Module 1: How to Navigate Uncertainty | Week 1: 11/20 – 11/25

OVERVIEW

We’re beginning Post-Service Training on How to Navigate Uncertainty—a skill every RPCV knows well. We’re experts at picking up projects that are falling apart and finding creative solutions with limited resources.

2025 started as a whirlwind and turned into a full-blown tornado. DOGE efforts resulted in Peace Corps staff cuts and hiring freezes. USAID was dismantled. USIP faced elimination. Peace Corps is shuttering three posts in the Africa region, including Mozambique, Ethiopia, and South Africa.

The federal landscape for international service shifted more dramatically in one year than in the previous two decades. The instinct? Roll into a corner. Doomscroll. Feel powerless.

That is not how we RPCV.

Our Peace Corps community advocates got organized. We made calls. Sent letters. Showed up. The result: Peace Corps’ budget is holding relatively steady (at or near $430.5 million) while other agencies faced devastating cuts—not by accident, but because thousands of advocates made their voices heard.

WHAT WE DID IN 2025

• 170 advocates from 29 states and in D.C. held more than 150 meetings with congressional offices during NPCA’s Capitol Hill advocacy day this past July. Since then, Peace Corps funding remains on a path for level or near level funding for the current fiscal year.

• To date, 15 members of the House of Representatives (9 Democrats, 6 Republicans) have co-sponsored bi-partisan legislation to recognize Peace Corps with a Congressional Gold Medal, recognizing the service of past and present volunteers.

• NPCA advocates in 28 states and in D.C. were featured in opinion pieces, letters-to-the-editor, or other news stories, with the potential of reaching 6.7 million people.
• More than 7,500 NPCA advocates across all 50 states sent more than 26,000 messages to members of Congress.

WHAT WE ARE ASKING YOU TO DO

• Stay Connected: Join the NPCA Advocacy Group on Connect+ to get on our mailing list and to stay up-to-date on advocacy action items and events.

• Keep Writing to Congress! Visit the NPCA advocacy Action Center and offer your voice to current NPCA and Peace Corps priorities.

• Get involved! We have 3 important volunteer opportunities listed below that could use your support. Contact NPCA’s Advocacy Director to express your interest in these initiatives.

• • 65th Anniversary National Advocacy Launch: Start planning your advocacy activities for Peace Corps Week (March 1–7, 2026). Here are some ideas that we can help you with:
    • District office meetings/call-ins with congressional offices
    • Op-eds/letters to editor
    • A public event that promotes Peace Corps and our amazing volunteer community

• • Join NPCA’s Gold Medal Legislation Mobilization Team: We can connect you with other Peace Corps community members working to advance and pass legislation to recognize past and present Peace Corps Volunteers with a Congressional Gold Medal!

• • Volunteer as a State/Regional Advocacy Leader: Join our dedicated team of nearly 40 volunteers to support and organize grassroots efforts in states and congressional districts across the country.

For more information on how to help our Peace Corps community navigate uncertainty, or for more information on NPCA’s advocacy program, please email us at [email protected].

Are you interested in supporting Peace Corps advocacy but don’t have the time to volunteer? Donate to NPCA and ensure we have the resources needed to be as effective and impactful as possible!

Module 2: How to Stay Connected When the World Feels Divided | Week 2: 11/25 – 12/1

OVERVIEW

Peace Corps taught us something most Americans never learn: how to find common ground across vast cultural differences. We figure out how to build relationships when you don’t speak the same language, and how to create community when everything feels foreign and divided.

2025 put those skills to the test here at home.

Political divisions deepened after a contentious election year. Social media algorithms pushed us further into our corners. Geographic distance made it easier to retreat than reach out. The instinct? Disconnect. Scroll past. Stay in your bubble.

That is not how we RPCV.

While the world felt more divided, our community did what we’ve always done: we found each other. We built bridges. We created spaces where connection matters more than politics, where shared service transcends differences, where RPCVs can find their people—no matter where they served or when.

This year, we didn’t just talk about staying connected. We built the infrastructure to make it happen.

WHAT WE DID IN 2025

• Launched Peace Corps Connect+, the new virtual village for the entire Peace Corps Network. Since July, over 6,000 community members have joined from around the world. Connect+ serves as the platform upon which the global Peace Corps community resides.

• Brought over 50 RPCV groups onto Connect+, providing them with powerful tools for member engagement, event management, fundraising, and community building. These groups now have customized digital homes with complete control over their membership and activities.

WHAT WE ARE ASKING YOU TO DO

• Join us on Connect+: If you haven’t already, create your free profile at community.peacecorpsconnect.org. Add your service details, professional information, and interests. The more complete your profile, the easier it is to connect with RPCVs who share your experience. By being part of Connect+ you can stay connected with RPCVs from your country of service, discover professional opportunities, and stay engaged with the community.

• Connect with RPCV Groups:  Browse RPCV groups on Connect+ and join them for events, networking, and community building. Our Affiliate Group Network is divided into 3 categories:
  • 🏠 Country of Service groups – Reconnect with those who understand your host country experience
  • 📍 Geographic groups – Meet Peace Corps friends in your current location
  • 🌱 Cause and Affinity groups – Connect around shared interests and causes

Don’t see your group on Connect+? View our full Affiliate Group Directory here and tell your group leaders you’d like to see them join Connect+!

• Are You a Group Leader? Bring your RPCV group onto Connect+! We provide powerful tools for member management, event ticketing, fundraising, and engagement—all in one platform. Click here for everything you need to get started.

For any questions, comments, or feedback on Connect+, email our team at [email protected].

Are you interested in supporting professional and personal networking amongst RPCVs? Donate to NPCA to ensure we have the resources to continue to keep RPCVs connected.

Module 3: How to Amplify Your Impact | Week 3: 12/2 – 12/9

OVERVIEW

In Peace Corps, you learned that real impact doesn’t happen alone. Your work mattered—but it was magnified when combined with thousands of others serving alongside you.

According to the Greek Proverb: “A society grows great when people plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit”. That’s what service is. That’s what amplification means: individual effort becoming collective power that outlasts us all.

This year, NPCA welcomed seven new board members who embody this principle. They didn’t stop serving when they left their posts or finished their Peace Corps assignments. They took what they learned—about community development, cross-cultural collaboration, resilience—and amplified it throughout their careers. 

As RPCVs we are amplifying our impact beyond our volunteer service.

When leaders show up, communities follow. And this Giving Tuesday, we’re asking you to show up too.

WHAT WE DID IN 2025

Expanded our board with seven exceptional leaders:

• Kathryn Jacob (RPCV Turkmenistan 1993-1995) — CEO of The Archway, a large Texas-based nonprofit, and national expert on gender-based violence, bringing decades of experience in nonprofit governance and cross-sector coalition-building.

• Scott Beale (Peace Corps HQ Global Ops 2009-2023) — Former Associate Director who relaunched Peace Corps in 60+ countries post-pandemic and founded Atlas Corps, a “reverse Peace Corps” serving 1,100 leaders from 110 countries.

• Peter Dillon (RPCV Marshall Islands 2007-2009) — School superintendent who draws daily on Peace Corps lessons about community-driven solutions. He holds a PhD in curriculum and teaching, and he was a Peace Corps Fellow at Columbia University.

• Alex Kruzel (RPCV Mozambique 2011-2013) — Management consultant bringing corporate engagement expertise to advance NPCA’s financial sustainability and strategic impact. She serves on the Chicago council of Global Affairs and is a published author.

• Keri Lowry (RPCV Burkina Faso 1989-1991, EMA Regional Director 2016-2019) — Career foreign service officer who served under four presidents at USAID, NSC, Peace Corps, and State Department. She was appointed to the Congressional Commission on National Service.

• Sarah Thorwirth (RPCV Guatemala 2004-2006) — Expert in community and leadership development with over a decade of nonprofit governance experience strengthening RPCV connections. She was a country director for the Manna Project in Ecuador until recently.

• Ricky Ferrari Traner (RPCV Vanuatu 2005-2007) — Current Wisconsin state government executive and former Army National Guard officer who led 10+ nonprofit boards including Milwaukee Peace Corps Association.

NPCA enjoys a extraordinarily hard-working and qualified Board of Directors elected by its members. We’re also proud to have achieved 100% board participation in the Shriver Circle ($1,000+ annual giving) for 2024-2025. Learn more about our board of directors and board service at NPCA here.

WHAT WE ARE ASKING YOU TO DO

• Contribute to the Peace Corps Community’s global impact. By supporting NPCA, you are planting seeds that will sustain and strengthen the Peace Corps experience for future generations. Every dollar amplifies our collective impact.