The Peace Corps is an agency of the United States federal government which sends volunteers worldwide to assist developing nations. Peace Corps volunteers teach in schools, build houses, assist with sex education programs, and participate in a variety of other services to communities around the globe. The Peace Corps is internationally recognized as a service organization. Over 182,000 people had volunteered in nations all over the world by 2006, the 45th anniversary of the Peace Corps.

The Peace Corps was founded in 1961, inspired by a speech made by John F. Kennedy in 1960 during his successful Presidential campaign. He challenged students at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, to find a meaningful way to contribute to their world. The famous speech motivated the students, and shortly after taking office, President Kennedy signed an executive order to form the Peace Corps. Volunteers were eager to sign up for assignments in Ghana, Tanzania, the Philippines, Chile and St. Lucia. Approximately 5,000 individuals arrived to take the first qualifying examination offered.

In 1964, the Peace Corps Partnership Project was founded, to allow individuals at home to support the Peace Corps if they were unable to serve overseas. The program became wildly popular, and enrollment in the Peace Corps itself continued to increase. As the 1970s dawned, the Peace Corps began to attract volunteers with professional skills, such as doctors, engineers, lawyers, and botanists. These volunteers made up one fifth of the total volunteer population, and their services proved invaluable in far flung corners of the globe across five continents.

The Peace Corps continues to grow and develop, with participants ranging from recent college graduates to older, more experienced individuals in singles and couples. In 2006, the Peace Corps served 138 countries with almost 8,000 volunteers who came from all walks of life. The Peace Corps does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, or cultural background: the oldest volunteer in 2006 was 79. The average age of a Peace Corps volunteer is 28, and the Peace Corps does prefer volunteers with experience and skill sets. Many college graduates choose to spend several years in the Peace Corps before pursuing a career. The Peace Corps also offers student loan deferments and payoff programs as an incentive to recent graduates.

The Peace Corps stresses that service is not for everyone. The work is physically and emotionally demanding, and some individuals may not be suited to a term of service with the Peace Corps, which lasts for two years. For others, volunteering for the Peace Corps is a wonderful way to learn new languages and see the world. Many former volunteers are also on the permanent staff of the organization encouraging others to explore service in the Peace Corps.