FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, February 26, 1999

Peace Corps Launches New Web Site for Kids

Washington, D.C., February 26, 1999—The Peace Corps will launch a World Wide Web site for kids as part of this year\'s Peace Corps Day celebration on March 2, Peace Corps Director Mark Gearan announced today. Called "Kids World," the site will expand the content of the Peace Corps\' current Web site. It will be designed for children in middle school, but will also have features for children in elementary school. The Web site\'s address is www.peacecorps.gov/kids.
Kids World will contain content, colors, graphics, games, and language designed to educate and entertain children about world geography and the cultures of other countries. It will also allow children of all ages to send electronic postcards, read folk tales from around the world, download coloring pages, and test their geography savvy with an interactive flash game. In addition, the children\'s section will reinforce the importance of service, and how young people can make a difference in the lives of other people through service and volunteerism.
"Kids World will give children of all ages access to the world of geography and other cultures all year long," said Peace Corps Director Mark Gearan. "This is just one way that the Peace Corps truly brings the world home."
The new Web site will go on-line on March 2 as part of Peace Corps\' 38th anniversary celebration. On that day, an estimated 10,000 returned Peace Corps volunteers will go into classrooms to talk with students in all 50 states about their overseas experiences. Returned Peace Corps volunteers will visit classrooms in person and currently serving volunteers will talk with students via satellite and phone. More than 400,000 students across the nation will be reached on this day.
Since 1961, more than 150,000 Americans have joined the Peace Corps, serving in 134 nations. Currently, nearly 6,700 Peace Corps volunteers are working in about 80 countries to help bring clean water to communities, teach children, protect the environment, help start new small businesses, and prevent the spread of AIDS.

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