Peace Corps Celebrates 25 Years in China

WASHINGTON – Today, Peace Corps Director Jody Olsen joined U.S. Consul General Jim Mullinax in Chengdu at the swearing in ceremony of China’s 24^th cohort of volunteers. The event marks the 25^th anniversary of the Peace Corps program in China, where over 1,235 volunteers have served since 1993. The program is formally known as the United States-China Friendship Volunteer program.

“At its heart, this program brings together people to share knowledge, world views, cultural riches and the values and shared aspirations of the American and Chinese peoples,” said Olsen. “We could not be prouder of our shared legacy, or more grateful for the friendship and collaboration of our Chinese partners.”

The new group of 79 volunteers were sworn into service by Olsen after successfully completing 10 weeks of training. Their training included Mandarin language instruction and sessions on Chinese culture to better integrate with their host communities. The new volunteers will teach at universities, colleges, and vocational schools in Sichuan, Guizhou, and Gansu provinces and Chongqing municipality.

Director Olsen, who served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Tunisia from 1966 to 1968, delivered the keynote remarks at the ceremony. She reflected on her own service and thanked the Chinese people for their friendship and collaboration in making the partnership a success. Over 200 guests attended the event, including members of the Chinese government, U.S. Consulate, and partner schools. The festivities also included a ceremonial cake-cutting.

Over the past 25 years, Peace Corps volunteers have helped enhance the skills of 350,000 Chinese students and teachers in 140 participating universities and colleges. Volunteers have worked with even more Chinese through secondary activities such as English clubs, women’s empowerment workshops, and summer teacher training programs.

The 25^th anniversary celebration took place during Director Olsen’s first trip to China as head of the agency. During the visit, she also visited volunteers in their communities and met with Chinese government officials.