Peace Corps Week

Celebrated annually, Peace Corps Week commemorates March 1, 1961, the day that President John F. Kennedy established the agency. The celebratory week honors the important ways the Peace Corps fosters connections and contributes to meaningful change - both in the United States and around the world.

Connect With the World

Since 1961, at the invitation of foreign governments, more than 240,000 Americans have served the United States and countries around the globe as Peace Corps Volunteers.

This past year, Volunteers returned to overseas communities for the first time since the global evacuation of Volunteers in 2020. Volunteers are working alongside community members to address the impacts of COVID-19 and climate change and to tackle local development priorities across the Peace Corps’ six programming sectors:

  • Agriculture
  • Community Economic Development
  • Education
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Youth in Development

The theme of Peace Corps Week 2023 was “Connect With the World,” and the week’s activities highlighted and celebrated the lifelong connections fostered through the Peace Corps’ work.

These connections lay the foundation for intercultural exchange, global collaboration, and lasting impact – all things that bring us closer to our audacious mission of world peace and friendship.

Featured events

Connect With the World

Peace Corps Director Carol Spahn headlined an event that includes live participation from three Peace Corps countries – Senegal, Nepal and the Dominican Republic. Celebrate the founding of the Peace Corps, learn more about the current work of the agency and the vision for its future.

Franklin H. Williams Award Ceremony

Peace Corps honored the winners of the Franklin H. Williams Award, which celebrates the contributions of individuals of color whose work exemplifies the Peace Corps’ mission of world Peace and friendship. This year’s event featured a keynote speech from the Director’s Award Winner, civil rights activist, journalist and author Charlayne Hunter-Gault.

Connect With Careers

Peace Corps and The Partnership for Public Service hosted a panel of recent winners of the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals, which recognizes the outstanding contributions of federal employees. The distinguished panelists discussed the connection between Peace Corps service and amazing and impactful careers serving in the federal government.

Connect with country events

As part of the many celebrations during Peace Corps Week, Peace Corps posts from around the world held events to Connect to the World. These live virtual events offered a glimpse into the culture, language, and global collaborations that are the cornerstone of the Peace Corps. 

Among the posts that hosted events:

  • Albania & Montenegro
  • Fiji
  • Guatemala
  • Guyana
  • Jamaica
  • Kenya
  • Kyrgyz Republic
  • Liberia
  • North Macedonia
  • Panama
  • Paraguay
  • Senegal
  • Sierra Leone
  • Sri Lanka
  • Timor-Leste
  • Uganda