Someone told me a horror story about how a friend ended up in Chernobyl after the nuclear incident. She also mentioned that they don't train their people and tend to drop them off with no communication to anyone in a situation that they were never taught how to deal with. The list goes on and on about how awful it is and how I shouldn't do it even though I really want to. I thought she sounded far-fetched, but I'd like to hear from a few people who actually served.
Please don't just give me the website; I've already been there.
2006-12-27 16:21:45 · 6 answers · asked by Amy 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Community Service
As usual, I agree with Ted. I just have a few points to add. For credibility's sake, I was a Peace Corps volunteer, then a trainer, and then a staffer. Here's the gist of what happens after you receive your invitation to become a volunteer (the screening/interview process can take up to a year or so):
1. You get all kinds of information by mail.
2. You go to a training site, usually in the country where you'll serve, to begin training. Training content, in my experience, contains the following: language, culture, skill content (like ESL methods and local education systems if you're teaching English), health and safety (and Peace Corps is very serious about this), and Peace Corps policies and procedures (this will include emergency plans, communications, etc.).
3. Training is broken up in various ways in different countries. Usually, training is between eight and twelve weeks long. Almost always it contains a 'home stay' portion where you live with a local family for a while. Often it contains a project. Both those 'hands on' options are geared toward helping you learn language, culture, and generally accepted systems in the country.
4. Throughout training you will be evaluated--at least a couple of times. This will ensure that you've acquired the competencies necessary to live and work successfully and safely in your country of service.
5. You'll be sworn in as a Peace Corps Volunteer.
6. During your 24 months of service there will be mandatory in-service trainings, medical checks, and (usually) reporting in. There will also be site visits from Peace Corps staffers.
I hope this helps.
2006-12-28 16:37:04 · answer #1 · answered by RPCV Pacific 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My mother was in the peace corps for 8 years and then stayed in olopa chicamula Guatemala for another 4 years only to come home to die, the people there named a town park after her and the whole town showed up to mourn her at a memorial, my mom chose were she wanted to go from a long list of places that could use her, she only had great things to say about the peace corps and as a family member when ever there was an emergency or even when my children were born they sent some one immediately even though they had to walk for 12 hours to get to her look up peace corps people whom are home they are all great people talk to them, good luck i hope you join
2006-12-28 00:32:10 · answer #2 · answered by melissa s 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Your friend was mistaken.
If you are accepted (they are taking one out of four applicants these days) you'll get 3 months of training; language, history, culture and vocational training.
Most PCV's have a cell phone these days. In my day (35 years ago) we got newsletters (one for Sarawak, one for Malaysia, one for PCV's world-wide) and an occasional visit from our country director or one of his staff. We wrote home and to each other. My school had one telephone for 30 teachers and 400 students. Except for calling my grocer to put in an order, I didn't use it much. I calle dhome twice in two years, and our provincial director called me once.
The people who get poorly-defined job assignments in countries intent on keeping 90% of the wealth in 10% of the hands tend to have bad experiences. People with well-defined jobs or countries making a real effort to develop tend to have good experiences.
My website,
http://www.tedpack.org
has some short stories. The page "PC Links" has a link to a web ring of 48 other PCV web sites.
2006-12-28 15:26:54 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
dude, when u sign up for peace corps u become a peace corp. just kiddin', well, u serve other people. u gotta be cautious about ur placements, ur workplace, and ur safety, but it's a heck of a community service scheme.
2006-12-28 13:14:13 · answer #4 · answered by Volvogirl 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I have no clue, but I've also been considering applying to join the Corps, so I hope you get more responses.
2006-12-28 01:01:55 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
you throw away your marketability as a potential employee anywhere worth working.
2006-12-28 00:23:43 · answer #6 · answered by phooey 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋