- Correspondence Match
Handbook
About the Match Handbook
The purpose of this guide is to help you make the most of your correspondence match. Think of it as a World Wise Schools starter kit. It introduces Peace Corps Volunteers and teachers to the program and provides suggestions for how to shape the exchange. It is our hope that, through your participation in this program, we can not only enrich students' reading, writing, research, and analytic skills, but also fulfill the Peace Corps goal of strengthening U.S. understanding of the world and its peoples.
By corresponding with a Peace Corps Volunteer, students will gain keen insight about what it is like to live and work in the country to which they are sending their letters.
Welcome to Paul D. Coverdell World Wise Schools, the Peace Corps' innovative education program that seeks to engage U.S. students in an inquiry about the world in order to broaden perspectives, promote cultural awareness, appreciate global connections, and encourage service.
We appreciate your interest in expanding students' knowledge about other peoples and places. We hope that your correspondence will be as much fun and as interesting for you as it will surely be for the students.
The purpose of this guide is to help you make the most of your correspondence match. Think of it as a World Wise Schools starter kit. It introduces Peace Corps Volunteers and teachers to the program and provides suggestions for how to shape the exchange. To this end, we have included a list of national standards and identified essential questions that are central to the World Wise Schools exchange. It is our hope that, through your participation in this program, together we will fulfill the Peace Corps goal of strengthening Americans' understanding of the world and its peoples.
By corresponding with a Peace Corps Volunteer, students gain insight about what it is like to live and work in another country. Correspondence Match participants often find that by increasing students' awareness of cultural diversity around the world, the students come to value the rich heritage and broad representation of peoples within their own community. "Big" questions, such as How does culture shape how we understand ourselves and others? and How am I connected to the world? become the focus of classroom discussions. The Correspondence Match program also tends to stimulate an interest in and appreciation for volunteerism. Students begin to ask themselves, What does the "common good" mean and why does it matter? and How far am I willing to go to make a difference?
About Paul D. Coverdell World Wise Schools
The Peace Corps is an independent agency of the United States government, established through the vision and efforts of President John F. Kennedy. The Peace Corps Act of 1961 defined the Peace Corps mission—to promote peace and friendship by making available willing and qualified U.S. citizens to interested countries to achieve the following three goals:
- To help the people of interested countries in meeting their needs for trained workers;
- To promote a better understanding of Americans among the peoples served;
- And to help Americans develop a better understanding of other peoples.
It is the third goal of the Peace Corps that inspired the creation of World Wise Schools, a program that seeks to engage U.S. students in an inquiry about the world.
For two years, volunteers live with the people of the country in which they serve. They eat the same food, speak the same language, live in the same environment, and follow many of the cultural norms of their host country family and friends. Volunteers can share their experiences with U.S. students through the World Wise Schools Correspondence Match program.
In addition to this program that matches a Peace Corps Volunteer and a U.S. classroom, World Wise Schools also offers many other resources for U.S. educators.
- Multimedia Resources:
- Slide shows: Peace Corps Volunteers talk about their experience through their own photographs and narratives.
- Videos: See daily life in Peace Corps countries from Kyrgyzstan and Sri Lanka to the Dominican Republic and Paraguay.
- Volunteer Voices podcasts: Tune in to stories from around the world, written and read by Peace Corps Volunteers.
- Language lessons: Learn languages that Peace Corps Volunteers are using around the world from Mandarin Chinese to Malian French.
- Peace Corps Challenge online game: This game gives students the opportunity to work in the fictional village of Wanzuzu as a Peace Corps Volunteer.
- Stories: Visit other cultures through letters, stories, folk tales, and poems written by the volunteers who have lived for two years among the peoples and cultures featured.
- Lesson plans: Search by region, country, subject, or grade level. You'll find ready-made lessons ranging from cultural issues to practical challenges of obtaining water, from studying folk tales to understanding the norms of other peoples. All are standards-based and free.
- Print publications: Some resources are available in bound form from World Wise Schools. All of our resources are available online.
- Speakers Match: This program is designed to help schools and community groups find Peace Corps speakers, and to help returned volunteers find venues where they can share their experiences. To enroll as a returned volunteer speaker or to request a speaker, visit
- E-Newsletter: Sign up to receive via email the program's monthly topical newsletter, the World Wise Window.
- Peace Corps Week: Peace Corps Week celebrates the anniversary of the founding of the Peace Corps, usually around March 1. Teachers can celebrate with the Peace Corps community during Peace Corps Week or any time of year by hosting a returned Peace Corps Volunteer, while RPCVs can share their stories of service by speaking in classrooms or to other community groups. To see opportunities and resources for Peace Corps Week, visit www.peacecorps.gov/thirdgoal, or contact us for guidance at thirdgoal@peacecorps.gov.
- Welcome to Correspondence Match!
- The Correspondence: Getting Started
- Tips for Communicating with your Peace Corps Volunteer
- Frequently Asked Questions
- How often should I correspond with my volunteer?
- What do I do if I haven't heard from my volunteer for many months?
- What happens to the correspondence during our summer months when U.S. teachers are on break?
- Does World Wise Schools assist educators in paying postage costs?
- Will I receive any free resources as part of the Correspondence Match program?
- May I be matched with more than one volunteer?
- What if I am unable to continue corresponding with my volunteer match?
- Can I help my volunteer with his or her projects?
- What happens when my volunteer finishes service?
- Sample Letters and Activities
- Curriculum Integration: Understanding by Design
- A Word About Standards
- Welcome to Correspondence Match!
- Suggested Activities to Support Your Correspondence
- World Wise Schools And Your Project Area
- Tips for Writing Letters to Younger Children
- You've Got Mail!
- Volunteer's Frequently Asked Questions
- What do I do if I lose the address of a person with whom I'm corresponding?
- Whom should I contact if I have a question or need more information about Coverdell World Wise Schools?
- Can CWWS participants correspond with more than one person?
- Will I be reimbursed for postage costs?
- I haven't heard from my CWWS class. What should I do?
- How does World Wise Schools determine which U.S. class I will correspond with?
- How old are the students who participate in World Wise Schools?
- What do I do if I don't have the time to participate in World Wise Schools once I get to my site?
- Can I wait until I get to my site to enroll in the World Wise Schools program?
- What if I think that one of my letters has gotten lost in the mail?
- What if I move?
- What should I do if my CWWS teacher changes schools?
- Correspondence Match in Action