Here are a few of our favorite Big Ideas + Other Cool Stuff from Week 4 of Travis Hellstrom’s 6-week course Peace Corps 101.
Already enrolled? Download the class here.
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The Context
Travis just finished 3 years of service with the Peace Corps in Mongolia and has gathered together with dozens of outstanding Peace Corps Volunteers from around the world to organize the first-ever worldwide class on the Peace Corps.
In this fourth class, we discussed "Returning Home" after Peace Corps service. Here are three of the Big Ideas shared during class...
Big Idea #1: Find something you love
During class Vanessa mentioned how having something fun to do when you come back to America can really be helpful. Whether it's exercising, writing, or even signing up for Advocacy Day with NPCA, connecting to things you love and people you love being around can make the difficult task of readjustment to America that much easier.
Big Idea #2: Expand your network
As Bonnie mentioned during the call, there are lots of great ways to reach out to your home community while still serving as a PCV: writing articles for your local paper, doing interviews over the phone or Skype, connecting with RPCV groups in your local area or connected to your country of service.
Big Idea #3: Many ways to connect
There are lots of ways to reach out the Peace Corps family once you become an RPCV. At the end of this note we have included all the links mentioned during the call including Peace Corps Returned Volunteer Services, RPCV Mentoring, and National Peace Corps Association's networks on LinkedIn, Peace Corps Connect, Facebook and more!
Other Cool Stuff
Peace Corps 101 is taught by amazing Peace Corps Professors from all around the world! Click here to check out their office hours and live chat links (some of which start up today) to chat with them anytime.
If you haven't picked up a copy of the Unofficial Peace Corps Volunteer Handbook, go for it. It covers everything from the application to coming home and everyone in Peace Corps 101 can download it for free here.
Later in class we'll be mentioning Travis's second book, Enough. If you'd like to jump ahead of class and start reading it, awesome! You can download it for free here anytime.
PLUS, check out a couple of the links and resources that were mentioned during class here:
- Peace Corps Returned Volunteer Services
- Awesome RPCV Google Group
- NPCA Job Resources
- Peace Corps Fellows Program
- NPCA LinkedIn Group (mentioned by Erica)
- RPCV Mentoring Program (mentioned by Erica)
- NPCA Annual Gathering (mentioned by Erica)
- Peace Corps: The Ultimate Resume Booster
- NPCA Call for 250,000 RPCVs and Staff
Thanks again for joining us to Peace Corps 101! We hope you enjoyed this week and we're excited to see you in Week 5 - A Lifetime of Service!
-The en*theos Team
