S/^. ^ ;J"e $' SENIOR CITIZENS AND THE PEACE CORPS UNiV. OF FL Lli. pfiCU|»feNJ§.Jl£PL \ U.ft. JMEPOWTORY Peace Corps Office of Public Affairs Washington 25, D. C. Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive in 2011 witii funding from University of Florida, George A. Smathers Libraries with support from LYRASIS and the Sloan Foundation http://www.archive.org/details/seniorcitizenspeOOpeac L SENIOR CITIZENS AM) THE PEACE CORPS Opportiuiities, they say, are for the young. Opportunities provided by the Peace Corps, however, are for everyone. Already dozens of senior citizens in the 51-70 age brackets are either overseas or in training for Peace Corps projects. The Peace Corps has only one age limit, and that is a minimum one of 18. *If you are thinking of retirement, the Peace Corps may provide a capstone to your career. *If you have a needed skill. . . •^If you are in excellent health... *If you have a willingness to share your skill with others... Then you may be able to make a significant contribution to peace and understanding throtigh the Peace Corps. A CONTINUING CAREER As ageless as the dedicated spirit that motivates them, the senior citizens who apply for the Peace Corps are reluctant to see their experi- ence and training wasted. They are teachers, nurses, farmers, health and welfare authorities, engineers, former servicemen, vocational experts and skilled laborers. They do not believe that any date on the calendar marks the point where they automatically change from highly skilled tech- nicians or professional people to mere "has beens." They share the view of Miss Madge Shipp, a former Detroit teacher with 23 years of experience in the Michigan school system. Says Miss Shipp, "l want to help where help is needed. Scholarships -2- are not enough. . .To be of real benefit we must go into the field and work with the people . " Madge Shipp's success can be measured by the acclaim of the people of St. Lucia whom she is helping. "Your President must be a wonderful man," they told her, "to know how much good people like you can do in St. Lucia." Many older Volunteers are also seasoned travelers. Jeanne Dumas, of Reno, Nevada, spent many of her 62 years as a lecturer and soci- ologist in India before joining the Peace Corps' training program for Pakistan. Further training included three weeks' residence with a Pakistani family, and Bengali language training at the Pakistani Academy for Village Development in Comilla. Mr. and Mrs. W. Wendell Rolston of Dundee, Illinois, former agri- cultural development workers in West Germany, Laos and Poland were selected to supervise the Peace Corps' rural development project in the West Indies. All of the senior Volunteers have exceptional backgroijnds in educa- tion and vocational experience. Elizabeth D. Roseberry has a Ph.D. in home economics from Pennsylvania State University. Considered an out- standing authority on textile chemistry, this former college dean joined the Peace Corps to become a teacher in Sierra Leone. Also in Sierra Leone is Lillian W. Hollander, who was a teacher for 28 years in the New Jersey schools. Miss Hollander received her B.S. from Rutgers, her M.A. from Columbia, completing her formal education diu-ing summer sessions and night school while teaching full-time. HOW THEY FAEE IN TRAINING How do these older Volunteers fare dirring the training period, which may include a month of physical conditioning in the Peace Corps training camp in Puerto Rico? Their record has the same ratio of success as that of Volunteers half their ages. More frequently than not, their years of experience have made the academic part of the training easier. In the physical conditioning program, no one is required to do any exercise which he or she does not want to do. The purpose of the training camp is not designed to build muscles but to build confidence. It is not designed to test the Volunteer's physical endurance but to test his ability to adapt to new problems and situations. As Grant Venn, Direc- tor of the Puerto Rican Training Camp recently told a new group of Volun- teers, "You are not here to fight the ropes of the obstacle course or the water or the rocks. You are going to be fighting yourself, so don't worry about failure, worry about yoixr attitude towards it... You may not grow an inch in stature, but we expect you to grow a lot in self-esteem." On the first day of her Puerto Rico training "Lil" Hollander told the swimming instructor that she had never been in water except in the bathtub. Before "Lil" left Puerto Rico, she had learned to swim quite well, because she had confidence in her own ability to do it. COUPLES CAI^ SERVE Couples, whose grown children are now living away from home, have responded to the urge to foresake retirement for challenging new careers by applying for the Peace Corps. The Peace Corps accepts qualified couples with no dependents under l8. A husband and wife are eligible if both can do needed Peace Corps jobs in the same project. Such a couple is Mr. and Mrs. John C. Kennedy of Oberlin, Ohio, who are now serving in the Philippines as teachers' aides. Mr. Kennedy, 57^ was on the administrative staff of Oberlin College for 30 years. Mrs. Kennedy, '^k , ta-ught kindergarten and the 6th grade. Their decision to join the Peace Corps was mutual. "We decided that if we didn't do something now we never would. This is a rare opportunity. Our kids are grown. We wanted to throw our weight into some peace project rather than take the hands-up attitude that nothing could be done. -We decided to try." PENSION S AJRE NOT AFFECTED Persons serving as Volunteers for the Peace Corps may continue to receive the full amount of any pension to which they may be entitled. The pension is not reduced by reason of any remtmeration received from the Peace Corps, although the Volunteers will be expected to live overseas on the adequate living allowances provided by the Peace Corps. GENERAL QUALIFICATIONS General qualifications for senior Volionteers include a skill needed by the host covrntry^ sound health, emotional stability, willingness to work with other people. . .initiative. . .and a desire to serve. There is no upper age limit. Married couples are eligible if they both qualify and have no dependent children tinder l8. Intensive training is provided Volunteers both in the U.S. and in the host countries. Seme assignments require foreign language ability. But in most instances, you need not know a foreign langviage before applying for service. Language instruction is included in the training, along with studies in the history 6ind culture of the country to which you are assigned. Length of service is two years, including training. Volunteers receive allowances to cover food, clothing, housing, medical care and incidentals. . .plus a termination payment of $l800 based on $75 for each month of service. How do you apply? By filling out a Peace Corps Volunteer Questionnaire, available from your Post Office, Congressman or Senator, or from the Peace Corps, Washington 25, D.C. OPPORTUNITIES The following list gives an idea of the types of skills requested by various overseas countries. (This is a partial list of countries requesting Peace Corps Volunteers.) CAMEROON Art teachers Commercial teachers English teachers Guidance counsellors Mathematics teachers Physical education teachers Road builders Science teachers Social workers CEYLON Home economics teachers Mathematics teachers Physical education teachers CHILE Camp directors Carpenters Home economics teachers Nursery teachers Recreation workers Registered nurses Social workers COSTA RICA English teachers (H.S.) Guidance counsellors Science teachers(H.S. ) Chemistry teachers (University) English teachers (University) EL SALVADOR Agricultural college teachers Agricultviral extension workers Animal husbandman Economist Farm mechanics Home economics teachers Horticultiorist ECUADOR Animal husbandman Agricultural extension workers Horticulturist Home economist Hygienlst Manual arts teachers Rural sociologist ETHIOPIA Child care workers Commercial teacher English teacher Home economics teacher Home niirsing instructor Kindergarten teachers Medical clinicians GHANA Auto mechanics Building trades instructors Electrical workers Farm mechanics Mechanical engineers Radio & TV repairmen Refrigerator & AC technician Welders Woodworking trades instructor INDIA Agricultural extension workers Agronomist Drainage specialist Farm building architect Farm mechanic Farm manager Poultry husbandman IVORY COAST English teachers Home economics teachers Mathematics teachers Physical education teachers Science teachers IRAQ Agricultural mechanics Agronomists English teachers Farm manager Home economics teachers Horticulturist Irrigation specialist Livestock & ^ultry workers Physical education teachers LIBERIA Commercial teachers Elementary teachers English teachers Geography teachers Guidance counsellors Home economics teachers Health & physical education teachers Mathematics teachers Science teachers Vocational agriculture teachers MALAYA Auto mechanics Biology teachers Business teachers Cost accountants Civil engineers Diesel - heavy duty operators Doctors Draftsmen Electricians Geography teachers Machinists Mathematics teachers Physics teachers Radio & TV repairmen Registered nurses Road builders School construction superintendents NEPAL General science teachers Home economics teachers Machine shop teachers Poultry husbandmen Vocational agriculture teachers NIGERIA Biology teachers Chemistry teachers English (language) teachers English (literature) teachers French teachers Geography teachers German teachers Latin teachers Mathematics teachers Physics teachers PERU Agronomist Animal husbandmen Art-Music teacher Auto mechanic Carpenter English teachers (University) Farm mechanics Home economics teachers Horticulturists Irrigation assistant Metal workers Registered nurses Sociologist SIERRA lEGKE Art teachers Auto mechanics Carpenter Commercial teacher English teacher French teachers General science teachers Geography teachers History teachers Home economics teachers Latin teachers Mathematics teachers Music teachers Physical education teachers School building construction Sixrveyor - roads Village water supply experts SOMALIA Carpenter Commercial teachers English teachers General science teachers Machinists Masons Mathematics teachers Teacher training specialists TOGO Auto mechanics Commvmity development worker Dental hygienist Dentists Doctors English teachers Fisheries (commercial) Health aides Laboratory technician Pharmacists Public health ntirse Registered nurse Sanitary aides Social workers OTHER SKILLS REQUESTED BY OTHER COUIWRIES Agricultural engineering Anthropologist Bacteriologist Dairy husbandmen Entomologist Foresters i+-H Club workers General farmers Health education workers Home demonstration workers Plumbers Sanitary engineers Soil analysts Town planners Tailors Vaccination assistants Veterinarians Well drillers TUNISIA Architects Building construction superintendents Diesel operators Physical education teachers Road builders f ^ERSITY OF FLORIDA 3 1262 688517411 M