Returned Peace Corps Volunteers Tell Their Stories at Fordham University
The event took place during Peace Corps Week to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the agency. by Sophie McNamee, Communications Specialist The Peace Corps is proud to highlight a recent event at Fordham University, where returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) shared powerful stories of service and impact across the globe. Hosted by Fordham’s International Political Economy and Development (IPED) program on March 5, the event marked both Peace Corps Week and the organization’s 65th anniversary. Students, faculty and RPCVs came together to reflect on the value of international service, with volunteers sharing experiences from countries including Fiji, Ecuador and Kenya....
In the Village, Everyhing is Free
By Declan Tomlinson (Fiji 2023-2025) BULA!!! In celebration of Earth Month! We are proud to bring to you this story from the beautiful islands of Fiji! I’m sitting inside, eating freshly harvested fruits and vegetables. The kids are playing outside, so I lean close to keep listening to my host-mother. “In town, everything costs money, but here, you can farm cassava or walk to the mango tree. It's all free.” My Fijian village is blessed with a bountiful tropical environment that provides more than enough food for everyone to share. “In the village, everything is free.” This phrase is as...
Representatives in the House Show Bipartisan Support for Funding of the Peace Corps
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 16, 2026 Media Contact: Joe Shaffner, Vice President National Peace Corps Association, jshaffner@peacecorpsconnect.org Washington, DC – Last week, members of the House of Representatives rushed to meet a one week deadline of March 11 to sign on to a letter calling for a Fiscal Year 2027 (FY 27) funding increase for the Peace Corps. Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA and Returned Peace Corps Volunteer) and Delegate Amata Radewagen (R-American Samoa) co-authored the letter addressed to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs — calling for $479 million to be set aside...
From Ukraine to Guatemala: Peace Corps Lessons on Gender Equity
By Helen Petrozzola (Ukraine 98-00) and Sarah Fuhrmann Thorwirth (Guatemala 07-09) Before service, many of us understood gender inequality as an idea—something studied in classrooms, debated in meetings, or addressed through advocacy from afar. We read the statistics, organized campaigns, and spoke about fairness and opportunity. But for Peace Corps Volunteers, those abstract concepts take on a different meaning. They become visible in daily routines, in conversations, in barriers faced and overcome, and in the persistent work of communities striving for change. Across countries, cultures, and sectors, Volunteers encounter how gender shapes access to education, health, economic opportunity, and voice....
TAKE ACTION: Annual Peace Corps Funding Letter Circulating in U.S. House
For more than twenty years, National Peace Corps Association and its advocates have mobilized to support an annual "Dear Colleague" letter that lawmakers in the House of Representatives are asked to sign, requesting strong funding for the Peace Corps. Ever since 1961, often amid uncertainty, division, and conflict, the nearly 250,000 citizens who have served in the Peace Corps have consistently represented fellow citizens around the world and here at home with a standard that is emblematic of the very best that our nation has to offer. Because of this, RPCV Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA) and Delegate Amata Radewagen (R-American...
Celebrating 65 years from the field, Kati Cheung: Albania
By Kati Cheung, PCV - Albania Mirëmëngjes, I’m Kati Cheung. I'm a Peace Corps health volunteer serving in Albania. I'm almost halfway through service, which is incredible to me. I feel like I just arrived in Albania, but also that I've experienced more than one year could possibly hold, and that's not to say Peace Corps service is a constant string of big, exciting events. Really, so much of service is actually those quiet moments. It's moments of self-reflection. Quietly sharing coffee when the language barrier is too great and noticing the subtle points of connection happening in my...
Peace Corps Launches Tech Prosperity Corps Initiative
Today, the Peace Corps announced a new initiative, called Tech Prosperity Corps, to “recruit, train and deploy skilled Americans to support the adoption of artificial intelligence in Peace Corps host countries participating in the American AI Exports Program.” The initiative was announced at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 by Michael Kratsios, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology. According to acting Peace Corps Director Richard E. Swarttz, “By building technical capacity, supporting AI adoption across critical use cases, and addressing barriers to last-mile AI implementation, Tech Prosperity Corps volunteers will leverage American AI to expand access...
Black Peace Corps Journeys: Designing a Life After Service
A Look into the Black Peace Corps Experience By Arabella Estes The culminating event for the Museum of the Peace Corps Experience’s Peace by Design exhibit highlighted not only the humanity behind Peace Corps service, but also honed in on the experiences of one group, Black Peace Corps Volunteers. On Friday, February 13th, Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) met to share a range of perspectives on the experiences, both during and after their service, at “Black Peace Corps Journeys: Designing a Life After Service.” Hosted at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library and intended to commemorate both Black History...
NPCA Statement on Final Congressional Action on FY 2026 Peace Corps Funding
February 4, 2026 - Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed the Senate Amendment to H.R. 7148, the Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY 2026). The funding package includes appropriations for the Peace Corps and other international programs. While the Trump administration had proposed level funding of $430.5 million for the Peace Corps, both the House and Senate settled on a five percent, $20 million reduction in funding for the current fiscal year, which runs through September 30th. This funding level for the agency’s operations is nearly equal to the $410 million allotted in 2016, which represents less than 0.1% of...
Leadership Announcement at Peace Corps
Richard Swarttz has been appointed Acting Peace Corps Director by the administration until a permanent Director is nominated by the President, confirmed by the United States Senate, and sworn in for duty. Mr. Swarttz was previously appointed by the White House to serve as the Chief Financial Officer of the Peace Corps in 2018-2021. Mr. Swarttz brings over 35 years of experience in senior leadership across the nonprofit, information technology, and manufacturing industries. At Peace Corps, he spent almost three years as part of the senior management team, where his role was strategic planning and policy-making decisions. NPCA would like...