Peace Corps Polyglot

NPCA Awarded Grant to Launch "Global Connections"

 The National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) is pleased to partner with The Globalist to launch a new program to promote global literacy. The program, “Global Connections,” will combine The Globalist’s online research and publication expertise with the NPCA’s expansive network of global educators, Global TeachNet.

Global Connections is designed to promote the global skills of high school students in the United States and to help them prepare for the globally competitive job market of the 21st century.

Global Connections provides teachers and students with access to informative, engaging and interactive features on the countries, issues and people shaping the global agenda. By exposing students to new ways of looking at the world and current events, Global Connections is an ideal supplement to traditional classroom materials.

The UPS Foundation has provided initial funding for the multi-year program. Starting this summer, the NPCA will recruit teachers and schools to use Global Connections’ materials in their classrooms. Over the course of the academic year, participating educators will begin to develop frameworks for infusing materials into high school classrooms and communities for broader dissemination around the United States.

Interested educators should contact NPCA at [email protected]. Participating teachers will receive a free subscription to Global Connections (http://www.theglobalist.com/globalconnections/).

Africa Rural Connect is finally here!

The NPCA’s Africa Rural Connect (ARC) online work-collaborative space for development ideas for rural Africa launches tomorrow, Wednesday, July 15^th!

This is no small feat; in fact it has taken the combined efforts of the NPCA staff and an untold number of advisors, developers, designers, assistants, interns, strategists, moderators and many other helping hands. After months of labor, hours and hours of meetings, and literally 40 days and 40 nights of Web development, our ARC is at last being launched (pun intended).

What’s even better is that with the help of all of these individuals we have taken the simple concept of an online idea-sharing space and in a short time turned it into a full-blown high-tech online community, soon to be home to thousands of likeminded people, looking to share their own innovative ideas and similarly turn them into real-life, applicable, practical initiatives. So, even before the ARC website goes live, we already know one thing for sure: collaboration works, and it works well.

A special thanks to all those who were involved in the creation of ARC, and we hope to see everyone on July 15 www.AfricaRuralConnect.org, where you can post your ideas, comment and build on others’ ideas, or vote on which ideas you think have the most potential as implementable projects. Remember, the success of this network depends on YOU.  Your connections, your input, and your help to get out the message to anyone and everyone who should be involved.

Part of the Africa Rural Connect team: Nick Whitmoyer (Whitmoyer), Rory Kelly (Wegora), Molly Mattessich (NPCA), Ernesto Gluecksmann (Infamia)

NPCA's Manager for the New Peace Corps Connect

We are very pleased to introduce Molly Mattessich as the General Manager for Peace Corps Connect, our new online community.   Molly joins our staff tomorrow.  You may recognize her name already.   She has a long history of involvement with the RPCV community and with NPCA Groups, as you will read below.

Welcome, Molly!!

From Molly:

I could not be more delighted to be joining NPCA as General Manager for the Peace Corps Connect Online Community.  This position integrates my most salient skills including marketing and web development, my passion for community development, and my enthusiasm for making Peace Corps Connect a success for years to come.
 
I have served as a Group Leader for the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Washington, DC for the past several years as Vice-President, Special Events Director, and New Members Director, and have been involved with various NPCA activities since I moved to DC after my Peace Corps service in Mali from 2002-2004.  My family is a Peace Corps one, since right after I served in Mali from 2002-2004, my sister and brother-in-law were inspired to serve in Thailand for the following two years.

I look forward to working with you and encourage you to take advantage of the unique social networking site that we are creating.  It's your online community and I will always welcome your questions and comments to make it more valuable and useful to you. 
 
Regards,
 
Molly Mattessich
General Manager, Peace Corps Connect
[email protected]
202-293-7728, ext. 24

PeaceCorpsConnect: Be a Beta Tester

We are still on track for a late January launch of the new PeaceCorpsConnect, the first online networking site connecting, informing and engaging Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) and Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs), and people around the world--powered  by the NPCA.  

Created by us and for us, PeaceCorpsConnect is an inspiring and easy way for PCVs, RPCVs, or any individual or organization sharing the values of Peace Corps to connect with one another. Share your stories, photos, information, projects, and best practices. 

Are you interested in participating in the invitation-only beta?  If so, please e-mail [email protected] with "Peace Corps Connect Beta" in the subject line by January 5th.    

Third Annual Peace Corps and NPCA Information and Communications Technology Contest

Peace Corps and the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) are calling for submissions from around the globe for the third annual Peace Corps and NPCA ICT Story Contest.

The contest will recognize outstanding activities designed by serving Peace Corps Volunteers and their counterparts and communities in the use of information and communications technology (ICT) including cell phones, computer, Internet, radio, video, and other technology.

The goal of this contest is to see how technology is being effectively used -- not to compare or contrast the quality of specific media products.

The submitted stories must show how Volunteers assisted counterparts and/or community members to develop an ICT activity based on community needs. Stories should show how communities leveraged the power of ICTs to create fresh opportunities and address development challenges in areas such as agriculture, education, environment, gender, HIV/AIDS, health, small enterprise development, youth, and/or other areas important to social and economic development. 

The winning submissions will be recognized in a variety of formats, including being featured in Peace Corps ICT-related news and publications.

The deadline for submissions is Friday, January 9th, 2009 (by 12:00 p.m. EST). The winners will be announced in February 2009.

Click here for Terms and Conditions, Judging Criteria, and Submission Form.

Great Job for a Web-Savvy RPCV!: General Manager, PeaceCorpsConnect

If you have a passion for technology, and an interest in and/or experience with Peace Corps, and want to be involved in creating a game-changing website, you will be interested in this position.

As General Manager of PeaceCorpsConnect, you will be responsible for a wide range of functions including its products and features, content and community development as well as marketing and business development. You will work closely with the staff at the National Peace Corps Association and will have to understand and meet the needs of a wide variety of audiences including current Peace Corps Volunteers, Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and members of the development community that have an interest in learning more about the areas where Peace Corps operates. You will also need to keep your finger on the pulse of the ever evolving and innovative technology that enables connections between and among these constituencies to thrive.

Click here for a complete job description.

Coming Soon to a Computer Near You... PEACE CORPS CONNECT

The online networking site created by you, for you and with you is coming January 20, 2009!

The platform that is currently in development is going to help you to connect, inform and engage the Peace Corps Community and people around the world inspired by Peace Corps.

For the first time, easily find the people you served with--maybe even your host family!  Share your stories, photos, projects, and best practices.  Create groups around your areas of personal or professional interest--whatever they might be.  Learn what's happening in your Peace Corps country today...or what it was like years ago.  And more.

PeaceCorpsConnect will be an inspiring and easy way for people who share the values of Peace Corps to connect with one another.

This is one of the most crucial times in history to make these connections and to help create mutual understanding and respect for other countries, cultures and religions.  Be part of it.

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