For recent (and not-so-recent) college graduates who find themselves drawn toward using their educations in the service of humanity, the Peace Corps might seem an appealing prospect. Since 1961, it has sent Americans abroad in order to nurture education, the environment, public health, agriculture, housing, and other necessities in parts of the world with few resources, squelching political atmospheres, and worse. It’s not a perfect system by any stretch of the imagination, but plenty of volunteers end their Peace Corps stints having affected positive change in an often cruel world. And in the digital age, it makes perfect sense that many find blogging an ideal outlet to open up about what they hear, see, smell, taste, and touch on a regular basis. This provides not only a valuable peek into what the organization stands for, but an even better conduit for exploring global cultures through a first-person lens.
Do keep in mind that even the more active blogs out there may not update as frequently as those on other topics, owing to limited Internet access in some regions as well as cramped schedules.
Recently Active Blogs
- Peace Corps Journals:
This group blog brings together stories and perspectives from multiple nations, providing a broad look at what volunteers typically and not-so-typically experience.
- Daisie’s Peace Corps Blog:
Read detailed postings about the cultural mores Peace Corps volunteers might encounter in parts of Mexico, as well as interesting musings on how it compares and contrasts with its neighbor to the north.
- Tumaini: Okie on the Savannah:
Following her graduation, Katie decided to join up with the Peace Corps, where she was assigned to teach Tanzanian high schoolers chemistry and biology.
- Daniel Wendt, Peace Corps, Dominican Republic:
The eponymous blogger works as an environmental extension specialist, though his content covers a wide range of news and views from the Dominican Republic.
- Placeholder:
While not exclusively about his time in the Peace Corps, Chris Miller does offer insight about teaching English in Ethiopia as well as the surrounding cultural and political climate.
- Jebena Life:
Ethiopia comes alive through vivid photos of people, places, items, and foods snapped by an English language volunteer who also holds a passion for the arts.
- Ian’s Senegal Peace Corps Blog:
Eager Ian Hennessee works as a Rural Health and Environmental Education Peace Corps worker, and he devotes his first blog to his projects in Senegal.
- BaileysPeaceCorpsExperience:
Another blog hailing from Ethiopia, this time chronicling one woman’s life teaching English to students at five different local schools.
- Mark Fullmer:
His stint in the Philippines might be drawing to a close soon, but musician, writer, and educator Mark Fullmer still offers an insightful glimpse into the ups and downs of Peace Corps life as well as the interesting folks he encounters along the way.
- miaka miwili katika Tanzania:
Until November 2012, this volunteer will be living in Mtwara and educating the populace about math and physics.
- Retired & Inspired:
Following her retirement, Peggy Reinhart decided to join the Peace Corps, and she was eventually assigned to Azerbaijan — where she seems to have fallen in love with everyone and everything around her.
- a story:
Read up on a Youth Development volunteer’s experiences in both Niger and Lesotho, with plenty of advice for Peace Corps newbies wanting to make sure they do right by their respective assignments.
- Paulzania:
Visiting Paulzania unearths a wealth of information about Tanzania, from life inside a boy’s school to the rich natural, ancient beauty it boasts.
- Peace Corps Worldwide:
Unlike most of the other blogs listed here, Peace Corps Worldwide concerns itself mostly with returned volunteers who exchange personal narratives in the interest of improving the program and the planet alike.
- Sara’s Adventures:
Sara Faison works as a Youth Development volunteer in St. Lucia and serves in an advisory council position in order to devise strategies that serve students best.
- Paff in Tanzania:
More news and views from a Peace Corps worker whose assignment launched him into Tanzania, where he reflects on the nation’s history and culture along with his projects.
- Ava’s Peace Corps Blog:
Learn all about Belize through the eyes of a Peace Corps volunteer stationed there until at least 2013; she enjoys taking and sharing tons of photos, too.
- 820 Days of Africa:
Another college graduate heads to Tanzania as a Peace Corps volunteer, this time emphasizing chemistry education.
- Michael W. Sherman’s Peace Corps South Africa Blog:
Aspirant Peace Corps personnel curious about working in education would do well to check out this blog about teaching South African students and training future instructors.
- Life is calling:
This highly informative group blog brings together Peace Corps volunteers from around the world and allows them to ask questions, provide comfort, exchange experiences, and more.
- Glenn in Tanzania:
Like the title states, this comparatively active blog chronicles the Tanzanian volunteering of the titular writer, who really, really delves into the tiny details.
- Ay, Que Linda Es La Vida:
Step into a virtual representation of Ecuador’s El Oro region and follow its progress toward sustainable agriculture through the perspective of Peace Corps volunteer Witni Ciofalo.
- A Peace Corps Odyssey: Tanzania:
Peace Corps personnel in Tanzania sure love to blog! This one comes from a young woman out of Cape Cod who authors some very long, revealing posts about her life and experiences.
- Profiles of Coumba Diouma:
Whenever possible, Environmental Health Education teacher Rachel Honick posts a fascinating mini-bio of someone living in Coumba Diouma, Senegal.
- Tracking Elephants:
Eco-conscious and socially aware readers considering the Peace Corps might learn a thing or two from Jordan Blekking’s assignment as an agroforestry volunteer, which merges the ideologies into one.
- jen vitello – peace corps blog:
This blog hails from Gambia, where a former graphic designer now devotes her time to health education programs.
- The National Peace Corps Association Social Network:
More than a blog, this community, social media site, photo gallery, and forum brings together current and former Peace Corps members to talk about pretty much everything related to joining up and shipping out.
Stalled Blogs
Although inactive, anyone curious about joining or learning about the Peace Corps can still learn a little something regarding what they might expect, depending on the nation piquing their interest most. Or, if nothing else, check them out for more insight into the regions the organization serves.
- Peace Corps Blog:
Nathan Perkins’ Peace Corps assignment took him to South Africa, where he teamed up with non-government organizations to address the country’s massive HIV/AIDS crisis.
- African Spirit: A Peace Corps Blog:
Updated between 2005 and 2008, this blog chronicles day-to-day life as a Peace Corps volunteer in a Namibian village school.
- Peace Corps Blog Panama:
Positive and negative experiences abound at Peace Corps Blog Panama, where gentle humor and eager curiosity about the world reigned supreme.
- A Peace Corps Blog:
Browse the archives of this (comparatively) older read, which chronicles life in Tanzania from a social, economic, political, and geographic perspective.
- Aaron in Africa: My Time in Togo:
Everything visitors need to know is right there in the title, and more entrepreneurial Peace Corps volunteers might find his successful plans to build a community computer lab inspiring.
- Steve’s Adventure with the Peace Corps:
Watch videos, look at pictures, and read stories about a former newscaster who joined the Peace Corps and moved to Tonga to assist with local and national business development opportunities.
- Megan Kelly Hensley:
From January through October 2011, the titular blogger and artist found inspiration in her Kazakh Peace Corps assignment.
- Peace Corps South Africa:
Benjamin and Susie Barr-Wilson spent nearly two years in South Africa volunteering as a science teacher and recreational program director, respectively, and they offer more insight into tackling assignments as a married couple.
- Wanderlustress:
Beyond the blogger’s Peace Corps experience, Wanderlustress also discusses first-hand global humanitarian and NGO work outside the organization.
- Memoirs from the Motherland:
Desiring adventure and an opportunity to rack up life experiences, a former high school history teacher quits work to volunteer with the Peace Corps in South Africa.
- The Peace Corps Experience of Scott Allan Wallick:
One of the most detailed, informative blogs about life in the Peace Corps ever published whisks readers away to Nepal, where Scott Allan Wallick found himself embroiled in some terrifying political upheaval.
- Peace Corps Writers Blog:
This blog reprints essays from Peace Corps volunteers who participated at different points in history, visited different nations, and witnessed different events and cultural mores.
- Inside Cambodia:
Although this pair of English teachers never blogged as often as some of their contemporaries here, they do boast an incredible photo gallery chronicling their time in Cambodia alongside writings about local events and culture.
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