Peace Corps ventures out to attract some older volunteers

The Peace Corps is reshaping its youth-focused culture as part of a national push to attract retirement-age volunteers.

Almost every facet of the federal agency will be affected — from recruitment messages and medical screening, to language training and country placements.

The goal is to boost the ranks of volunteers 50 and older from 5 percent of the 7,749 Americans in the Peace Corps to 15 percent over the next two years.

The average age of volunteers is 27, but the oldest person now serving is 81.

Baby boomers are a "very rich American resource," mature, highly skilled, educated and willing to give back to society, said Ron Tschetter, newly appointed Peace Corps director.

"We can offer them an opportunity to do that in a very unique way and have meaningful results for them and the host country."

Tschetter will talk about the initiative at a meeting at 7:30 tonight at the Center for Urban Horticulture. A panel of returned older volunteers also will speak.

"The older person can set a good example for the younger volunteers on how to really remember the Peace Corps is a 24/7 job," said panelist Linda Perry, 64, who returned to her home in Monroe in 2004 after serving three years in Bulgaria.

Recent college graduates will continue to represent the bulk of Peace Corps volunteers. In fact, the University of Washington has more graduates serving in the Peace Corps than does any other college in the nation.

Regardless of age, all volunteers still will be expected to serve 27 months and will receive the same benefits. And older individuals can still be placed in nearly any country that needs their skills.

But in the initial phase of the new effort, most older volunteers will be placed in nine test countries: the African nations of Cameroon, Lesotho and South Africa, along with Ukraine, Romania, Thailand, Jamaica, Dominican Republic and Panama.

Peace Corps senior staff members in those countries will evaluate and offer feedback on the satisfaction and progress of older volunteers.

A recent survey of older Peace Corps volunteers is influencing some of the changes. In the survey, some reported feeling intimidated by younger volunteers during language training.

"I think the older volunteers did have more trouble with the language," said returned volunteer Perry. "Most of the people in my age group spoke much less Bulgarian than I did."

But failure to learn the language really did not impede their ability to serve, she said.

Older volunteers also said they sometimes feel patronized by instructors trying to impart regulations — such as a rule that a bike rider should always wear a helmet. And they'd like to have another 50-plus volunteer accessible for support and camaraderie in the same country.

The Peace Corps' revamped recruiting messages will be tightly focused on adults 50 and older and likely publicized through groups such as the AARP and the National Retired Teachers Association.

Medical screening, traditionally a lengthy and onerous process for older applicants, will be streamlined.

The transition time from acceptance to placement may be lengthened so older volunteers have more time to deal with personal affairs — paying off a mortgage, handling investments and saying goodbye to grandchildren.

Language-training methods will be better tailored to their learning styles, and country placements more sensitive to their needs — such as no extreme temperatures and closer proximity to medical resources.

Perry said several older volunteers from her group returned home early because they weren't prepared for the winter cold.

But by the time Perry came home, she was in terrific shape, thanks to her walking lifestyle in Bulgaria.

Now she's back to substitute teaching, a more sedentary drive-to-the-grocery-store lifestyle and "searching for what's next."

Marsha King: 206-464-2232 or mking@seattletimes.com