We are pleased to notify members that the video recording of “Peace Corps 2.0: A Symposium” on March 31, 2021 is available. The historic event was sponsored in conjunction with the exhibition “Peace Corps at 60: Inside the Volunteer Experience” (March 3–August 9, 2021) and presented by Museum of the Peace Corps Experience and American University Museum.
Panelists for this virtual event, all returned volunteers, reflect on Peace Corps’ 60 years and explore roadmaps for dealing with the challenges ahead. They share personal stories and candid reflections on their cross-cultural experiences in host communities around the world.
The first panel features viewpoints of current American University students; second panelists discuss issues related to diversity in Peace Corps. Two returned volunteers who attended the 1961 conference tell stories about traveling to Washington, D.C. 60 years ago and what happened once they arrived. The symposium concludes with an overview of “Peace Corps Connect to the Future” report (2020) by National Peace Corps Association and a look forward from the Peace Corps Directors Office.
The three-hour March 2021 symposium commemorates the historic student-lead conference March 29 – 31, 1961 when hundreds of students came to American University to advised founding director Sargent Shriver and his team planning the new Peace Corps. Student leaders played a pivotal role in shaping the agency’s goals, mission, and methods and fulfilling President John F. Kennedy’s vision. The National Student Association organized the 1961 conference which was co-hosted by students from University of Michigan and American University.
View video recording here.
