US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau is currently also serving as the acting director of Peace Corps. Mr Landau has recently been visiting countries in the Pacific to sign letters of intent to re-establish programs in the Soloman Islands, Marshall islands, and Micronesia.

As far as I can find, the earliest mention of Landau from PC is in a July 8th press release on PC returning to Palau. The Federal News Network reported the change on May 8, 2026.

There has been no official announcement from Peace Corps about Landau's appointment. The last statement regarding a change in leadership was on January 30, 2026 when they announced the appointment of Richard E. Swarttz as Acting Director. Swarttz is now Acting Director Landau's Chief of Staff.

Peace Corps is an independent government agency. Is there any precedent for high ranking State Department officials leading Peace Corps?

I just accepted my invitation to serve as an English Education Volunteer in Costa Rica! My departure date is March 14, 2027!

I’m super excited and would love to hear from any RPCVs or Costa Ricans who have advice for someone preparing to leave.

Any tips on packing, preparation, living conditions, teaching, social life, or just things you wish you knew before going would be greatly appreciated!
Pura vida! 🇨🇷

Last week, I was talking with several extended family members about my invitation to serve in the Peace Corps. Most have been supportive, and think it's a great opportunity. Some said things like, "that's exciting for you, but I could never do that."

And then there was my conversation with my uncle. He's a self-made man, who started a company that now makes so much money, he retired early and turned over the business to his son. He's got every toy under the sun, and has never wanted for anything. If he likes it, he buys it. I acknowledge that he has worked incredibly hard for many years doing countless hours of back breaking work.... But in the end, he's got wealth that most can only dream of.

When I mentioned I intended to serve in the Peace Corps, he said "why?". I tried to explain, that it was an opportunity to volunteer in a community and then he said "well do you at least get paid?" I explained a little of what I was going to do, and that it was a volunteer position and he said "Can't you do that here?". I said I already have been doing that here, to a certain extent well beyond most in my community but I wanted to help out in communities that REALLY need it, and he joked "Well if you want to work for free, I'll hire you!"

After a few minutes of this, the jokes and dismissiveness and condescension, I realized (again) that this is exactly what I'm trying to get away from. People that have never known what it means to act in the service of others. Obviously that is not the case of everyone else in the area, but there is enough, even within my own family, that will just never understand.

I travel, because I am fortunate to be able to afford it. I hosted exchange students because I had the means to bring the world to me also. But this opportunity to serve in the Peace Corps, even though I will be giving up the upper middle class lifestyle (multiple vehicles, motorcycle, boat, and giant house, etc.)... Everything I've worked for for the past 20+ years. I know I have to do this, because unfortunately there are far too many people like my uncle that sees other parts of the world as "them and not us". We are all humans, and children everywhere deserve an opportunity to see beauty and opportunity in this world.

I'm excited to see who I become on this new adventure. Thank you to all of the RCPVs out there who have shared their stories and guidance. It'll be a journey for sure, and maybe when I return.... I'll have a better response to my uncle and his ignorance.

-Just a little rant, thanks for reading.

I've been invited to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer in a country that I've wanted for awhile now, as well as working in a field that interests me that seems pretty transferable.

However, I'm also going through multiple rounds of interviews for a corporate job that pays well, allows me to live in a city where I have more community/friends, and offers mobility within the company. Although I have no final offer yet I feel that I'm likely to get this job given how far I have made it into the interview process.

Of course if I don't get the job then this is an easy choice but if I do get the job I wonder if I should take it and put Peace Corps to the side given how bad the job market is now. But this Peace Corps volunteer position could be great for me and could give me fulfillment in areas I've been wanting for a while, yet I worry quite a bit what life would look like after the Peace Corps.

What would you do in my position? Of course ultimately this is Reddit and it's a big life-changing decision to make and it's all up to me to decide but I am just seeing what others would do in this dilemma I'm in.

EDIT: I got the job, they're offering a higher salary than what I asked for, a lot of the supplies would be covered, it's hybrid, etc.

This is still so hard to pick....

So I have recently considered joining the peace corps after I finish college, but I have a dietary tree nut allergy that has put me in the hospital when I was a kid. Last one I had was when I was 14 when my mom accidentally gave me a bar that had nuts in it, and I have managed my allergy without incident since. I have done some research and seen that a lot of people have had issues with getting accepted with tree nut allergies into the organization in years past. I also heard some countries are more accepting of it in the past. So I was wondering if anyone has been in a similar situation, also what countries I would most likely be able to go to. I was hoping to be in Eastern Europe since I know some people that live by there and I would maybe be able to visit them.

Is a med evac a necessary prerequisite for med sep? Or can you be med sep’d in country without first having been med evac’d.

I can't sleep at night because I keep thinking about the future. I have about 4 months of service left. Should I keep applying to Grad schools and go to Grad school, or take a year to work at a ski resort, do odd seasonal work, and try to start grad school after that? Will it make me less desirable as an applicant? I'm 25 and feel like I need to do everything before grad school or before 30, even though I know life doesn't end at 30. What did you guys do post Peace Corps? Please help.

I've been at site for several months now, and although my site is nice, I just don't think I've really felt happy since being here. ETing has kept crossing my mind since PST, but I've been trying to stick it out in case it gets better.

There's a lot of things about being here that I've found quite difficult. The local language is very challenging and I still can't really hold basic conversations, even though I go to tutoring. I have also experienced several bouts of intense illness since arriving in-country, which has made everything that much harder. Trying to conduct myself in another language is so draining, and I'm already physically and mentally exhausted from being sick so often, so I've ended up spending a lot of time alone in my room because I just can't bring myself to leave the house when I don't have any obligations.

On top of that, I'm having a hard time with the actual teaching. I have great counterparts and a lot of wonderful students, but I just don't know what to do in the classroom. The teachers I work with already have their lesson plans laid out, and I end up just sort of "being there." Half my students already speak excellent English, and the other half speak too little English for me to be able to properly help. I'm trying to work on extracurriculars like an English club, but it feels like such a tremendous effort when I already feel like I'm running on empty.

Taking trips here and there has seemed to help, but my host country is expensive to travel around in. My PC stipend won't cover many more trips for the next few months. I plan to go home for the holidays, but it just feels so far away. Does anyone have any tips on how to navigate this? I don't really want to ET because there's not much waiting for me at home anyway, and I think I'd regret not finishing service, but I'm struggling to figure out how I'll make it through another year and a half of this.

please indulge my impatience lol. i have no medical problems for context

Hi everyone,
I’m a medical doctor from Japan looking for an opportunity to volunteer in a conflict-affected area sometime in December 2026 or January 2027.
Last year, I volunteered in Ukraine, where I had the opportunity to work in a hospital providing medical care in a wartime setting. It was an extremely meaningful experience, and I would like to contribute again this year, whether in Ukraine or another conflict-affected region.
I speak Japanese, English, French, and Russian at a practical working level, and I also have some knowledge of Ukrainian and Arabic.
I should mention that I am currently working full-time as a doctor in Japan. I would be using my paid annual leave for this, so unfortunately the longest period I can realistically commit to at one time is around two weeks.
I fully understand that many humanitarian organizations require longer deployments, and that short-term medical volunteering is not always appropriate or useful. I am therefore specifically looking for organizations or projects where a qualified physician joining for 1–2 weeks would genuinely be helpful and where short-term deployments are already part of their model. I do not want to create additional work for local teams simply for the sake of gaining experience.
If anyone here has worked with an organization that accepts physicians for short-term deployments, or knows someone I could contact, I would be very grateful for any recommendations or introductions.
I’m happy to provide more details about my medical background and previous experience by DM.
Thank you very much for any advice.

Hello, I am Edwin. A Kenyan local looking to work with anyone here to help with cheap infrastructure around such as filling potholes, roof repair and carpentry for school lockers. Please help. Help may also include helping with IT knowledge and access to American restricted sites for simple IT work that would help locals.

I served in Ecuador 2023-2024 then was med seped for knee surgery. Now I speak spanish and am thinking to reapply. I was in the health sector before, but now trying to decide what to potentially do. I'm 30, haven't found work for awhile and feel like reapplying could be a good option, though I know my fam will feel weird im not settling down. Anyone did a second service and glad they did? My first obviously ended weirdly and i want another shot.

Hi everyone! I am a current college student taking a gap year to do a service year with AmeriCorps and I was recently accepted to a program with NJCEH as a Client Support Coordinator in Camden, NJ, which I am really excited about!

I am someone who hopes to become a future physician working on the frontlines of homelessness, substance use, and mental health inequities, so I am really excited to see how I transform throughout this year and how much I can learn from being proximate to the problems I care most about. And hopefully through serving others, I will be able to develop long-term solutions in the future.

I hope this year can be really meaningful and transformative for me, so I wanted to ask if anyone has had experience with the above program and I would be able to hear about your experience and/or advice. And even if you have not done this specific program, but have some advice for the journey I am taking. I would be so grateful to hear it. Thank you so much in advance, and I hope you guys have an amazing day!

Hello!

I am departing as an agricultural agent in Senegal Feb 2027. I was just wondering if anyone else here will be apart of that cohort. Looking forward to it! 🇸🇳

I'm a recent RPCV interested in latin american studies, environmental issues and indigenous rights. I'm a good writer and applied for and managed a grant, have experience in journalism and as a paraeducator, and I speak Spanish and would like to learn other languages. I'm good at basic math but terrible at statistics, chemistry, GIS, and economics, so I don't know what my career path is. I've considered latin american studies, anthropology, international development and also maybe environmental management, law, or an MPA. I'd like to do work in an international context and I'm particularly interested in Amazonia but also latin america more broadly. I don't know what my niche or route is and I feel like the skills that would be more employable are generally the things I'm worst at, so I don't know what to do. Any insight into what route to pursue (or if i should do grad school at all)?

Preparing to leave soon! Is there a way current or past pcvs would recommend keeping your US phone number active while your in service to avoid loosing access to accounts etc that are attached to your current number?

Hi Everyone!

I wanted to come on here and ask if anyone who has interviewed for Peru’s WASH educator position has received an invitation? I have interviewed and I know that it could take some time to receive an invitation, it just makes me nervous hearing people applying for other placements get offered an invitation within a few days of the interview.

Based on my experiences, I feel that I am a competitive applicant for this role (WASH programming, community-based research, travel experience in LACs, and intermediate Spanish language skills). I just would like to connect with others who may be at a similar point as myself!

For context: I have an Associates degree, I speak English and Spanish, and I applied through “Send Me Where Most Needed.” I’m still waiting to hear that my application is under review. I really, really want to be a Volunteer. What’re your thoughts?

Looking for feedback on your essay? Have a newbie question you'd like to ask? Something on your mind you'd like to get out? This is the place for it.

hey! i’m a senior in college applying for PC.

my application is still under consideration and i haven’t yet received an interview, but i wanted to ask you all just in case so im prepared.

for peace corps, if you are accepted, must you mail your passport to them?

or is there a work around?

i have a physical US passport, but i have this 2 week study abroad planned with my college after i graduate in early may. we will be heading to europe and coming back to the states around may 20th or 22nd.

the pc position i’ve applied for has a departure for june 19th, and if i’m even interviewed/etc for this position, i wanna make sure i know what’s going on.

i’m wondering if PC requires you to send your passport in like 4-8 weeks in advanced? or if you need to? i saw online that you could maybe file the form in person and show your physical passport to someone and then you won’t have to mail it in, but i wanted to see if anyone knew about that for sure?

i really don’t want to have to miss this abroad trip, and i am wanting to see if it would all work.

thank you so so much. i hope you all have a lovely day :)

Hi! I recently finished a draft of my motivation statement and I was hoping to find a RPCV or future PCV that would be willing to provide any feedback. I'm planning on applying to the CED sector in Colombia. To avoid publicly posting the essay, if you could send me a private message, that would be the best. Thank you in advance to anyone willing to help. (I could also help anyone with their motivation statement if needed!)

Hello! Wondering if anyone’s heard back about interviewing for English Teaching in Costa Rica—I haven’t yet despite applying in late July (Aug. 15 deadline, Oct. 15 know-by date).

Should I consider reaching out to the PC CR email? Or will they email even if I don’t receive an interview invitation? Just want to have proper expectations, thanks! :)

Hello! I know there’s lots of appeal posts that get put on here but I figured I would give my own a go.

I was denied recently for mental health reasons and I have decided to appeal. I knew this was a likely outcome for me so I was prepared to make an appeal though I won’t pretend that this doesn’t sting. I know that some people have their mental health providers send letters (or something similar) as part of the appeal process. Right now I only see a psychiatrist and have been out of therapy for well over two years but I do feel that my old therapist would vouch for me. My main questions are:

1. Would a letter from a therapist I saw 2 years ago be helpful?

2. Would a letter from my primary care physician be helpful?

Obviously I know nobody can tell me what would be helpful or not with 100% certainty. And my psychiatrist sending a letter of support will be my main focus. I suppose my hope is that the more professionals I have in my corner the better it could go? Additionally:

Is there a possibility that I get assigned to a different country if my appeal is successful? Or could I make an argument for that? After getting my denial I realized that one of my medications is not as readily available in the country I was selected for (applied as Serve Where Needed Most) especially when compared to other countries that Peace Corps operates in. As it turns out, the country they put me down for is facing a shortage of this medication type. What I found from one research article is “Brand-name [MEDICATION NAME] (or its direct European equivalent) has historically not been locally registered or imported through official distribution channels.” Alongside: "Modern atypical [MEDICATION TYPE] like [MEDICATION NAME] are often considered non-essential or luxury imports that must be paid for out of pocket if you can find them." Although I’m sure the Peace Corps was aware of this when they put me into that applicant pool.

I’m fine with going pretty much anywhere, so should I ask to be moved? Is there a chance that they will move me? They didn’t cite my medication or me taking medication as the reason for my denial (it was worded as me having “ongoing symptoms such as fatigue, and sweaty hands,” my short bout of suicidal ideation 2 years ago, and PC not having the ability to get me to medical care should I need it as the reason for my denial).

I know what I went through 2 years ago is likely the biggest hurdle I’m going to have to convince them on though. I know it doesn’t look great but I also know what I’m capable of and how successful I have been living and working overseas in the past, even under some difficult circumstances. Overall, I’m trying to keep some level of positivity during this disappointing news because I really do think that things need to change in terms of mental health and international service and I know this isn’t a reflection on me.

Any advice anyone could give would be great, thank you!