Peace Corps to hold 'Around the World Expo' June 4 |

SACRAMENTO - The Peace Corps and the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA), announced Wednesday an Around the World Expo will be held in Sacramento on Saturday, June 4. This expo is one of nine regional events nationwide to highlight the contributions of Peace Corps volunteers and celebrate the program’s 50th anniversary.

The expo in Sacramento will be held at 2 p.m. at the Sacramento Scottish Rite Masonic Center at 6151 H Street. Scheduled speakers include Janet Allen, regional manager, Regional Recruitment Office, San Francisco, Calif. (RPCV Sierra Leone 1981-1983); NPCA director of communications Erica Burman, (RPCV The Gambia 1987-1989); and Mark Stivers, president of the Sacramento Valley Returned Peace Corps Volunteers.

"Our goal is to highlight the accomplishments of the Peace Corps over the last 50 years while inspiring the next generation of volunteers," said Kevin Quigley, president of the National Peace Corps Association (Thailand, 1976-79). "These expos will be a way for people who have only heard about the Peace Corps to come see it up close."

A collaborative effort between NPCA, the Peace Corps and local member groups, the expos provide an opportunity for the general public and RPCVs to celebrate the countries where Peace Corps Volunteers have served. Attendees will be able to hear firsthand from former Volunteers about their experiences and projects around the world. Peace Corps and NPCA staff members will be on hand to lead workshops and answer questions on various recruitment and education initiatives.

The expos are timed to help commemorate the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s creation of the Peace Corps in 1961. Free and open to the public, they are aimed at people interested in volunteering, teachers looking for new ways to engage students and RPCVs seeking to reconnect with former colleagues. One panel will feature RPCVs from the Sacramento area who continue to build on their Peace Corps experience in service to their own communities and around the world.

"The anniversary expos provide an opportunity for everyone to get a hands-on experience through story-telling, workshops and demonstrations," added Quigley. "In essence, we’ll be bringing the world home to help inspire a new generation of volunteers."