Peace Corps Week is celebrated annually beginning the 1st of March and it commemorates the date when the agency was established back in 1961. The mission of this organization is to promote world peace and friendship by helping interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women, to help promote a better understanding in other countries about Americans, and to promote a better understanding of other people on the part of Americans.

Peace Corps volunteers help communities around the world address local needs and teach them valuable skills. All of these are good reasons why everyone should support this organization by observing this holiday week.

The History Of Peace Corps Week

On March 1st, 1961, U.S President John F. Kennedy signed an executive order that created the Peace Corps on March 1st, 1961. Its first director would be R. Sargent Shriver who assumed the position 3-days later. By the end of that year, Peace Corps volunteers were serving in 5 different countries, and by 1967, there are more than 14,500 volunteers serving in more than 55 different countries.

Ten years later, in 1971, U.S President Richard Nixon would proclaim May 30th through June 5th of that year as National Peace Corps Week in honor of the organization’s 10-year anniversary. Since the 1970s, this celebration has been changed several times in line with the social mores of the time. The last significant change to this week came in 2004 when it was moved to the beginning of March.

Observing Peace Corps Week

A great way to observe this holiday is to take the time to learn more about the Peace Corps and its core mission. This is especially easy to do in the digital age when there’s a ton of online information about this organization. It’s also a good week for people to join the Peace Corps and maybe do a little bit of good in the world, all while developing their own skills.