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About Georgia
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The government of Georgia expressed interest in hosting Peace Corps Volunteers as early as 1994. In 1999, after multiple inquiries from the Georgian government and with confirmation from the U.S. embassy that the security and development situation was conducive to Peace Corps Volunteer service, the potential for a program was reassessed. Following a positive review, Peace Corps began designing the Georgia program in 2000.
In exploring various programming opportunities, Georgian government officials and Peace Corps staff determined that an education project targeting English language learning, interactive teaching methods, and the use of new technologies would meet the nation’s growing demand for English language competence and have great potential for enhancing the capacities of the Georgian education system.
In 2001, 21 Volunteers arrived to work in secondary English teaching assignments. In 2004, Peace Corps Georgia initiated a nongovernmental organization (NGO) support project with 10 Volunteers. These two program areas have evolved over time and are now called the English and Youth Engagement (EYE) for the Future project and the Individual and Organizational Development (IOD) project.
In August 2008 Russian forces invaded Georgia, prompting the evacuation of all Volunteers. By mid-August fighting had ceased, although Russian forces continued to occupy areas of Georgian territory well beyond the boundaries of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. With no immediate resolution in sight, Volunteers transferred to other posts or concluded their service.
In the following year, 2009, Peace Corps Georgia welcomed a new cohort of Volunteers back to service. The program gained strength with both English Education and Individual and Organizational Development Volunteers serving throughout the country.
In 2010, Peace Corps Georgia initiated the Peace Corps Response project and brought in 15 Volunteers with specialized skills in areas including environmental education, tourism, and English teacher training among others. Peace Corps Response sends experienced professionals to undertake short-term, high-impact service assignments in communities around the world. Peace Corps Response Volunteers are expected to possess the technical skills needed to fulfill their assigned role with minimal training.
In 2021, the initial Virtual Service Pilot projects were initiated with Georgian partner organizations. Virtual Service connects qualified U.S. citizens with host country counterparts to meet partner requests in new ways – from supplementing on-the-ground Volunteer efforts to reaching regions where Volunteers cannot go. Participants collaborate virtually with counterparts to complete project tasks, donating 5-15 hours per week for 3-6 months.
Since 2001, more than 900 Volunteers have served with Peace Corps in Georgia.
