Peace Corps now allows applicants to apply for specific openings depending on the person’s skills. But when should you apply? Knowing when the openings might be announced would help applicants get the jobs they want in the places they want to be. Below you will find a timetable of all the latest volunteer openings.
Application Process
Selecting the position you want is the first step in the application process. So, if you want a specific opening in a specific country, you need to wait until that position is listed on the peacecorps.gov website. Alternatively, you could also apply to be sent where your skills are most needed.
Openings tend to appear about 12-months before Departure
After you have decided on the opening you want, there will be an APPLY button on the job description page on peacecorps.gov. After you apply, the application process looks like this:
- Select = Search openings and apply for the one that best matches your skills and interests
- Apply – Note: You can only have one active Peace Corps Volunteer application.
- Health History – Provide your health history
- Interview – if selected, you will have an interview via videoconference
- Invitation – If chosen, you will get an email invitation
- Medical and Legal Clearance – Provide additional medical and legal information.
- Onboarding – online documentation to read, study, or fill out before leaving
- Departure/Staging – leave for the Peace Corps
Volunteer Programs/Sectors
Agriculture
Agriculture volunteers collaborate with small-scale farmers and households to enhance both food security and production. At the same time helping them in adapting to climate change and promoting environmental preservation. These volunteers join forces with farmers to implement practices that prevent soil erosion, minimize the reliance on harmful pesticides, and restore the quality of the soil. Together with farmers, they engage in integrated initiatives that involve activities such as vegetable gardening, livestock management, agroforestry, and education on nutrition.
Community Economic Development
Volunteers collaborate with development banks, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and local governments. Their aim is to foster economic opportunities within communities. They often provide instruction in classroom environments. And they assist entrepreneurs and business owners in the development and promotion of their products. Additionally, certain volunteers teach fundamental computer skills. And they also assist communities in harnessing technologies that enable them to access the global marketplace.
Education
The education sector is the primary focus of the Peace Corps’ activities. Volunteers collaborate with communities to establish connections between schools, parents, and the local community. They can serve in elementary, secondary, or post-secondary schools, teaching various subjects like mathematics, science, or conversational English. They can also work as resources for teachers or trainers. Additionally, volunteers contribute to the establishment of libraries and technology resource centers.
Certain programs within the Peace Corps offer Volunteers the chance to get a recognized teaching credential while serving. This provides them with a unique opportunity to meet global professional English standards.
Environment
Volunteers collaborate with local community partners to engage in grassroots initiatives aimed at safeguarding the environment and enhancing comprehension of environmental concerns.
They teach about environmental awareness to schools and local organizations. And they empower communities to take charge of their own decisions about the conservation of the local environment. Volunteers combat environmental degradation by advocating for the sustainable use of natural resources.
Health
Health volunteers collaborate with community members to raise awareness and advocate for vital subjects such as nutrition, maternal and child health, fundamental hygiene practices, and water sanitation. Additionally, volunteers engage with community members in HIV/AIDS education and prevention initiatives. They train young individuals as peer educators, and establish programs that deliver emotional and financial support to families and communities affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Youth in Development
Volunteers collaborate with communities to foster youth participation. And they encourage young people active involvement in civic matters. This includes promoting awareness of gender issues, enhancing employability skills, providing education on health and HIV/AIDS, instilling environmental consciousness, organizing sports and fitness programs, and offering information technology initiatives.
Volunteer Openings Timetable
Seeing information about past openings, hopefully will give you an idea when future openings might appear. Peace Corps tends to follow a pretty rigid schedule, but there is no guarantee that the dates will not change.
Openings appear about 12 months before Departure.
Each opening is dependent on the host country. Openings with the same job title might not be the same for all countries. So it is best to check with the peacecorps.gov site to find out more about what each opening has to offer.
Timetable helps with long-range planning
This table should help you with your long-range planning. This is especially important when trying to schedule around important life events like graduation. Use the timetable to narrow down your choices. Links will take you to the peacecorps.gov website to get specific information about those positions.
No matter where you are in the application process or even if you’re still thinking about it, consider joining r/peacecorps at Reddit.com – a subreddit for all things Peace Corps, with updated information and valuable input from a diverse and active community of 25,000 PCV redditors @ https://www.reddit.com/r/peacecorps/
Feature Photo by John Schnobrich on Unsplash
