How long peace corps

Not to mention you will get to enjoy the beauty that is Guatemala, as you help improve the lives of the Guatemalan people.

There are a few program options through Maximo Nivel to volunteer outside of Cusco, Peru. If you are experienced, you can shadow doctors and work in a more hands-on way at the local clinics.

This is a great volunteer opportunity for those who are passionate about the health of people worldwide, and it's great because you can volunteer no matter what experience you have! Are you passionate about public health and hygiene? You can volunteer to promote health and improve the standard of living outside of India. While some medical experience is sought after, it is not mandatory, making this a viable option for anyone who is interested in health promotion. Meet other volunteers while living in India, as you all work together to improve the health of local people.

Begin harvesting and cultivating crops in the African country. For example, you could volunteer on a cassava farm and learn how to harvest the crop, as well as how to prepare and package the country's major cash crops. Get a glimpse into how food is harvested, and learn practices from other cultures that you can implement into your own life! Take part in environmental research and sustainable organic farming in the a Maya community in the Yucatan.

Learn about ancient Mayan farming techniques while also taking part in rainforest management and recovery. This programs has optional durations, leaving the decision up to you! Work on maintaining gardens, and sowing seeds, all the way to improving soils, and composting! Work in the Rift Valley on 35, acre reserve to support conservation and environmental work in Kenya.

Duration lasts from one w eek to six months. The volunteer work mainly consists of organic farming and other methods of agriculture, but also gives you close exposure to the wildlife that exists in Kenya. Work to preserve, and conserve the biodiversity that exists in the Rift Valley. Habitat restoration is also a big aspect of this volunteer opportunity!

Does the thought of collective action make your heart flutter? Do you sometimes catch yourself daydreaming about having a positive impact on a child from another country? The Peace Corps application takes around one to two hours.

The Peace Corps application will ask about:. Required documents include:. If you qualify for a position, the Peace Corps will contact you to set up an interview via videoconference. Wear professional business casual attire. The Peace Corps gives you the interview questions in advance, so prepare well! Do a mock interview with a friend or colleague to sharpen your interview skills and make you more confident. In general, expect questions about your motivations for serving and reasons why you chose a specific sector or location.

You may have to schedule a follow-up appointment with your primary care provider, so allow time for that. You also need legal clearance. Immediately complete the fingerprint cards you received in the mail after accepting your invitation. Additionally, you have to apply for a Peace Corps passport. You possibly need to obtain a visa for your host country, so do that right away. The Peace Corps needs things like banking and emergency contact information. If you have student loans, the Peace Corps will also give you a letter to give your lender, certifying your upcoming volunteer assignment.

This will set expectations and prepare you mentally for your time abroad. Bon voyage! Before applying, Peace Corps recommends talking with a recruiter so you can understand the application process and volunteer experience better.

The application is obviously vital to getting an interview. Take it seriously. For instance, if you apply to an English teaching position, highlighting that part-time ESL tutor job you held during college will look good on your resume. You should also emphasize skills that the Peace Corps values, such as:. In the essay, discuss your cross-cultural experience, commitment to certain causes, and how you would overcome obstacles while serving.

Prove that you have what it takes to succeed. You should also research your country of consideration before interviewing. Your knowledge of the country and local culture will show that.

Finally, apply early and be flexible. The more time you give yourself, the better chance you have to get a suitable Peace Corps position. That increases your odds of acceptance greatly! The process of applying and getting accepted to the Peace Corps takes months or even longer. So, if you have a specific window of time for volunteering abroad, the Peace Corps may not be your best option at the moment. Volunteer organizations like Plan My Gap Year and Projects Abroad can place you on similar assignments in less than a month.

Furthermore, though there are only two mandatory requirements, the Peace Corps is highly competitive. There are simply way more applicants than open positions. The fact is many roles do require a good deal of education, work experience, and qualifications, such as the ability to speak a foreign language or expertise in a project sector. Again, you have other options. For example, you could volunteer with Maximo Nivel , a leading volunteer program provider in Latin America. Interested in farming?

Join their eco-agriculture project in Costa Rica. Believe in the power of education? Teach English to children in Peru or Guatemala.

Take time to bolster your resume. For instance, being able to add volunteer abroad experience will make your application stand out. Consider doing a short-term volunteer abroad trip and then applying again. Read our guide on short-term volunteer programs here! Peace Corps volunteers do get compensation and benefits. Volunteers receive a housing and living stipend that allows them to enjoy a modest standard of living in the host country. This resettlement allowance is relatively substantial and helps volunteers out greatly.

In addition to the housing and living allowance, Peace Corps volunteers enjoy other benefits, such as:. The Peace Corps asks a lot of you. In return, they ensure your needs are taken care of while abroad. This way, you can work on what matters: Serving the local community! Peace Corps assignments last 27 months.

It is a long-term commitment, consisting of three months of in-country training and two years on assignment. They view the Peace Corps as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But for others, that may be too long of a commitment. Don't even think about bringing Band-Aids.

Anything that is immediately essential to your health or safety while serving, Peace Corps will provide for you. That means, if you are in a malaria zone, they'll give you a mosquito net. If water isn't drinkable at your site, you'll get a filter. If they issue you a bike, you'll also get tools and a helmet. You can get even smaller stuff from Peace Corps, like sunscreen, bug spray, bandages and tampons in some countries. They'll also give you a 'settling-in allowance' so you can buy household items once you are in country, so even those shouldn't be a priority when you're packing.

Instead, save the space in your suitcase for things you love, like your favorite sundress, t-shirt or delicious American food you know you'll miss.

But now, despite your differences, they're your family, and PCVs are generally great at supporting each other and sticking together. The shared experience means you understand each other in ways your friends and family back home and host country nationals don't.

Even just being an English speaker is enough to base a friendship off of. Even within countries, each individual volunteer has their own, unique experience as a volunteer. Don't expect your service to be exactly like your friends or that blog you found while going through the excruciatingly long application process. Likewise, not all advice you get from other volunteers will necessarily apply to you. We all joined the Peace Corps for different reasons.

We all have different histories. We all have different lenses through which we've seen the world and through which we're seeing this experience. The quality of each Peace Corps program varies between countries. If a country has had volunteers, uninterrupted, for a long period of time, then chances are they've had time to work out the kinks to successfully train volunteers or more specifically meet the needs of the host country. However, if they have just opened or reopened because of previous political instability and evacuation, for example you may be entering a work in progress.

Information on program quality can be found by looking at survey results for each country on Peace Corps Wiki. Departure dates can be found for each country as well. Especially in the months following pre-service training PST , you will find yourself with little to do as you learn the language, integrate into your community and figure out what projects you want to start. This is all essential to your success as a PCV, but it doesn't exactly feel like work.

Even as your service progresses and you get a few projects started, you may still be surprised with the large amounts of free time you have, and the creative ways you start to fill it. Consider bringing an instrument or hobby you've always thought of trying but never had the time to do so.

Chances are, you'll certainly have the time in the Peace Corps.