Annotation: “Ask not what your country can do for you …”
How do the words President John F. Kennedy spoke on January 20, 1961 resonate across the decades? On January 20, 1961, John F. Kennedy delivered his inaugural address. The conclusion of that speech inspired a generation — and profoundly shaped...
Carol Spahn Named Acting Director of Peace Corps
Updated March 4: The Biden Administration continues to fill out political appointments for staff at the agency. By NPCA Staff On January 20, Carol Spahn was named Acting Director of the Peace Corps by President Biden. Spahn had been serving as the Peace...
An Enormous and Panicked Bird
From Owls of the Eastern Ice By Jonathan Slaght Photo: Blakiston’s Fish Owl chick in Primorye, Russia. Photo by Jonathan Slaght A revelatory tale from biologist Jonathan Slaght. Among the many accolades for Owls of the Eastern Ice: It was longlisted for the...
The Stories We Tell
Dreams and disillusionment. A 3,000-mile ultramarathon and a library in a Mayan village. Catching up with books recognized with the Peace Corps Writers Awards. Baked into the mission of the whole Peace Corps experience is the work of telling stories: of...
Because Together We Are Stronger
Introducing Peace Corps Community Connect—an effort to connect, inform, and engage the Peace Corps community like never before. By Marieme Foote, Caitlin Nemeth, and Molly O’Brien Illustration by Forum One The past year has underscored just how crucial the experience...
Volunteers in the House
The 2020 congressional elections mark the end of an era for Peace Corps in Congress: Now there’s only one. And he is working on new legislation to support and improve the Peace Corps. By Jonathan Pearson Photo: John Garamendi ...
Farewell, Jody Olsen
She led the Peace Corps Agency since 2018 — and through the unprecedented global evacuation of all Volunteers from countries where they were serving. By NPCA Staff On January 20, Jody Olsen stepped down from her post as Director of...
A Presidential Welcome: El Salvador in 2022
Volunteers will return to a program suspended in 2016 By NPCA Staff The President of El Salvador, Nayib Armando Bukele Ortez, tweeted news about the Peace Corps to his 2.2 million followers on a Saturday morning in November: “Ahora, que hemos dado...
House and Senate Introduce New Legislation to fight COVID-19 with the help of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
Health Force, Resilience Force and Jobs to Fight COVID-19 Act is presented in both houses. And a Peace Corps Reauthorization Act is in the works. By Jonathan Pearson As a new Congress settles in to begin its work,...
Eradicating Smallpox in Ethiopia
Another time, another place, another virus By Barry Hillenbrand ”Eradicating Smallpox in Ethiopia” is a hefty and important book that rightfully deserves an honored place on any shelf of serious books about epidemiology and public health. The book tells the...