National Peace Corps Association Helps Bring Volunteers Back to the Classroom

Press Release: National Peace Corps Association Helps Bring Volunteers Back to the Classroom

Washington, DC — April 28th, 2010 — Organization works to share overseas experiences with students at home through Speakers Match Program

The National Peace Corps Association, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization supporting Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) and the Peace Corps community, recently partnered with the Peace Corps to bring former volunteers to elementary and secondary school classrooms around the country through the Speakers Match program.

“This program helps us advance the Peace Corps’ Third Goal: helping U.S. citizens better understand foreign cultures,” said Kevin Quigley, president of the National Peace Corps Association. “Encouraging Returned Peace Corps Volunteers to share their experiences in our nation’s classrooms is exactly the type of work we should be engaged in leading up to the Peace Corps’ 50th anniversary.”

The Speakers Match program is part of Peace Corps’ Paul D. Coverdell World Wise Schools program that provides educational resources based on volunteer experiences. The program was designed to connect former volunteers with American classrooms in their local communities to talk about topics including public service, foreign cultures, language and geography.

“The Peace Corps is committed to helping Returned Peace Corps Volunteers share their Peace Corps experiences in as many communities as possible,” said Peace Corps Chief of Staff Stacy Rhodes. “This important partnership with NPCA will help us encourage more Returned Peace Corps Volunteers to share their unique international experiences with the next generation of Peace Corps volunteers.”

RPCVs can register and classroom teachers can request speakers through the Peace Corps Speakers Match program by visiting www.peacecorps.gov/wws/speakersmatch.

***

About the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA)

Founded in 1979 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) is the nation’s leading 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization connecting and championing Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and the Peace Corps community. It provides service and education opportunities that build on the Peace Corps experience, and is also the longest-standing advocate for an independent and robust Peace Corps. To learn more, visit: www.peacecorpsconnect.org

Media contact:
Erica Burman
Director of Communications
Phone: 202-293-7728