FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, August 28, 2001

Peace Corps Redefines Online Presence with Redesigned Web Site

Washington, D.C. (August 21, 2001) – Peace Corps Acting Director Charles R. Baquet III announced today that the Peace Corps has launched a redesigned Web site at www.peacecorps.gov. The new site is the first phase of a multi-year effort to redefine Peace Corps’ online presence to meet the growing expectations and needs of the next generation of Peace Corps applicants and volunteers.

Developed in part to extend the national campaign theme, “Redefine Your World,” the site incorporates a number of technologies and features to increase application acquisition, improve applicant retention and conversion rates, raise Americans’ awareness of Peace Corps activities, and streamline internal workflow.

“The Web site continues to increase in importance as a tool for communicating with the public about the Peace Corps and the work of our volunteers,” said Baquet. “By redefining our online strategies, we are better poised to recruit the next generation of Peace Corps volunteers.”

Highlights of the redefined Peace Corps Web site include:

· A searchable database of volunteer stories;
· Expanded content and resources on the 70+ host countries, including the debut of new photo galleries;
· A revised information architecture, tailored to the needs and interests of Peace Corps’ various constituencies and implemented through accessible dHTML-enabled navigation;
· A new section called the Applicant Toolkit, which offers a refined focus on applicant acquisition, as well as expanded content to support applicant retention;
· Additional information and resources for people of color, older applicants, and the family and friends of volunteers; and
· Additional information to support the 160,000+ returned Peace Corps volunteers, including an online form for sharing their stories.

Since first launching in 1995, the Peace Corps Web site has become an indispensable business tool. Today, 34 percent of the organization’s applications are submitted online, and thousands of additional applicants use the site to educate themselves about opportunities for service, and to locate regional recruiting events. The Web site redesign was produced by Washington, D.C.-based Threespot Media.

The Peace Corps celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2001, commemorating four decades of outstanding service by American citizens in developing countries, with special events nationwide throughout the year. Since 1961, when President John F. Kennedy signed an executive order creating the Peace Corps, more than 163,000 Americans have joined the Peace Corps.

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