President’s Letter: Helping the Peace Corps Be Its Best
As we celebrate Volunteers returning to service in dozens of countries, we pay tribute to a leader here at NPCA who made a difference at a critical time for the Peace Corps community. By Dan Baker At left: El Paso, 2019 — Glenn Blumhorst assists migrants at the border. Just as the Winter 2023 edition of WorldView went press, Carol Spahn was sworn in as Director of the Peace Corps. I was delighted to be there as RPCV Rep. John Garamendi delivered the oath of office. This is an exciting and important moment. The Peace Corps community has spent nearly three years seeking to maintain and...
Global Reentry: Live [Virtual] Career Office Hours Twice a Month
Mini-coaching dialogues on résumé critiques, mock interviews, job search strategy, and more Photo courtesy Envato By NPCA Staff Wondering how to build the career you desire or execute an effective job search? National Peace Corps Association’s Global Reentry Program has launched twice-monthly Live [Virtual] Career Office Hours to provide assistance for small groups and individuals via mini-coaching dialogues on résumé critiques, mock interviews, job search strategy, and more. Hosted by Global Reentry Career Specialist Jodi Hammer (Ecuador 1994–97), each session explores a different career topic, answers questions, and offers resources. Find upcoming sessions in January 2022 and beyond: peacecorpsconnect.org/events
Video: Returned Volunteers Share Some advice — “If you need help, reach out through the Global Reentry Program”
Three returned Peace Corps Volunteers talk about some of the tough aspects of readjusting to life after service — including being evacuated in 2020. And how the Global Reentry Program has made a difference. By Dan Baker It’s been just over a year since National Peace Corps Association launched the Global Reentry Program to support evacuated Volunteers in a time of crisis. “If you need help, reach out to an RPCV through the Global Reentry Program, and you will find it,” says Hugh McIvor, a Volunteer who was evacuated from Costa Rica. He and fellow returned Volunteers Mariana Cubillos (Panama 2018–20) and Jennifer Gonzales (Namibia 2015–18)...
This Isn’t Over
One year after being evacuated from the Philippines, a Peace Corps Volunteer faces the trauma of leaving, the country he returned to, and a question that’s impossible to answer. By Rok Locksley Work and friendship: Rok Locksley, left, with Ban-Ban Nicolas. Photo courtesy Rok Locksley The last day of my Peace Corps service was Friday, March 13, 2020. Together with my wife, Genevieve, I was serving in the Peace Corps in the Philippines. We had gotten up early to enjoy the sunrise on what we knew would be our last day on the island that had become our...
One Year Later: the Unprecedented Evacuation of Peace Corps Volunteers from Around the Globe
Communities and Volunteers feel the trauma of this disruption. But the pandemic has underscored even more profoundly that we need to foster global solidarity and understanding. An open letter to the Peace Corps community. By Glenn Blumhorst Nepal farewell: Training to become Volunteers, Rachel Ramsey, left, and Elyse Paré had to evacuate instead. Photo by Eddie De La Fuente Around the world in recent days, we have been marking a truly somber anniversary: It was just over a year ago that the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. For the Peace Corps community, the burgeoning health crisis...
Global Reentry: A Bridge between Peace Corps Service and a Lifetime of Peace Corps Ideals
Global Reentry: A Bridge between Peace Corps Service and a Lifetime of Peace Corps Ideals By Dan Baker Just days after Peace Corps Volunteers began a global evacuation in March, National Peace Corps Association officially launched a program that had long been in the works — but was suddenly urgent: the Global Reentry Program to support the Returned Peace Corps Volunteer community, especially those evacuated this spring. Global Reentry aims to connect returned Volunteers with the resources they need for personal and professional success as we also further the ideals of the Peace Corps. It’s geared to help recently evacuated Volunteers and those who...
Peace Corps Connect to the Future: A Call-to-Action from NPCA Board Chair Maricarmen Smith-Martinez
We thank you for your continued support and acknowledge the need for change. Closing remarks for Peace Corps Connect to the Future. Thank you, Glenn. And thank you, Dr. Frederick, for your support. We look forward to continued engagement with you and with Howard University. Fellow RPCVs and friends, on behalf of the National Peace Corps Association Board of Directors and as a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer from Costa Rica from 2006 to 2008, I'm so grateful for the opportunity to engage with you today. Thank you for your passion for service, for your dedication and time, for your...