Press Release: National Peace Corps Association Honors Kennedy and Peace Corps 50th Anniversary at University of Michigan Symposium

Washington, DC — October 7th, 2010 — Nation’s largest group supporting former Volunteers will be among key participants

Washington, D.C.─ The National Peace Corps Association (NPCA), the nation’s leading nonprofit organization supporting Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and the Peace Corps community, announced today it will be co-sponsoring the National Symposium: The Future of International Service next week at the University of Michigan, where John F. Kennedy first called for the creation of the Peace Corps in 1960. The symposium kicks off a year-long series of events across the nation that will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps.

“The Peace Corps has been one of the most successful programs in U.S. history,” said Kevin Quigley, president of the National Peace Corps Association. “It has not just helped people around the world improve their standards of living, but it has also allowed ordinary Americans to become engaged with the world.”

NPCA is working with the University of Michigan; the Brookings Institution, an esteemed nonpartisan think tank in Washington, D.C.; and the Building Bridges Coalition, a consortium of promoting the field of international volunteering, to organize the symposium that begins on campus at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 13.

During the celebration, Quigley will moderate a panel discussion about new initiatives and policy proposals with John M. Bridgeland, president and CEO of Civic Enterprises; Stephen P. Groff, deputy director of the Development Co-Operation Directorate at the OECD; and Sonal Shah, director of the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation. Other discussions will look at the impact of international service programs, the role of universities and current challenges facing the Peace Corps program.

“At its heart, the Peace Corps is an idea—the idea of serving others around the world in order to learn more about ourselves,” added Quigley. “We are honored to celebrate the Peace Corps’ 50th anniversary and look forward to supporting the next half century of its work.”

Following the symposium, people will gather on the steps of the Michigan Student Union on Oct. 14 at 2 a.m. to commemorate exactly 50 years since Kennedy first mentioned the Peace Corps.

For more details on the National Symposium: The Future of International Service, go to: http://peacecorps.umich.edu/natl-details.html. The public is welcome.

Download the Symposium on International Service Program.

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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

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