RPCV/W News

Join RPCV/W on LinkedIn

Chris Robinson — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:14:51 GMT

RPCV/W is working on its LinkedIn page. Members are encouraged to join our group, post job opportunities, and network with RPCVs in the Washington area.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN

As professional development becomes a greater priority, we encourage RPCVs working in Human Resources to use this group as a recruitment tool. The rules are simple:

What you can post:

Job openings and internship opportunities from reputable local employers. (Use the Job Discussions Feature Here) Please delete your post once the position has been filled.
Free networking events, job fairs, or public events of interest to job-seeking, Washington-area RPCVs.
Requests for, or offerings of, informational interviews from RPCVs working in specific sectors, agencies, and industries.

What you can't post.

Anything involving fundraising, unless your organization is sponsored by RPCV/W as its current Partner for Peace.
Any "opportunity" requiring payment or purchase.
Requests for donations to Peace Corps projects abroad.

Happy networking!

Hosting Fulbright Scholar

Jason Smith — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 02:22:06 GMT

Dine With A Fulbright Scholar

Host Visiting Fulbright Scholars for Dinner in Your Home

Friday Evening, March 30th, 2012

This year, the Institute of International Education (IIE) is organizing enrichment seminars for first-year Fulbright Students in ten cities throughout the U.S. The Fulbright Program – of which these seminars are an important part – is funded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U. S. Department of State. The Washington Enrichment Seminar will take place March 28 – April 1, 2012. 140 students representing more than 80 different countries will participate in the seminar.

As in previous years, a home hospitality evening has been scheduled for the Fulbright students with members of the greater Washington, DC, community. RPCV/W and the IIE would like to invite you to host a small group of Fulbright students for dinner in your home on Friday evening, March 30.

If you would like to host a group of Fulbright Foreign Students, please follow the link below to complete the online confirmation form.

https://www.iiefeedback.org/se.ashx?s=612502257780C3C4

Please contact Joey Ham at 303-837-0788 (x26) or dcseminar@iie.org with any questions about this event.

Please complete the form by Wednesday, March 21, or call Joey to indicate your interest.

A Successful RPCV/W Peace Corps Town Hall Meeting!

Kristina Owens — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 20:41:30 GMT

Dear RPCV Friends and supporters,

Last week’s Peace Corps Town Hall Meeting was a resounding success, in part because of the interest and questions from the RPCV community. Over 100 RPCVs came to listen to the Peace Corps Leadership and participated in the Q & A session.

RPCV/W President Chris Austin began the hour by reflecting on how our community came together to commemorate 50 years of the Peace Corps; it was a tribute to a diverse community who understood that Peace Corps affected each of us in an important way.

This effort continues to inspire RPCV/W to facilitate new and creative initiatives such as our monthly Professional Development panel discussions and Community Service efforts.

NPCA President Kevin Quigley continued the program by discussing one of their new initiatives -- to find each person that served in or has worked for the Peace Corps. NPCA hopes this initiative will further strengthen our community. He also reminded us about the recent RPCV survey, which found that RPCVs volunteer at twice the rate of the average American.

Before hearing from the Director, Deputy Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet updated the community on some of last year’s concerns about safety and security.

Finally, the Director spoke on some of the exciting initiatives Peace Corps has been part of, including the recent initiative that consists of Peace Corps, PEPFAR and Global Health Service Corps launching a unique Public-Private Partnership to boost training for health professionals in developing countries.

For the remaining part of the hour, we had a Q & A session that included questions about Peace Corps response programs, the possibility of placing same sex couples, and non-competitive eligibility.

Unfortunately, there were more questions than time but we will endeavor to have Peace Corps respond to all the questions submitted and will include those in subsequent newsletters.

RPCV/W would like to thank the Peace Corps 3rd Goal Office, the Directors Office, and the Communications Office for helping to make this event successful! Another big thanks goes to you – our local RPCV community!

If you have any additional questions please feel free to email strategicpartner@rpcvw.org

Sincerely,

Kristina J. Owens

RPCV/W’s Strategic Partnership Director

Bolivia 2000-2002

Successful RPCV/W Serves event with A Wider Circle

Jason Smith — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 00:03:01 GMT

Yesterday morning, four RPCV/W members joined with 10 other volunteers to help A Wider Circle move mattresses from a downtown hotel to their warehouse in Silver Spring. In three hours we moved 200 mattresses onto semi trucks headed to the facility to be matched up with A Wider Circle clients from across the DC area. After we loaded up the trucks, we went to a local cafe and exchanged stories about our Peace Corps experiences. Another great RPCV/W serves event!

Speed Networking Highlights

Jason Smith — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 01:21:58 GMT

Last night’s speed networking event was the first one for 2012 and the first one RPCV/W hosted in Peace Corps Headquarters. This new model proved to be a great success and we hope that Peace Corps will invite us back in the summer/fall when the next jobs conference is scheduled. This event is always fun for mentors and mentees alike. While we don’t promise participants a job at the end of the event, we hope that giving them an opportunity to practice networking gets them one step closer. And hey – with all the mingling and the mixing, you never know, you could end up with a date too.

Thanks to all the mentors that made last night such a success. To get involved or learn more about this event, contact Laara: outreach@rpcvw.org

RPCVW Nominates Kristina Owens for NPCA Board of Directors

Chris Robinson — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:13:41 GMT

The RPCV/W Board of Directors voted unanimously to nominate Kristina Owens as a candidate to represent the Mid-Atlantic Region on the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) Board of Directors. NPCA Directors meet 4 times a year to craft the policies, oversee the budget, and evaluate the performance of the organization. They represent dozens of RPCV groups organized around particular countries of service or geographic locations within the United States.

Kristina currently serves as RPCV/W's Strategic Partnership Director and previously served as its Treasurer. As RPCV/W's Peace Corps 50th Anniversary Liaison, she played a key role in organizing the 50th Anniversary Event at the Arlington Memorial Amphitheater and the subsequent Procession of Flags over the Memorial Bridge which was held on September 25, 2011.

During her Peace Corps service, Kristina worked as a Natural Resource Volunteer in Bolivia from 2000 to 2002 where she taught environmental science in a rural community. She went on to become a Peace Corps Masters International student in Forestry at Michigan Technological University. In her free time, she works as a Plant Biologist at USDA, developing molecular disease detection methods for fruit trees and vegetables.

Voting for this position is open to NPCA members only, and will be conducted online from March 30 to April 30. If elected, the candidate would no longer be eligible to serve on the Board of Directors for RPCV/W, but would instead unofficially represent the interests of all RPCV groups within the District of Colombia, Virginia, and Maryland.

Click here to visit the NPCA Board of Directors website for more information.

Still Looking for Gifts for Family and Coworkers?

Jason Smith — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 23:26:47 GMT

Still Looking for Gifts for Family and Coworkers?

Click Here to order a 2012 International Calendar and have it shipped to you!

The 2012 International Calendar is a product of the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Madison, Wisconsin. Proceeds support grassroots volunteer projects around the world. Designed as a teaching aid and featuring stunning images taken by PCVs, this calendar is the perfect gift for anyone with a deep and abiding respect for the world and its customs.

Holiday Party and Silent Auction

Jason Smith — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 01:28:38 GMT

Thanks for joining us on December 9th for our Holiday Party and Silent Auction!

And special thanks to our Sponsors: The Global Fund for Children, Elite Island Resorts, Embassy Suites, The Melting Pot , Arganica Farm Club , XYZ Salon , Author Susi Wyss , Georgetown Cupcake , Baked and Wired , The Sweet Lobby, SPE Dive School, Sahara Dance, United Social Sports, Tranquil Space Yoga, All Fired Up, The Jam Cellar, Dolcezza Gelato , Sprinkles Cupcakes, BTI Dance School , Bits of Thread Sewing Studio, Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, Eyetraktions by Elih, Company’s Coming, Art and Soul, Easy Tennis, The Spa Room, Hello Cupcake, Ben’s Chili Bowl, and Trapeze School New York

This has been a wonderful year for the Washington, DC Peace Corps Community. A successful auction means an active 2012! Keep an eye on our upcoming events and send any suggestions our way.

Wishing you a safe, happy, and fulfilling Holiday Season,

-RPCV/W

50th Anniversary Press Release

Wendy Owens — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 02:30:26 GMT

RPCV/W-Sponsored Peace Corps 50^th Anniversary

Celebration and Parade

Washington, D.C | September 25, 2011 – The Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Washington, D.C. (RPCV/W) hosted a commemorative event celebrating 50 years of Peace Corps at the Amphitheater in Arlington National Cemetery. The event also honored President John F. Kennedy’s legacy, the Peace Corps’ first director, Sargent Shriver, and the 280 Peace Corps volunteers who have died during their service.

The anniversary activities started with a wreath laying ceremony at President Kennedy’s gravesite with The Families of Fallen Peace Corps Volunteers (FPCVs) to honor their loved ones. The ceremony featured celebrated journalist Maureen Orth as Master of Ceremonies, Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams, Vice President of Liberia Joseph N. Boakai, former Senator Christopher Dodd, Maeve Kennedy McKean, the granddaughter of Robert F. Kennedy, and family members of volunteers who have died in service. The ceremony was followed by the Walk of Flags across the Arlington Memorial Bridge to the Lincoln Memorial, with former volunteers carrying flags from the countries they served in.

“On behalf of the entire Peace Corps community, our thoughts are with the families and friends of Peace Corps volunteers who have lost their lives during service,” said Peace Corps Director Aaron S. Williams (Dominican Republic, 1967-1970). “As returned Peace Corps volunteers we all carry on the memory of every fallen volunteer. All of their individual stories are unique and they represent different hopes and dreams, but they belong to the Peace Corps family: one united in the belief that service can change lives and the world. On our 50^th anniversary, we proudly honor them.”

Since 1961, more than 200,000 Americans have joined the Peace Corps, rising to President Kennedy’s call to contribute two years of their lives to assist those in the developing world. To date, volunteers have worked in 139 countries in Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Africa. This year alone, there are more than 8,500 volunteers and trainees ranging from their twenties to eighties, serving in 76 countries. In commemoration of their service, thousands of volunteers attended the event.

“Thus is came to be that on the cold, pre-dawn day of October 14, 1960, then-Senator John Kennedy stood before a crowd of 10,000 students in Ann Arbor, Michigan and challenged a nation to serve their country and this world,” said Senator Chris Dodd. “On that occasion, he challenged a nation to serve, not by joining our nation’s armed forces, but by traveling to lands some had never heard of to spread friendship and peace, and demonstrate to the world what it means to be American.”

For further information, please contact Jessica Benton Cooney, Media Liaison, RPCV/W, jbentoncooney@yahoo.com, 202 468 9491.

About RPCV/W:

The Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Washington D.C. (RPCV/w) was founded in 1979 and incorporated in 1990 in the District of Columbia. RPCV/W is one of the largest organizations of its kind in the world. RPCV/W is a nonprofit 501c3 and represents more than 900 returned Peace Corps volunteers, Peace Corps staff, and Peace Corps families and supporters in the greater Washington D.C. area. RPCV/W is governed by an elected board of directors. http://www.rpcvw.org/

RPCV/W elects board, prepares for Peace Corps' 50th anniversary

Doug Trapp — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 22:18:18 GMT

The Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Washington, D.C. elected and introduced its 2011-12 board on Saturday July 16 at its annual barbecue at the Capital Yacht Club. The board again is made up of a mix of last year’s board members and fresh faces. Departing board members will work closely with the new board and other RPCV/W members on planning and carrying out RPCV/W’s commemoration of Peace Corps’ 50^th Anniversary at Arlington National Cemetery on Sunday Sept. 25.

Harris Wofford a former senator and key figure in the development of Peace Corps, spoke about the history of the program. RPCV/W President Chris Austin explained that RPCV/W, with its new Professional Development board position, hopes to focus more on career development for RCPCVs in the Washington area.

The RPCV/W 2011-12 board:

President: Chris Austin, Kenya, 2003-2005

Vice President: Andrianne Konstas, Cameroon, 2006-2008

Treasurer: Chris Polen, Azerbaijan 2008–2010

Secretary: Sarah Sahr, Ethiopia, 1996-1998

Development: Chris Robinson, Jamaica, 2007-2009

Membership: Natacha Vacroux, Romania, 2004-2006

Special Events: Renetta Boyd, St. Kitts 2004-2006

Professional Development: Brandon Roché, Honduras, 2003-2005

Strategic Partnerships: Kristina Owens, Bolivia, 2000-2002

Outreach: Laara Manler, Burkina Faso, 2001-2002 and Paraguay, 2008-2010

Social: Liza Cushion, El Salvador, 2001-2003

Public Relations: Wendy Owens, Paraguay, 2000-2002

Community Service: Jason Smith, Bulgaria, 2007-2009