Today Peace Corps Director Jody Olsen signed a historic agreement with Montenegrin Deputy Prime Minister Zoran Pažin to establish a new Peace Corps program in Montenegro.
Montenegro will represent the agency’s 142nd country of service and will be considered an extension of the existing Peace Corps post in Albania. The Government of Montenegro invited the Peace Corps to establish a program in the country in August 2018.
At today’s signing ceremony, Director Olsen said today Peace Corps has three goals in Montenegro:
o To help Montenegro meet its need for trained men and women.
o To promote a better understanding of Americans.
o And to help Americans develop a deeper appreciation and understanding of Montenegro and Montenegrin culture.
“Today’s signing is a testament to the close partnership between the United States and Montenegro,” Director Olsen said. “And it is a testament to our commitment to a common vision of a brighter future for Montenegro and its neighbors in the Western Balkans.”
Deputy Prime Minister Pažin said the Peace Corps program in Montenegro is another clear confirmation of the partnership, support, and friendship of the U.S. Government and American people to Montenegro and its citizens. “We see the service of the U.S. Peace Corps Volunteers in Montenegro as another opportunity for Montenegrin and U.S. citizens to enrich their lives and to create friendships based on mutual understanding and shared values,” Deputy Prime Minister Pažin said.
The new cohort of 10-12 Peace Corps Volunteers will arrive in Montenegro in 2020 and serve as education volunteers in schools where they will co-teach with Montenegrin English teachers. The volunteers will also work with their teacher counterparts to engage young people in after-school clubs, educational camps, and sports initiatives. Volunteers may also engage in secondary projects including economic development initiatives and environmental projects, and more.
The Peace Corps is building on the success of the work it is doing in this region of the world and leveraging the strength of the current program in Albania to launch and manage this new effort in Montenegro.
The Peace Corps sends Americans with a passion for service abroad on behalf of the United States to work with communities and create lasting change. Volunteers develop sustainable solutions to address challenges in education, health, community economic development, agriculture, the environment and youth development. Through their Peace Corps experience, volunteers gain a unique cultural understanding and a life-long commitment to service that positions them to succeed in today’s global economy. Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, more than 235,000 Americans of all ages have served in 141 countries worldwide. For more information, visit peacecorps.gov.
