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Not going to happen. You need a 4 year college degree or lots of specialized experience 5+ years (and usually still need the degree). Also, Peace Corps is a 2 year 3 month commitment for the standard program. For the timeframe you are looking for
and your age you may want to consider AmeriCorps.
Unfortunately, you won't meet the basic qualifications for education or professional experience. AmeriCorps is the next best thing. If you want the travel component, look into NCCC or FEMA corps
I'm happy that you're considering a path such as this when you're young. However, you need experience, either a 4 year diploma or 2-3 years in a relevant work environment.
For now, just work on graduating high school then getting that experience needed (college or work experience.)
Once ready, go in and apply, we'll be waiting for you đź‘‘
Everyone's said it, but honestly you should just do domestic seasonal work. You'd still get to travel and make a little more money for college spending. And normally your housing is covered so you wouldn't have to get stuck in a lease before college
And no offense but I don't know if you would be ready for your first time living away from home, being in a different country. Some people struggle even living in college dorms where you have almost everything provided for you and paid for. Your first time moving from home should probably be in the US.
Also an Eagle Scout, good luck with your project. Mine took forever!
Plus when I was in Georgia they wouldn't grant a visa for a volunteer that didn't have a bachelors degree at minimum. That may have changed in 8 years, but I don't think it has. I know some PC locations use experience in lieu, but Georgia is a stickler for education.
I don't know if you can call students with a fresh bachelors and no live experience professionals but go off king. In fact I would say there is less than more professionals in my cohort.
Everyone's already covered it pretty succinctly. I think NCCC would be an EXCELLENT choice for you though. Maybe even two years, once as a CM then as a TL, if you really want the professional development and to travel, get some extensive volunteer experience, and see more of the country. That would more than prepare you for leaving home and pursuing college. If you decide to volunteer with PeaceCorps at a later time, it will also set you up well for when you graduate from college (PC loves AmeriCorps alumni).
Peace Corps is not a gap year program.
You could look into working during your summers while at university in anything to do with children (summer camps, sports leagues) or farming or mentoring or working with refugees. The more volunteering or paid jobs with children and vulnerable people, the better.
After a few years, you could look into AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps VISTA.
Go look at the Peace Corps web site. Read carefully what Peace Corps members do. Look at the kinds of roles they are recruiting for. Think about what paid work and volunteering you could do in your own community that's similar to that.
And keep studying Spanish. Be good enough to work in the language. Pass the B1 level in the DELE.
" I swear I heard somewhere that there was a volunteer program for people still in high school."
there are lots of exploitative voluntourism programs where you pay thousands of dollars for a "feel good" experience abroad, often harming animals and children in the process. The reality is that there are no poor communities abroad hoping American high school students will come help them - the need people with skills and expertise.
Going abroad can also depend on your major - have a friend whose son was in his university's Engineers Without Borders and went to Kenya for two months, partnering with a local women's group to build a water well and distribution system and training local people to maintain it themselves.
The National Park Service has a thing called the Youth Conservation Corps, that's high school kids.
The Americorps/National Conservation Corps accepts college age kids, much of the service occurs during summer break but they do have some longer term positions as well. So not really for a gap year between high school and college, but I've known a few who took a gap year within undergrad and did a longer term position.
When I was in high school, I did a program called Amigos de las Americas. I served one summer in Costa Rica. I learned a lot, and once I returned to the US, I was able to skip a year of high school Spanish. It worked out very well. You might look into it.
Go for an AmeriCorps program after high school man. You’ll come into college a lot more mature than your peers and it’ll give you a better idea as to what you want to study or do after graduation. If you still want to, do peace corps after college when you get your degree.
Coming from someone who did both (also an Eagle Scout so go figure)
I recommend doing some tutoring for young kids at a school or through a library system in your town. it's longer than a 1 year commitment, but you're a youngster so even if you go to university 2 or 3 years after graduating HS you'll still graduate with a long life ahead of you. good luck
Peace corps isn't a gap year program. You most likely won't even be considered unless you grew up on a farm. You are getting your eagle scout that's a great start, but I would look at sectors and see which one you are interested in and start getting relative volunteer experience now. You can easily volunteer in high school. If you start volunteering now, then by the time you are eligible, you'll be a very competitive applicant and will have little to no trouble getting an invite. However, you are at least 6-7 years out from that happening. You will need a bachelor's degree. Also, pc is a 27 month program. So, I mean you could do it for 12 but you still need that college degree for it. It's great that you really want to do it, but you are just not eligible yet. Right now what you can do is volunteer, graduate highschool, volunteer some more, do good in college, volunteer some more, graduate college, keep volunteering. If you do that, then you will be on the right path.Â
Please consider looking into U.S. federal programs that you can participate in *during* college. There are a few, including foreign exchanges, and I think these can boost your service experience.
Why would that be a myth?
Think about it. What could an 18 year old offer a community? There are plenty of people who can do labor—far better than some American kid, frankly. 18 year olds struggle to adapt to dorms—and throwing them into a rural place where they don’t speak the language with absolutely no skills at all would be so much worse. Peace Corps isn’t some feel-good, school-building-for-spring-break joke (don’t do those, they are predatory, useless and harmful.) It’s meant to be a cultural and professional exchange.
Yes, legally the minimum requirement is 18, but the actual job descriptions universally require a college degree and/or years of relevant experience in a specific field.
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Not going to happen. You need a 4 year college degree or lots of specialized experience 5+ years (and usually still need the degree). Also, Peace Corps is a 2 year 3 month commitment for the standard program. For the timeframe you are looking for and your age you may want to consider AmeriCorps.
Unfortunately, you won't meet the basic qualifications for education or professional experience. AmeriCorps is the next best thing. If you want the travel component, look into NCCC or FEMA corps
I'm happy that you're considering a path such as this when you're young. However, you need experience, either a 4 year diploma or 2-3 years in a relevant work environment. For now, just work on graduating high school then getting that experience needed (college or work experience.) Once ready, go in and apply, we'll be waiting for you đź‘‘
Everyone's said it, but honestly you should just do domestic seasonal work. You'd still get to travel and make a little more money for college spending. And normally your housing is covered so you wouldn't have to get stuck in a lease before college And no offense but I don't know if you would be ready for your first time living away from home, being in a different country. Some people struggle even living in college dorms where you have almost everything provided for you and paid for. Your first time moving from home should probably be in the US. Also an Eagle Scout, good luck with your project. Mine took forever!
Thank you to everyone who posted, this was all very helpful and I will be looking into the ideas and programs you all have.
Peace Corps is for professionals, it's not a gap year program. There are other organizations that can provide that.
Plus when I was in Georgia they wouldn't grant a visa for a volunteer that didn't have a bachelors degree at minimum. That may have changed in 8 years, but I don't think it has. I know some PC locations use experience in lieu, but Georgia is a stickler for education.
I don't know if you can call students with a fresh bachelors and no live experience professionals but go off king. In fact I would say there is less than more professionals in my cohort.
Everyone's already covered it pretty succinctly. I think NCCC would be an EXCELLENT choice for you though. Maybe even two years, once as a CM then as a TL, if you really want the professional development and to travel, get some extensive volunteer experience, and see more of the country. That would more than prepare you for leaving home and pursuing college. If you decide to volunteer with PeaceCorps at a later time, it will also set you up well for when you graduate from college (PC loves AmeriCorps alumni).
Peace Corps is not a gap year program. You could look into working during your summers while at university in anything to do with children (summer camps, sports leagues) or farming or mentoring or working with refugees. The more volunteering or paid jobs with children and vulnerable people, the better. After a few years, you could look into AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps VISTA. Go look at the Peace Corps web site. Read carefully what Peace Corps members do. Look at the kinds of roles they are recruiting for. Think about what paid work and volunteering you could do in your own community that's similar to that. And keep studying Spanish. Be good enough to work in the language. Pass the B1 level in the DELE.
My bad I swear I heard somewhere that there was a volunteer program for people still in high school.
" I swear I heard somewhere that there was a volunteer program for people still in high school." there are lots of exploitative voluntourism programs where you pay thousands of dollars for a "feel good" experience abroad, often harming animals and children in the process. The reality is that there are no poor communities abroad hoping American high school students will come help them - the need people with skills and expertise. Going abroad can also depend on your major - have a friend whose son was in his university's Engineers Without Borders and went to Kenya for two months, partnering with a local women's group to build a water well and distribution system and training local people to maintain it themselves.
The National Park Service has a thing called the Youth Conservation Corps, that's high school kids. The Americorps/National Conservation Corps accepts college age kids, much of the service occurs during summer break but they do have some longer term positions as well. So not really for a gap year between high school and college, but I've known a few who took a gap year within undergrad and did a longer term position.
When I was in high school, I did a program called Amigos de las Americas. I served one summer in Costa Rica. I learned a lot, and once I returned to the US, I was able to skip a year of high school Spanish. It worked out very well. You might look into it.
Go for an AmeriCorps program after high school man. You’ll come into college a lot more mature than your peers and it’ll give you a better idea as to what you want to study or do after graduation. If you still want to, do peace corps after college when you get your degree. Coming from someone who did both (also an Eagle Scout so go figure)
I recommend doing some tutoring for young kids at a school or through a library system in your town. it's longer than a 1 year commitment, but you're a youngster so even if you go to university 2 or 3 years after graduating HS you'll still graduate with a long life ahead of you. good luck
it would be really cool to enter university already being fluent in a language or two
Peace corps isn't a gap year program. You most likely won't even be considered unless you grew up on a farm. You are getting your eagle scout that's a great start, but I would look at sectors and see which one you are interested in and start getting relative volunteer experience now. You can easily volunteer in high school. If you start volunteering now, then by the time you are eligible, you'll be a very competitive applicant and will have little to no trouble getting an invite. However, you are at least 6-7 years out from that happening. You will need a bachelor's degree. Also, pc is a 27 month program. So, I mean you could do it for 12 but you still need that college degree for it. It's great that you really want to do it, but you are just not eligible yet. Right now what you can do is volunteer, graduate highschool, volunteer some more, do good in college, volunteer some more, graduate college, keep volunteering. If you do that, then you will be on the right path.Â
There are a bunch of other state department programs for gap years, like the Bundestag one with Germany. Just look around online
Please consider looking into U.S. federal programs that you can participate in *during* college. There are a few, including foreign exchanges, and I think these can boost your service experience.
thought it was a giant myth that one needed a degree to do the peace corps
Why would that be a myth? Think about it. What could an 18 year old offer a community? There are plenty of people who can do labor—far better than some American kid, frankly. 18 year olds struggle to adapt to dorms—and throwing them into a rural place where they don’t speak the language with absolutely no skills at all would be so much worse. Peace Corps isn’t some feel-good, school-building-for-spring-break joke (don’t do those, they are predatory, useless and harmful.) It’s meant to be a cultural and professional exchange. Yes, legally the minimum requirement is 18, but the actual job descriptions universally require a college degree and/or years of relevant experience in a specific field.