with a passion for service.
Our Volunteers are changemakers, ready to partner with communities to make a difference. Every Peace Corps Volunteer is unique, and so is every Volunteer's service.
We Want You, For You!
Peace Corps Volunteers come from all kinds of backgrounds. They're just out of college, mid-career, or retired. And they reflect the rich diversity of the U.S.
- Volunteers who serve in the 2-year program: 94%
- Volunteers currently serving worldwide: 6,919
- Volunteers who would recommend service: 90%
Choose Your Program
Find the Volunteer program that is the right fit for you. Each program has different time commitments and requirements but all offer the opportunity to serve abroad and make the most of your world.
Explore where we go - Peace Corps Volunteers serve in over 60 countries. Find your place in the world.
What Volunteers Do - Find your passion project
Peace Corps service can be the first step toward a career or the continuation of a life's work. Sharpen your skills in a field you've always loved, or challenge yourself with a new opportunity. Volunteers go to work every day excited by the opportunity to make change.
Here's what they do.
- Agriculture
- Community
- Economic Development
- Education
- Environment
- Health
- Youth in Development
Preparation & Training
- The Peace Corps’ training system provides Volunteers with continual opportunities to develop their technical and intercultural skills.
- During service, there will be multiple training opportunities, including pre-service training, in-service training, midservice training, and the close-of-service conference.
Ready to Change the World?
- Step One: Find Your Path
- Step Two: Follow Your Path
- Step Three: Start Your Application
Opportunity is About
Eligibility
Candidates should be from:
Description of Ideal Candidate
Who are Peace Corps Volunteers?
Peace Corps Volunteers reflect the diversity of America united behind a shared purpose. The Peace Corps actively recruits Americans with a wide variety of experience, ages, and perspectives so we can share our nation's greatest resource—its people—with the communities we serve.
Perfect for
College grads, retirees, career changers, anyone looking to make a difference in the world
Dates
Deadline: As soon as possible
Cost/funding for participants
Benefits
Peace Corps service asks a lot of you. But it also has a lot to give. While you serve others, you will be gaining benefits that last through your Volunteer service and well beyond.
Financial benefits
The Peace Corps provides each Volunteer with housing and a living stipend that enables them to live in a manner similar to people in their community of service. Unlike other international volunteer programs, there is no charge to participate in the Peace Corps. There is no application fee, although costs may only be partially covered for required medical examinations during the application process.
Upon completion of two years of service, the Peace Corps provides each Volunteer with more than $8,000 (pre-tax) to help with the transition to life back home. This money is yours to use as you wish.
Travel benefits
The Peace Corps covers the cost of transportation to and from the country of service. Each Volunteer receives two paid vacation days per month of service, and many use this time to travel to nearby countries. Some invite family or friends to visit so they can share their experience of the host country. And, of course, Volunteers can use this time for a visit home (at their own expense). Paid leave is available in the event of family emergencies.
Medical and Dental benefits
The Peace Corps provides medical and dental care that covers all related expenses during service, including preventative care, and issues incurred during your training period, service, or on vacation. In the case of a health problem that cannot be treated in your host country, you will be sent to a nearby country or the U.S at no cost to you.
Graduate school benefits
Graduate schools recognize the valuable service experience returned Peace Corps Volunteers bring to underserved communities at home. The Paul D. Coverdell Fellows program partners offer returned Peace Corps Volunteers reduced tuition, assistantships, and stipends at more than 90 participating universities and colleges.
Returned Volunteers may be eligible for workers’ compensation for injuries incurred during their service, although this program is managed by the Department of Labor and not by the Peace Corps.
Career benefits
The Peace Corps provides rigorous technical training at the start of service, which includes in-depth intercultural and language instruction, usually from a native speaker.
Throughout service, Volunteers have regular opportunities to gain new skills related to work, language, culture, and safety. This training makes returned Peace Corps Volunteers highly in demand by corporate, nonprofit, and government employers seeking candidates with the skills required in today’s global economy.
The Peace Corps offers career support specifically tailored to Volunteers when they return home to help them prepare for their next step:
- Help translating their field experience to prospective employers
- Advantages in federal employment and hiring benefits related to noncompetitive eligibility and possible credit toward retirement should they meet qualifications
- Access to job announcements, résumé services, and career fairs
- Other special eligibility for hiring preferences by organizations designated as Employers of National Service
Returned Peace Corps Volunteers have gone on to successful careers in all kinds of fields, from international development to business to the arts.
Student loan benefits
Student loans are your responsibility while you are in service, but certain public student loans may be eligible for deferment or for Public Service Loan Forgiveness by your lender.
Become part of a vibrant network
More than 220,000 Americans have served as Peace Corps Volunteers, making for a highly active and diverse alumni network.
Un-save Opportunity
Internships, scholarships, student conferences and competitions.
