Peace Corps recruit at KU
On Thursday, Oct. 15, Peace Corps recruiter Edward Reihl came to KU to speak of the many opportunities available within the United States Peace Corps. KU is one of many universities at which Riehl spoke, and he will continue to tour across the country informing students of the benefits of getting involved. The one and a half hour session consisted of a 50-minute speech assisted by a PowerPoint presentation, followed by a movie and a question and answer session. Nearly 30 people attended the presentation, which took place in the Alumni Auditorium of the MSU.
According to Riehl, “flexibility” is the main characteristic of the Peace Corps; this is what they look for in any individual aspiring to join. Other specific requirements for consideration include that a prospective applicant must be at least 18 years old, in good health, and a U.S. citizen. Although these requirements are simple and straightforward, the application process is very competitive. A majority of persons volunteering in Peace Corps—95 percent—have at least an undergraduate college degree, and 11 percent have graduate studies or degrees. While the other five percent have neither, they have had at least 3-5 years of full-time work experience in business, agriculture, information and community technology, construction, youth development, and/or nonprofit organizations.
The Peace Corps currently has over 8,000 volunteers in 76 countries all over the world, and the number of volunteers is rising steadily. There are currently more women involved in the program than men, and the average age of volunteers is 27, although no upper age limit exists; the current oldest member is over 80 years old.
The main job in the Peace Corps is education, making up 30 percent of the 8,000 volunteers, and the largest concern is “public health education,” according to Riehl. Working in developing countries such as Africa—where most of the work is—requires individuals with good hygiene who are knowledgeable of health awareness so they can educate those in need of healthy living.
One of the goals of the Peace Corps is to help the people of other countries gain a better understanding of Americans and our multicultural society. The Peace Corps welcomes people from every background, and doesn’t discriminate against anyone on the basis of color, national origin, creed, age, disability, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, or union membership.
Prospective applicants should be advised that they would be placed in countries where their skills match the needs demanded. They commit to a 27-month service, the first three of which are spent in the U.S. for training of foreign language, technical, cross-cultural, health and safety skills.
Beyond the opportunity to help people in need, there are many additional benefits to joining the Peace Corps. Volunteers are provided a monthly living allowance, travel to and from the country of service, medical and dental care, a “readjustment” allowance of just over 6,000 dollars upon completion of service, 48 paid vacation days, graduate school opportunities, and more. The readjustment allowance is provided to help those who complete their service get back on their feet after being away from America for two years.
Volunteers are needed in this program to fill a wide variety of openings throughout the world; however, most of these opportunities fall under six general categories: Agriculture, Business and Information & Communication Technology, Education, Environment, Health and HIV/AIDS, and Youth and Community Development.
The largest number of volunteers (39 percent) are located in Sub-Saharan Africa, with 22 percent in Latin America, 20 percent in Eastern Europe/Central Asia, 7 percent in Asia, 4 percent in the Pacific Islands, 4 percent in the Caribbean, and 4 percent in North Africa and the Middle East.
The program was designed specifically for the purpose of helping developing countries establish themselves in a positive way. The 8,000 Americans currently serving in this program are providing insight while educating the underprivileged and are continuously trying to get more Americans involved. Those who are interested in getting involved with the Peace Corps or who need further information regarding this program should visit www.peacecorps.gov.
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