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Apply for the Peace Corps
In 1960, then-U.S. Sen. John F. Kennedy challenged students at the University of Michigan to serve their country in the cause of peace by living and working in developing countries. Kennedy's challenge inspired the creation of the Peace Corps, an agency of the federal government devoted to world peace and friendship. As of 2011, more than 190,000 Peace Corps volunteers work around the globe on issues ranging from AIDS education to information technology and environmental preservation. Here's your guide to applying to become a Peace Corps volunteer.
Instructions
1. Complete an application. You may apply online or by mail. Include a copy of your health status review form, your college transcripts, a resume and the names of three people who will serve as your references.
2. Await contact by a local recruitment officer to schedule an interview. The interview may be conducted over the phone or in person and will take about an hour.
3. After your interview, in the step called "nomination," you will be matched to a program that suits your skills. You will learn where and in what capacity you will serve and you will be informed of your approximate date of departure. Keep in mind, however, that the nomination stage is not your formal invitation. Your medical and legal review must be completed before you may be officially accepted to any program.
4. After you've been nominated, a member of the Peace Corps medical screening team will review your health status. Once the initial screening is complete, you will be mailed a packet with instructions about your final screening steps, which will include a physical exam, dental exam and eye exam. You may do all of this locally through your health care providers.
5. The Peace Corps has established legal standards of eligibility for all applicants. The final step in legal clearance is a background check through the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
6. After you have been cleared medically and legally, you will receive a formal invitation packet in the mail. You will have 10 days to review it and decide if you want to accept it. Contact your placement officer during the 10-day window to report your decision.
7. After you accept the invitation, you will receive another packet with information specific to your destination and resources about the country in which you will be serving, what to take with you, and a description of the training you will receive when you arrive.
8. Before you depart for your 27-month tour you will have a pre-departure orientation in the United States.
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