Washington, D.C., May 24, 1999—Peace Corps Director Mark Gearan announced today a new recruitment policy designed to shorten the time between applying to the Peace Corps and receiving an overseas assignment.
"To attract the best potential volunteers to the Peace Corps, we need to let applicants know as soon as possible where they\'ll be serving overseas," said Gearan. "This new approach to processing applicants allows us tell future volunteers where they\'ll be serving as much as six months before they get on a plane. It\'s similar to early admissions to college, and helps us retain the best applicants."
This new simplified approach to processing Peace Corps applications is a result of increased agency recruiting. The Peace Corps is expanding its volunteer force so that by the year 2003, 10,000 volunteers will be serving overseas.
In order to take advantage of this new early admission policy to the Peace Corps, applicants must submit their applications as soon as possible. College juniors who apply this summer will know their Peace Corps country by December.
Currently, nearly 6,700 Peace Corps volunteers are working in 78 countries to help bring clean water to communities, teach children, protect the environment, start new businesses, and prevent the spread of AIDS. Since 1961, more than 150,000 Americans have joined the Peace Corps.
For more information or for an application, call (800) 424-8580, or visit the Peace Corps Web site at www.peacecorps.gov.