How long is peace corps staging

The session felt a lot like an off-site corporate training meeting — though given the average age and gender mix, the volume and pitch tended to be a bit higher than average. Staging also helped level-set our knowledge of and expectations about the Peace Corps. Very little of the covered material was specific to Namibia or Africa or even to our upcoming term of service — it was more a meta-level overview of the organization and its history.

Getting to Know the Peace Corps 1. In what year was the Peace Corps started? Which president started the Peace Corps? John F Kennedy 3. How long have Peace Corps Volunteers been serving in your country of service?

Namibia: since 4. In how many countries have Peace Corps Volunteers served? In how many countries are Peace Corps Volunteers currently serving? How many Volunteers have served in the Peace Corps to date? How many Volunteers are currently serving in the Peace Corps? How many Volunteers are currently in your country of service? The agency expanded eligibility in to candidates without prior Peace Corps experience.

Challenges remain. The Peace Corps launched the Global Health Services Partnership in for doctors and nurses to serve as adjunct faculty in medical schools overseas, but closed the program in Given the agency's limited resources, this may reflect a continuing strategic decision to concentrate on Peace Corps' deep relationship with colleges in recruiting fresh graduates for the program, and the recognition that Peace Corps Response is likely to remain a useful but ultimately secondary component of the volunteer force.

Whatever the skill sets and demographic characteristics sought by the agency, the recruitment of high-quality volunteers willing to live in unfamiliar and sometimes uncomfortable conditions is essential to the overall mission of the Peace Corps. A substantial spike in applicants after the September 11, , terrorist attacks has made it easier for the Peace Corps to meet its recruitment goals, but concerns continued to arise about the duration and lack of transparency of the recruitment process.

As part of the reforms initiated from the agency assessment, the Peace Corps has sought to streamline recruitment and strengthen diversity outreach, yielding significant results. The Peace Corps introduced a new online application platform, a new medical clearance review system, and a significantly streamlined application form.

The agency also now allows applicants to choose their country and sector of service. The number of applications for the two-year volunteer program rose to a year high of 20, in FY The Peace Corps has been criticized in the past for providing inadequate programming and support of volunteers.

Reports in the past observed that some volunteers had little or nothing to do, characterizing the agency as failing to plan, evaluate, and monitor volunteers. The Peace Corps has recently established systematic approaches to project development, annual project reviews, and increased opportunities for site visits and volunteer feedback.

The agency has also analyzed volunteer satisfaction with site selection and preparation, identifying its top five drivers as 1 community members being prepared for the volunteer's arrival, 2 work being meaningful, 3 work matching the volunteer's skills, 4 sufficient work being available, and 5 work reflecting community needs.

As the agency has become more data-driven, it is trying to quantify these points and measure progress toward achieving them. The safety and security of Peace Corps volunteers has long been a prime concern for Congress, and attention has grown in recent years, as noted above. Since its creation, volunteers have died in service, though incidents have declined since the s.

The top cause of volunteer death has long been motor vehicle accident, with disease and drowning also major causes. The IG also found numerous instances of recurring evaluation findings. The IG report made 28 recommendations. Among them were that the Office of Safety and Security establish clear lines of authority to manage its work, and enact a training program for Officers and Coordinators. It also advised the Peace Corps to adequately track the office's recommendations.

The IG recommended Peace Corps provide volunteers a safety handbook during recruitment and staging and require them to sign a code of conduct on basic security principles before departure. The Peace Corps has further responded to ongoing concerns about the threats of terrorism, natural disasters, and civil strife by upgrading communications protocols and security measures, and by updating country-specific Emergency Action Plans EAP annually.

EAPs define roles and responsibilities for staff and volunteers, explain standard policies and procedures, and list emergency contact information for every volunteer. Volunteer safety has remained an active issue for Congress. The Farr-Castle Act of enacted several reforms; among them, it mandates consultation with the IG on volunteer deaths and requires new notifications to volunteer candidates on safety and security considerations for their country assignment.

An early draft of the Farr-Castle Act would have established procedures for prosecuting perpetrators of certain crimes against volunteers, but it was not enacted. Sexual assault of volunteers continues to generate significant public and congressional attention. The Puzey Act has facilitated congressional oversight of these issues. Among other actions, the law. In a series of reports on its implementation, the Peace Corps IG and the Sexual Assault Advisory Council have praised the Peace Corps for "markedly improved" support systems for addressing sexual assault and for commitment to Puzey Act mandates.

It made the Office of Victim Advocacy permanent, integrating it into the Peace Corps' organizational structure, and extended and gave more investigative authority to the Sexual Assault Advisory Council. Given that many volunteers serve in very remote, inaccessible locations, 33 the Peace Corps often evacuates its volunteers more readily than other U. Since , volunteers have been evacuated from at least 17 countries, and stability concerns have frustrated programs in several new countries.

Most often, evacuations were due to political instability, crime, and civil unrest. Examples include the following:. While security concerns have impeded Peace Corps' expansion in the Middle East, many Muslim-majority countries have active Peace Corps programs. Congress maintains interest in Peace Corps' geographic distribution. The Farr-Castle Act established a requirement of congressional notification by Peace Corps prior to entry or exit for any country program.

The Peace Corps provides serving volunteers with comprehensive health care, including routine care provided by a medical officer at each post and emergency care provided as deemed advisable, including medical evacuation to the United States. The agency has taken a number of steps in recent years to improve the quality of this care. The agency now facilitates direct communication between volunteers and medical professionals at headquarters, has taken steps to improve the supervision and hiring of medical officers, initiated electronic medical records, and strengthened malaria prevention and treatment efforts, among other actions.

The Farr-Castle Act seeks to further improve volunteer health care by mandating periodic reports on implementation of several IG recommendations, establishing review procedures for all volunteer deaths, and requiring Peace Corps to report to Congress on progress on medical care reforms. It also requires new performance criteria for medical officer candidates and consultation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on volunteer prescriptions, particularly for malaria prophylaxis.

With many volunteers serving in malaria-affected countries, medication and treatment of malaria is a recurring concern for volunteer health care. In March , a former volunteer sued the Peace Corps for providing mefloquine, an antimalarial medication that may incur serious side effects, without appropriate warnings. The Peace Corps disputed this claim and noted that its policy is to monitor closely for tolerance and to offer changes in medication if requested.

RPCVs with maladies attributable to their Peace Corps service have long complained of inadequate support from Peace Corps and considerable frustration trying to obtain the health services for which they are eligible.

The length and complexity of the established process, compounded by OWCP's perceived lack of understanding of volunteer service and the types of illnesses characteristic of work in developing nations, have elicited complaints from affected RPCVs. To address these concerns, the Peace Corps has hired staff to assist volunteers with their claims and attempted to shorten the claims process by working better with OWCP.

Among other steps, the Task Force suggested that the Peace Corps seek legislation to raise the ceiling on disability compensation, improve explanation of post-service health benefits to volunteers and RPCVs, and provide greater assistance to volunteers on post-service options regarding accessibility to insurance under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

While a version of the bill introduced in the House would have increased disability compensation and mandated a report on the disability claims process, neither of those provisions was included in the enacted law. Intentionality matters. Unconscious bias in host countries impacts Volunteers of color in multiple ways; oftentimes, so does conscious or socially-accepted bias. These Volunteers and their cohorts should be proactively supported with training and strategies for how best to manage such biases.

Background : Diversity, inclusion, and setting expectations for what Volunteers should expect in a country will provide the type of support for Volunteers of color that is needed to help them feel empowered to continue to serve as Volunteers when such issues arise. Peace Corps should make an extra effort to ensure Volunteers of color are supported to reduce early attrition.

Volunteers of color, American staff of color, and Host Country staff should expect enhanced support when they are victims of discrimination. Background : Americans serving overseas may not typically view themselves as potential victims of discrimination, but they are.

Recognizing this and providing remedies for it is crucial to maintain volunteer morale and protection. The Peace Corps agency and National Peace Corps Association need to create systematic processes by which Volunteers of color can connect with and support one another; that is good for the Volunteers and Peace Corps as a whole.

More support for spaces where Volunteers from disenfranchised communities can connect will also empower Volunteers and make them more successful in their work. Background : Volunteers of color need easier access to a community of people who can support and relate to their experiences. That currently does not formally exist. Currently that access is ad-hoc and uneven, and creates a dynamic that does not support these Volunteers in a systematic manner.

Networks for volunteers of color and Black Volunteers and other Volunteers of color should be formalized. The system of how the Peace Corps engages potential Volunteers of color, from recruitment through close of service, should be reviewed for systemic bias, and it should be updated and, where necessary, reformed to be inclusive of all potential applicants.

Draw primarily from leadership within the Peace Corps community, particularly returned Volunteers of color, including those with Peace Corps agency experience, and leaders at agencies, businesses, educational institutions, and NGOs committed to ensuring equity in their institutions. In addition, the Peace Corps agency should view national service as a partnership pipeline for Peace Corps service, potentially by partnering with other service organizations such as AmeriCorps.

This starts with providing financial assistance for them to be able to consider applying but should not stop there. Work with universities, businesses, and foundations that are pro-service to help with financial support. It needs to be reconstituted permanently, so that there is a sustained effort made within the agency to recruit Volunteers of color as part of core efforts.

The community and the country can and should benefit more from their experience and knowledge, but the perception is that the agency and NPCA have not tapped their expertise or told their stories. This will make both the agency and NPCA stronger and more reflective of the values they aspire to represent.

Recruiting the next generation of Peace Corps Volunteers requires renewed focus on how to build a diverse pipeline of strong and committed applicants who can reflect America overseas — and address pressing global needs. Where and how does outreach need to happen? What will Volunteers of the future look like, in terms of skills, experience, diversity, and motivation? What is the role of the RPCV community? Potential volunteers are called to service for a variety of reasons.

A joint recruitment process could help each person find the service program that works for them while increasing awareness about all programs. In addition to increasing visibility, this combined approach to recruitment might also be more cost-efficient.

Each returned Volunteer has their own experience in service. National Peace Corps Association boasts more than affiliate groups organized around countries of service; regions and cities in the United States; places of employment, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and causes, such as environmental action. By expanding access and awareness, this initiative will lead more and different potential applicants to consider joining the Peace Corps.

The presence of Peace Corps on university campuses can and should have greater impact as well, by ensuring that partnership agreements include outreach to nearby communities — not only on campus.

The agency should also look again at basing recruitment off campus. Background : Peace Corps currently has campus recruiters and strategic recruiters on some university campuses, but there are more universities without a recruitment presence than universities with one. Focusing on universities and their surrounding communities could help increase applicant diversity. Along with looking at concrete skills and experience, the Peace Corps agency should address questions such as: Do attitudes and personality traits make the most successful Volunteers?

And how can outreach efforts be improved to find that person? This may involve a new way of thinking about some of the selection criteria. For example, in community discussions a story was shared about a returned Volunteer who had a phenomenal service but faced a very difficult application process due to a misdemeanor offense as a teenager.

Selection criteria should be broadened to be more inclusive of diverse experiences shared by applicants, and it should build upon the consideration Peace Corps already gives to experienced applicants who may not possess a college degree. Significant federal resources exist that the Peace Corps agency can leverage to enhance recruitment, financial support for the pre-medical screening process, and other pre-service activities. The Peace Corps agency should explore interagency partnerships with agencies that have the capacity to conduct medical examinations.

The agency should update the recruitment slogan to one that meets the current moment. Messaging and marketing for the Peace Corps starts from the moment a person learns about the Peace Corps.

Letting people know what the work is about is crucial. This goal should be central to recruitment efforts and is not directed only at outreach efforts, but also for the evaluation and selection processes.

Policies, plans, and strategies need to be developed to help achieve this. Campus recruiters build awareness of the Peace Corps and increase the likelihood of a successful application. Additionally, if the partnerships with universities were expanded, campus recruiters could also work more effectively with off-campus community groups.

They have critical knowledge to share when recruiting Volunteers. Through a partnership with NPCA, the agency should also expand and reinvigorate the World Wise Schools program, established by Senator Paul Coverdell in to teach Americans about the world by providing educational resources to promote global competence.

It is meant to create a talent pipeline to connect returned Peace Corps Volunteers and AmeriCorps alumni with leading employers from private, public, and nonprofit sectors. The Peace Corps has long understood that there are tremendous challenges for Volunteers returning to the United States after service. Yet support for returning Volunteers has never been viewed as adequate, and it has diminished in recent years.

There is a fundamental need to improve and expand programming. In addition to the one month of health insurance provided by the Peace Corps, RPCVs should have access to this insurance extended, at their own expense, for up to six months. Volunteers should be given access to at least 10 mental health appointments with the possibility of extension if deemed necessary. Background : Given that the post-Peace Corps job search can easily take six months or more, the current two-month access coverage is inadequate and needs to be lengthened.

Eligibility should be expanded to three years to mirror the three years of NCE that Peace Corps staff currently receive when they leave the Peace Corps agency. This is consistent with recommendations from the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service for all national service agencies.

Background : Not all RPCVs return immediately to the United States after service, though they have gained experience that would benefit manifold federal agencies. For returning Volunteers, eligibility for hiring into federal service is currently just one year. This ends up excluding many RPCVs who do want to serve in the federal government. As a consequence, the American people miss out on leveraging their flexibility, skills at solving problems, commitment to hands-on work, and recognition of the value of service.

Protection is also needed for returning Volunteers who are disabled and unable to work immediately after service to ensure that the clock on their NCE status does not begin until they are able to work. The Peace Corps agency should commission National Peace Corps Association to provide this service through its Global Reentry Program, which was rapidly rolled out to support evacuated Volunteers in Returned Peace Corps Volunteers should be introduced to nationally and internationally oriented non-governmental organizations NGOs and international non-governmental organizations INGOs , foundations, charitable organizations, social entrepreneurs, and other organizations that share the ideals of the Peace Corps.

Background : Staging is a pre-service training program geared to prepare future Volunteers for service. The standard COS conference at posts is typically implemented three months before the scheduled departure by a group of Volunteers; it focuses largely on administrative close-out processes.

The final act of completing service is generally anticlimactic, and it largely fails to prepare new RPCVs for engagement in the Peace Corps community following service. Returning Volunteers should have the option to participate in a quarterly week-long virtual or in-person readjustment training; RPCVs could take advantage of beneficial resources and build key connections.

The Peace Corps agency should reform the entire financial incentive package to make the Peace Corps accessible to Volunteers of a broad range of socioeconomic backgrounds.

This could include an expansion of loan forgiveness, readjustment allowance settlements, and award programs. National Peace Corps Association and the Peace Corps agency should also explore public-private partnerships to create a financial incentive package to complement existing programs such as the Coverdell Fellows Program, which is available to some pursuing postgraduate education after service.

A provision in H. Background : There are many barriers to Peace Corps service, and a major one is financial accessibility. The readjustment allowance has not kept pace with the cost of living in the U. Volunteers can and should come from a broad range of socioeconomic backgrounds, and we need to ensure that all individuals who are interested in service see it as a viable option, regardless of their own financial means.

This is important to leveling the playing field and enabling equitable practices to address the exclusion of disenfranchised communities. There is a significant amount of information available that can support volunteer readjustment, but how it is made available — or must be sought out — is confusing to Volunteers finishing service.

The Close of Service program should help to manage the critical information needed by returning Volunteers. The content is inconsistent from country to country. Some posts seek to provide a robust program addressing readjustment in their COS programming, while others provide little outside of standard paperwork and close-out processes — and utterly fail to address post-service job search. A one-week conference is recommended, to include more consistent training and resources for RPCVs.

They should be. The Facebook group was nimble and supportive in its responses to the immediate, urgent needs of evacuated Volunteers in transit and back in the United States. Coverdell Fellowship program. More extensive outreach to graduate programs encouraging universities to expand offerings and graduate education financial assistance is needed. The future of Peace Corps agency funding and budget priorities depends upon the support of the broader Peace Corps community, as the community plays a central role in securing resources for the future of the agency.

Congress and the White House must ensure that the agency has the resources to accomplish the towering task in front of it.

And aspirations to put 10, Volunteers in the field will need the funds to make that possible. There was a strong consensus among town hall participants that Returned Peace Corps Volunteers have powerful stories of accomplishment and transformation that should be more effectively shared with policymakers, thought leaders, and the American public.

The Peace Corps agency should commission NPCA as an independent entity to produce a survey to more adequately measure the impact of all three goals of the Peace Corps; an annual survey should be produced thereafter.

It has basic personal information, a short essay, your resume, transcripts, etc. For example, women with IUDs can serve, but only in countries where an IUD can be easily removed in case of an emergency. This is a preliminary screening to see if your worth interviewing and where they might consider your service.

Then, you fill out country preferences and availability dates. Country placements open up as volunteers turnover yearly, so not every country is available for application all the time.

Your availability to leave also determines your eligibility. You are allowed to choose three currently available placements, in which case you will only be considered for those placements. Then, based on all of this information, you may or may not get an email saying you are being considered for a specific placement and are invited to interview for that placement. My choices were for youth development positions in Thailand and Samoa, with a flexible third choice.

I was told I was being considered for Thailand, and waited to schedule an online interview. My interview took place in April, and I was asked some Thailand-specific questions and some generic questions. My know-by date was September 1st. I waited and waited… and waited.

Of course I would be willing to be considered, but I figured they would just break my heart all over again.