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Our Intercultural Approach
The Peace Corps is invited into countries to work alongside community members to achieve the community’s stated goals. As invited guests, Peace Corps staff and Volunteers must hone the ability to bridge cultural differences. This skill, intercultural competence, is a critical building block of our mission to promote world peace and friendship.
Preparing Volunteers to bridge differences
The Peace Corps welcomes all qualified, U.S. citizens over the age of 18 to apply for service and volunteer alongside counterparts and community members. When working abroad, Volunteers must be adept at connecting with people who come from a variety of backgrounds. The Peace Corps’ approach prepares Volunteers to bridge difference; partner with communities through people-to-people collaboration; strengthen individual and collective capacity; and use available resources, knowledge, and skills to achieve locally defined goals.
Learn more about our participatory approach.
Fostering a strong organizational culture
At the Peace Corps, we continually strive to foster an environment where Volunteers, staff, and host country partners can contribute their full potential. We seek to foster an organizational culture that nurtures differences of thought, experience, and personal background as we partner with and serve host country communities around the world.
To support this vision, the Peace Corps trains staff to prioritize and advance our organizational culture through our work, service, and various learning opportunities.
