7 ways to find Volunteer stories about Peace Corps service

Understanding your strengths, interests, and identity is crucial when considering Volunteer service in a different culture. Every Volunteer will experience Peace Corps service differently due to their own unique identities and experiences. These experiences offer special and important opportunities to share and exchange culture. They also represent areas for deeper consideration and personal preparation for those culture exchanges to come.

Applicants often ask how to connect with returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) or where to read stories about Peace Corps service from people with similar interests and identities. We have some suggestions on how you might go about researching different Peace Corps experiences

1) Ask your friends and family. More than 240,000 Americans have served in the Peace Corps. You would be surprised how many people know an RPCV. Are you a part of a particular school, community or professional group? Ask around. Many of our applicants were introduced to the Peace Corps through family, teachers, friends (and friends of friends).

2) Visit the Volunteer stories page on the Peace Corps website. There are two ways to search. You can filter the stories according to your country of interest or you can do a keyword search to find stories about your topic of interest. For example, LGBTQ. There are many stories related to that topic, such as:

• Finding empowerment as an LGBTQ+ Volunteer in Costa Rica
• Checking my privilege as an LGBTQ+ Volunteer

3) Peace Corps Country pages. Each country program has curated a page on the Peace Corps website where you’ll find a collection of resources and stories focused on that country and its program.

4) Check out Peace Corps social media pages. In addition to our flagship accounts, there are more than 170 Peace Corps social media accounts managed by overseas staff and Volunteers. Virtually all posts have their own Facebook pages and many have Instagram and YouTube accounts, too. On these pages, you’ll find real Peace Corps Volunteers and staff sharing their personal experiences.

5) Seek out connections through organizations such as the National Peace Corps Association or returned Peace Corps Volunteer groups in your city or region, for example, Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Washington, D.C.

6) Contact the Peace Corps recruitment office. There are recruiters in all corners of the country, who are excited to talk about the Peace Corps with you. Ask if there is someone available who can speak with you about your specific questions.

7) Attend virtual events and seek resources that align with what you are looking for. There are many of them that are public and feature RPCVs talking about their experiences. Find out about the events here.

We invite you to explore these resources which can help you better understand the challenges and opportunities of Peace Corps service.