Give the Gift of Peace Corps for the Coming Holiday Season
Is there a hard-to-shop-for person on your holiday list? Why not give the gift of Peace Corps?
- Our online store offers a wide selection of Peace Corps and NPCA logo merchandise--Sigg bottles, embroidered shirts, t-shirts, coffee mugs and more. Wearing logo merchandise is a great way to spark conversations about Peace Corps!
- NPCA Membership includes a subscription to WorldView magazine and supports the efforts of the National Peace Corps Association in its mission to connect, inform and engage the Peace Corps community.
Combine them for a memorable, thoughtful gift!
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Election Day 2009 Brings New RPCV to Capitol Hill
Just after RPCV John Garamendi was sworn in to represent California's 10th Congressional District, fellow RPCV Congressman Sam Farr approached him and exulted, "Now there are five of us!"
While still small in number (six including the Senate), RPCVs have been strong champions for the Peace Corps community in a variety of ways:
- Chris Dodd (D-CT) leads efforts in the Senate with his Peace Corps Improvement and Expansion Act. He also convened the hearing and expedited the confirmation of Aaron Williams as the new Peace Corps Director.
- Sam Farr (D-CA) is referred to as "Mr. Peace Corps" by some of his House colleagues. He has worked tirelessly to secure additional funds for Peace Corps in the Fiscal Year 2010 budget and beyond.
- Mike Honda (D-CA) also leads efforts on Peace Corps issues, including being a lead sponsor of legislation to improve voting rights for volunteers and other citizens living and serving overseas.
- Tom Petri (R-WI) is the longest serving member of the House RPCVs and has been a consistent, strong leader among House Republicans on Peace Corps matters. His efforts include co-authoring an op-ed last March with Congressman Honda in the Christian Science Monitor.
- Steve Driehaus (D-OH) another new House member, gave a passionate defense of Peace Corps service during debate on the House floor, helping to defeat an amendment to reduce a proposed spending increase for Peace Corps.
(Photo above: Congressman Garamendi and wife Patti at victory party with fellow RPCVs and former NPCA Board members Pete Johnson and Susan Neyer)
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Former NPCA Board Member Tapped for Deputy Peace Corps Director Spot
On November 9, the White House announced that President Obama intends to nominate Carrie Hessler-Radelet as the next Deputy Director of the Peace Corps. Carrie is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who served as a health volunteer in Samoa from 1981 to 1983, and later served on the Peace Corps Headquarters staff from 1984 to 1986.
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SIT Graduate Institute Announces 2009 Winners of NPCA Scholarship
The SIT Graduate Institute has announced five winners of this year's National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) academic scholarships to pursue master's degrees in international programs at the Institute's Brattleboro, Vermont campus. The NPCA Scholarship was established in 2000 to recognize the long-standing ties between SIT and the Peace Corps. Members of the NPCA who have one year or more of significant intercultural experience are eligible to apply. Several awards of $10,000 are made each year.
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Africa Rural Connect Awards More Winners!
It has been a busy time for everyone involved in NPCA's initiative, Africa Rural Connect (ARC). You can read what ARC Manager Molly Mattessich has been up to on the NPCA Polyglot Blog.
Round 4 of the Africa Rural Connect competition came to a close this week. The three winning ideas focus on varying projects in rural Kenya, Malawi, and Tanzania. Congratulations to The Ndekero Challenge for winning the first place prize of $3,000 of seed-funding. Bamboo Lota came in 2nd to receive $2,000 and Rainwater Harvesting in Rural Tanzania came in 3rd to receive $1,000. Read about the winning ideas here.
The ARC panel of judges will select the strongest idea on the site to receive the grand prize of $20,000 to help implement the idea. We will make the announcement in late December, so watch out for more news.
Remember, though this year's rounds are closed, ARC remains a space for collaboration and networking amongst users around the world who can share and build upon ideas for the development of rural African communities.
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GlobalEd Goes to Atlanta!
Since 2002, NPCA has worked with the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) to organize an "International Alley" of exhibitors at the annual NCSS national conference. This past weekend found NPCA's Anne Baker in Atlanta, where for two days educators collected resources to bring global perspectives into classrooms and communities through our Global TeachNet exhibit.
As always, RPCVs were well represented at the conference, both as participants and exhibitors. For example, Atlanta Area RPCVs (AARPCV) joined in to sell calendars and "We All" poster sets produced by the RPCVs of Wisconsin-Madison. The conference was a great success-as was the after conference socializing!
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RPCVs Rally During International Day of Climate Action
Heavy rain did little to dampen the spirit and resolve of hundreds of climate activists who gathered on Oct. 24 in Washington for the International Day of Climate Action. Among them: Returned Peace Corps Volunteers--Americans who have seen the toll climate change is taking on the countries where they served.
NPCA has now put together a short video from the march featuring RPCV stories that convey a sense of urgency about the climate change issue.
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Missouri RPCVs Host Successful Film Festival
Small groups can do great things! Case in point: the Central Missouri Returned Peace Corps Volunteers.
Earlier this month this NPCA member group hosted the "Third Goal" International Film Festival in Columbia, Missouri. The festival featured films made by or about the work of Peace Corps Volunteers in Afghanistan, Mali, Latin America and Vietnam. The headliner film was "I Bring What I Love," about the international recording artist, Youssou N'Dour.
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ARE YOU A MEMBER?
Did you miss the opportunity to march in the inaugural parade because you weren't a member of NPCA?
Don't miss out on the latest breaking 50th Anniversary information, news and events.
The 50th Anniversary is almost here--make sure you're a member of NPCA.
Join here.
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HELP CHOOSE 2010 ADVOCACY PRIORITIES
As we begin the final quarter of 2009, the NPCA's advocacy program is beginning to consider what issues will be our priority activities during the 2010 calendar year.
Let us know what you think!
Click here to learn more.
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For up the latest Peace Corps Community News
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FOLLOW NPCA ON TWITTER
Yes, we are now Twittering! Follow us at: www.twitter.com/pcorpsconnect.
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ARE YOU CONNECTED?
With the move to a new website, we also moved to a new database. Please take a minute to log in, review and update your contact information and communication preferences, make a donation, and/or join or renew your membership. It's all in one place. Thank you for keeping us updated!
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... with NPCA
Are you a person with Peace Corps experience who uses the professional online
networking community LinkedIn? Well we have
created an NPCA group on LinkedIn...and you're invited.
Join NPCA's LinkedIn group
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RPCV MENTORING
Sometimes the hardest thing about Peace Corps is adjusting to life back home. It can feel like being a fish out of water.
That's why the NPCA, in conjunction with the Peace Corps, created this unique program to help returning Volunteers link up with RPCV mentors.
For more information or to apply for the program, click here.
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WHAT IS EVERYONE TALKING ABOUT?
Curious about what's on the mind of the Peace Corps Community?
Wonder no more. Check out Connected Peace Corps...the social networking area on our new website.
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