FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, February 27, 2023

The Peace Corps Celebrates 62 Years of Promoting Friendship and World Peace

Over 1,000 Peace Corps Volunteers “Connect with the World” Through International Service in 51 Countries

Washington, D.C. – The Peace Corps will commemorate its 62nd anniversary with a week-long celebration, Peace Corps Week, from February 26 to March 4. This year’s theme — Connect with the World — honors the importance of international service to foster connections and contribute to meaningful change in communities around the globe.

Peace Corps Week is a celebration of past, present, and future Peace Corps volunteers and an opportunity to learn more about the agency’s dynamic future.

As the preeminent international service organization of the U.S., the Peace Corps has sent adult Americans to serve abroad since 1961. Through their Peace Corps experience, volunteers gain a unique cultural understanding and develop a lifelong commitment to service that positions them to succeed in the global economy. The Peace Corps currently has over 1,000 Volunteers serving in 51 countries across Africa, Europe, the Mediterranean, Asia, the Inter-Americas and the Pacific.

For more information about Peace Corps Week 2023, visit peacecorps.gov/peace-corps-week.

The full schedule of public events for Peace Corps Week 2023 is as follows:

Connect with the World
Tuesday, February 28
12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET
Register here

Director Carol Spahn will share address the Peace Corps network with updates on progress toward the agency’s current priorities at this virtual event. Live participation from Peace Corps teams in Senegal, the Dominican Republic and Nepal—covering each of the agency’s three regions—will provide attendees unparalleled insight into current activities of the Peace Corps around the world.

Franklin H. Williams Awards Ceremony
Wednesday, March 1
7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET
Register here

The F. H. Williams awards recognize Peace Corps volunteers of color who exemplify a commitment to service and promote a better understanding of other people for Americans. The Peace Corps will honor civil rights activist, journalist and author Charlayne Hunter-Gault, with the Director’s Award and five Returned Peace Corps Volunteers. The hybrid event will be at Planet Word Museum in Washington, D.C., and live-streamed.

Note: In-person attendance is by invitation only. Please email [email protected] for more information.

Connect with Careers
Friday, March 3
2:00 p.m. ET
Register here

This virtual event will highlight the enduring value of Peace Corps Volunteers to federal government agencies. Co-hosted with The Partnership for Public Service, the panel features volunteers who recently won the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals, which honors exceptional public servants in the federal government.

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