Preparing for New Experiences Abroad

Bossi Letter 1966

Stephen Bossi, Peace Corps Training Letter, 1966

The Peace Corps Community Archive includes many fascinating stories conveyed through letters, photos, and diaries of returned Peace Corps volunteers.  However, many of the collections also include volunteers’ handwritten notes, outlines, exams, and other materials from their Peace Corps training.  All volunteers attended some form of training prior to their departure, or, in later years, immediately upon arriving to the country of service.

Frum Certificate 1965

Jennifer Frum, Certificate of Completion of Training, 1965

The training materials provide insight into what the Peace Corps considered essential for volunteers to know about the country’s culture, history, and language.  They also demonstrate the process Peace Corps trainers used to educate and prepare volunteers for living and serving in a culture very different from their own.  Several collections include images of service and construction projects undertaken during the volunteers’ training.  Construction projects, as well as visits to local social, industrial, and government agencies provided experiential knowledge for volunteers preparing to work in community development.

Frum Training 1965

Jennifer Frum, Introduction to Field Experiences, 1965

Other documents in the collection include training schedules, exams, note outlines, and diary entries detailing the daily training experience.