Peace Corps needs teachers!

I can’t believe it!  The end of June and nearly all of the Washington Reading Corps positions are filled!

This summer has proven to be the most successful recruitment season since I started working with the Washington Reading Corps five years ago.  I’ve heard from other AmeriCorps directors across the state that they have also had record numbers of applicants.  Not only have we experienced quantity, but we’ve also seen an increase in the quality of our applicants: Masters Degrees in education, years of teaching experience, energy, passion for service, tons of community involvement, and much more.   When I first began as a recruiter, it was like pulling teeth to get people to apply.  Now, we’re wait listing people who could run this program with their eyes closed and one arm tied behind their back! 

However, yesterday I was shocked to hear that not all national service programs are experiencing this same bliss.  I met with Kristina Lavcevic, a Peace Corps recruiter from the Seattle office.  Surprisingly, she informed me that Peace Corps is having the opposite problem: too many positions and not enough applicants.  They are having an especially hard time filling teaching positions.  WHAT?  When I thought of all of the out of work teachers in this country, I was floored! 

I remember graduating from college in 2004 with the dream of serving in the Peace Corps.  But just as I began my application, I was informed that without job experience, it was impossible to get in, and that even if you were lucky enough to get placed, it would take a year and most likely you would end up in Siberia.  I, like many others, have continued to assume that getting in to Peace Corps was about as likely as getting in to Fort Knox.  Kristina implored me to get the word out that Peace Corps needs you, and they need you now!

I’m not surprised that AmeriCorps programs are getting tons of applications this year.  Now that unemployment is at an all time high, and many skilled folks are getting laid off, suddenly the monthly stipend, benefits, and education award don’t sound so bad.  President Obama pushed AmeriCorps into the spotlight when he signed the Serve America Act and asked for a renewed call to service.  The Baby Boomer generation heard this call from JFK, and now their children, the Millennials, have their own.  I think it was something we as a generation needed after the helpless feeling created by the aftermath of September 11, 2001.  Renewing the call to service reinvigorated our communities, and gave us a purpose.  Five years ago, it was rare to meet someone who had heard of AmeriCorps.  Now, when I say, ”I work for AmeriCorps,” people actually know what I’m talking about! 

So why isn’t the renewed call to service invigorating the Peace Corps?  Is it because people want to stay closer to home?  Is a 10 month or year long commitment in your own country more appealing than 2 years overseas?  What do you think?

Please join me in getting the word out about Peace Corps.  If someone you know is out of work and they have skills in education, agriculture, business, or natural resources, tell them to consider Peace Corps!  Wait out the recession in another country, doing great things for the most underserved communities. It could be the most amazing two years of your life!