(Nuku’alofa, Tonga | Friday, August 23, 2024) – Peace Corps Director Carol Spahn officiated the swearing-in ceremony of 19 new Peace Corps Volunteers who will live and work in the Kingdom of Tonga over the next two years to support education and environment projects. Across the island nation, the people of Tonga have identified improving climate resilience as a top priority. This new group includes ten new environment volunteers, who for the first time in the agency’s history, will be specifically focused on working in partnership with Tongan communities in advancing this goal. The Honorable Hu’akavemeiliku Siaosi Sovaleni, Prime Minister of Tonga, community partners, host families, and Peace Corps/Tonga staff attended the ceremony.

“The swearing-in of our first environment volunteers dedicated to climate resilience marks a bold and exciting new chapter in the Peace Corps’ more than 55-year partnership with the people of Tonga,” said Peace Corps Director Carol Spahn. “These Peace Corps Volunteers will work with young people across Tonga’s four major island groups in the spirit of mutual understanding and respect.”

During her visit, Director Spahn met with Peace Corps/Tonga’s project advisory committees (PACs) to discuss the Peace Corps’ efforts to align volunteer projects with local priorities in climate resilience and education. These committees, which are a collaborative effort between leading Tongan ministries and close partners, ensure ongoing coordination between the Peace Corps and key Tongan stakeholders. Director Spahn also joined Peace Corps Volunteers participating in a training of climate-centered camp curriculum, in support of the Blue Pacific Youth Initiative. This training, led in partnership with Tonga’s Department of the Environment and the Civil Society Forum of Tonga, demonstrated important Tongan values such as respect for the land and oceans and how volunteers can work in partnership with Tongan communities to meet locally identified priorities such as climate resilience and disaster risk management.

With the addition of this new group, a total of 29 Peace Corps Volunteers are currently serving in Tonga. During their service, volunteers learn to speak Tongan, and build bridges for mutual understanding. Peace Corps service allows volunteers to contribute their unique skills, learn new ones, and gain a global perspective that is highly valued in today’s interconnected world. More than 1,760 Peace Corps Volunteers have lived and worked side-by-side with the Tongan people since 1967, when the Kingdom of Tonga and the United States signed a bilateral agreement to establish a country program to promote world peace and friendship.

The Peace Corps invites U.S. citizens from all backgrounds, who embody the spirit of service and cross-cultural understanding, to become volunteers. The next application deadline is October 1, 2024. Interested individuals are encouraged to apply online to contribute to global peace and friendship. Visit PeaceCorps.gov/Bold to learn more about Peace Corps Volunteer service and how volunteers connect with immersive experiences in over 60 countries.