The Peace Corps is an independent United States federal agency. Independent agencies of the United States government are those that exist outside of the departments of the Executive branch. The Peace Corps was established by Executive Order 10924 on March 1, 1961, and authorized by Congress on September 22, 1961, with passage of the Peace Corps Act (Public Law 87-293). executive order in the United States is a Directive issued by the President, the head of the executive branch of the federal government Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses Events 66 - Emperor Nero creates the Legion I Italica. 1236 - The Lithuanians Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Peace Corps Act declares the purpose of the Peace Corps to be:
“to promote world peace and friendship through a Peace Corps, which shall make available to interested countries and areas men and women of the United States qualified for service abroad and willing to serve, under conditions of hardship if necessary, to help the peoples of such countries and areas in meeting their needs for trained manpower. ”
Since 1960, more than 187,000 people have served as Peace Corps volunteers in 139 countries. [1][2][3]
Current Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter, who served as a Peace Corps volunteer in India during the 1960s,[4][5] is making the recruitment of older volunteers a priority for his term as director[6] and the Peace Corps has announced a goal to boost the ranks of volunteers 50 and older from 5 percent of the 8,079 Americans[7] in the Peace Corps to 15 percent over the next two years. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country [8]
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The Peace Corps works in over 70 countries around the world. Peace Corps volunteers work with governments, schools, non-profit organizations, non-government organizations, and entrepreneurs in the areas of education, health, HIV/AIDS, business, information technology, agriculture, and the environment.
The program officially has three goals:
The Peace Corps works by first announcing its availability to foreign governments. These governments then determine areas in which the organization can be involved. The organization then matches the requested assignments to its pool of applicants and sends those volunteers with the appropriate skills to the countries that first made the requests.
Following the end of the Second World War, various members of the United States Congress proposed bills to establish volunteer organizations in Developing Countries. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses Developing countries are countries that haven't reached Western-style standards of democratic government free market economy industrialization social programs and human rights guaranties In 1952 Senator Brien McMahon (D-Connecticut) proposed an "army" of young Americans to act as "missionaries of democracy. Brien McMahon ( October 6 1903, Norwalk Connecticut – July 28 1952, Washington D " Privately funded nonreligious organizations began sending volunteers overseas during the 1950s.
While President Kennedy gets credit for creating the Peace Corps, the first initiative came from Senator Hubert H. Humphrey, Jr. (D-Minnesota) when he introduced the first bill to create the Peace Corps happened in 1957—three years prior to JFK and his University of Michigan speech. Hubert Horatio Humphrey Jr ( May 27, 1911 &ndash January 13, 1978) was the thirty-eighth Vice President of the United States, serving Minnesota ( Native Americans demonstrated the name to early settlers In his autobiography The Education of a Public Man, Hubert Humphrey wrote: "There were three bills of particular emotional importance to me: the Peace Corps, a disarmament agency, and the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. The President, knowing how I felt, asked me to introduce legislation for all three. I introduced the first Peace Corps bill in 1957. It did not meet with much enthusiasm. Some traditional diplomats quaked at the thought of thousands of young Americans scattered across their world. Many senators, including liberal ones, thought it silly and unworkable idea. Now, with a young president urging its passage, it became possible and we pushed it rapidly through the Senate. It is fashionable now to suggest that Peace Corps Volunteers gained as much or more, from their experience as the countries they worked. That may be true, but it ought not demean their work. They touched many lives and made them better. "
Only in 1959, however, did the proposal for a national program of service abroad first receive serious attention in Washington when Congressman Henry S. Reuss of Wisconsin advanced the ideas of a “Point Four Youth Corps. Userpolbot from http//bioguidecongressgov/scripts/biodisplaypl?index=R000165 Wisconsin ( or wɪˈskɑnsɨn (French Ouisconsin) is one of the fifty United States of America, located in the north central part of the United States ” In 1960, he and Senator Richard L. Neuberger of Oregon introduced identical measures calling for a nongovernmental study of the “advisability and practicability” of such a venture. Richard Lewis Neuberger ( December 26, 1912 &ndash March 9, 1960) was a U Oregon ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Both the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee endorsed the idea of a study, the latter writing the Reuss proposal into the Mutual Security legislation then pending before it. The US House Committee on Foreign Affairs, also known as the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is a standing committee of the United States Senate. The was signed between the United States and Japan in Washington DC on January 19, 1960. In this form it became law in June 1960. In August the Mutual Security Appropriations Act was enacted, making available $10,000 for the study, and in November ICA contracted with the Maurice Albertson, Andrew E. Rice, and Pauline E. Burkey of Colorado State University Research Foundation to make the study. Colorado State University is a public institution of higher learning located in Fort Collins, Colorado in the United States. [9]
John F. Kennedy first announced his own idea for such an organization during the 1960 presidential campaign at a late-night speech at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor on October 14. John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy (May 29 1917&ndashNovember 22 1963 often referred to by his initials JFK, was the thirty-fifth President of The United States presidential election of 1960 marked the end of Dwight D The University of Michigan Ann Arbor ( U of M, U-M, UM or simply Michigan) is a top-ranked Coeducational public research Ann Arbor is a city in the US state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. Events 1066 - Norman Conquest: Battle of Hastings - In England on Senlac Hill seven miles from Hastings, the forces During a later speech in San Francisco, California on November 1, he dubbed this proposed organization the "Peace Corps. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city " Critics of the program (including Kennedy's opponent, Richard M. Nixon) claimed the program would be nothing but a haven for draft dodgers. A draft dodger, draft evader or draft resister, is a person who avoids ("dodges" or otherwise violates the Conscription policies of the Others doubted whether college-age volunteers had the necessary skills. The idea was popular among college students, however, and Kennedy continued to pursue it, asking respected academics such as Max Millikan and Chester Bowles to help him outline the organization and its goals. Chester Bliss Bowles ( April 5, 1901 – May 25, 1986) was a liberal Democratic American diplomat and During his inaugural address, Kennedy again promised to create the program: "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country. "[10]
On March 1, 1961, Kennedy signed an Executive Order 10924 that officially started the Peace Corps. Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. executive order in the United States is a Directive issued by the President, the head of the executive branch of the federal government Concerned with the growing tide of revolutionary sentiment in the Third World, Kennedy saw the Peace Corps as a means of countering the notions of the "Ugly American" and "Yankee imperialism," especially in the emerging nations of post-colonial Africa and Asia. Ugly American is an epithet used to refer to perceptions of loud arrogant demeaning thoughtless and ethnocentric behavior of American citizens mainly American Empire is a term referring to the political economic military and cultural influence of the United States. [11] [12]
On March 4, Kennedy appointed his brother-in-law Sargent Shriver to be the program's first director. Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth Robert Sargent Shriver Jr (born November 9 1915 is an American Democratic Politician and Activist. Shriver was tasked with fleshing out the organization, which he did with the help of Warren W. Wiggins and others. Shriver and his think tank outlined the three major goals of the Peace Corps and decided the number of volunteers they needed to recruit. A think tank (also called a policy institute) is an organization institute corporation or group that conducts Research and engages in advocacy in areas such The program began recruiting volunteers that following July.
Until about 1967, applicants to the Peace Corps had to pass a placement test that tested "general aptitude" (knowledge of various skills needed for Peace Corps assignments) and language aptitude. After an address from Kennedy, who was introduced by Rev. Russell Fuller of Memorial Christian Church, Disciples of Christ, on August 28, 1961, the first group of volunteers left for Ghana and Tanzania. The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ is a Mainline Protestant denomination in North America Events 475 - The Roman General Orestes forces western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos to flee his Capital Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Republic of Ghana is a country in West Africa. It borders Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast to the west Burkina Faso to the north Togo to the Tanzania ˌtænzəˈniːə officially the United Republic of Tanzania (Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya The program was formally authorized by Congress on September 22, 1961, and within two years over 7,300 Peace Corps volunteers were serving in 44 countries. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses Events 66 - Emperor Nero creates the Legion I Italica. 1236 - The Lithuanians Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This number would jump to 15,000 in June of 1966, the largest number in the organization's history.
The organization experienced major controversy in its first year of operation. On October 13, 1961, a postcard was written by a volunteer named Margery Jane Michelmore in Nigeria to a friend in the U. Events 54 - Nero ascends to the Roman throne 409 - Vandals and Alans crossed the Pyrenees Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A postcard or post card is a rectangular piece of thick Paper or thin cardboard intended for writing and mailing without an Envelope and Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal Constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal S. She described her situation in Nigeria as "squalor and [of] absolutely primitive living conditions. "[13][14] However, this postcard never made it out of the country. [14] The Ibadan University College Students Union demanded deportation and accused the volunteers of being "America's international spies" and the project as "a scheme designed to foster neocolonialism. Ibadan (Ìlú Èbá-Ọdàn the town at the junction the savannah and the forest the Capital of Oyo State, is the third largest city Neocolonialism is a term used by post-colonial critics of Developed countries ' involvement in the developing world "[15] Soon the international press picked up the story and this led several people in the U. S. administration to question the future of the program as a whole. [16] Nigerian students protested the program, and the American volunteers sequestered themselves and eventually began a hunger strike. A hunger strike is a method of Non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political Protest, or to provoke feelings of [14] After several days, the Nigerian students agreed to open a dialogue with the Americans. [16]
The effect of the Peace Corps at this time was minimal. By 1966, more than 15,000 volunteers were working in the field, the largest number in the Peace Corps' history. [1] In July 1971, President Richard Nixon, an opponent of the program, brought the Peace Corps under the umbrella agency ACTION. ACTION was a United States government agency described as "the Federal Domestic Volunteer Agency" President Jimmy Carter, an advocate of the program, said that his mother, who had served as a nurse in the program, had "one of the most glorious experiences of her life" in the Peace Corps. James Earl "Jimmy" Carter Jr (born October 1 1924 was the thirty-ninth President of the United States, serving from 1977 to 1981 and the recipient of the 2002 [17] In 1979, he declared it fully autonomous in an executive order. This independent status would be further secured when Congress passed legislation in 1981 to make the organization an independent federal agency.
At this time, the Peace Corps began branching out past its traditional concerns of education- and agriculture-related projects. In 1982, President Reagan appointee director Loret Miller Ruppe initiated several new business-related programs. Loret Miller Ruppe (1936–1996 was a Director of the Peace Corps and US Ambassador to Norway. For the first time, a large number of conservative and Republican volunteers joined the contingent of overseas volunteers, and the organization continued to reflect the evolving political and social conditions in the United States.
Funding cuts during the early 1980s dropped the number of volunteers to 5,380, its lowest level since the organization's early years. Funding began to increase in 1985, and Congress passed an initiative to raise the number of volunteers to 10,000 by 1992.
After the September 11, 2001, attacks alerted the nation to growing anti-U. S. sentiment in the Middle East, President George W. Bush pledged to double the size of the organization within five years as a part of the War on Terrorism. The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. The War on Terrorism (also known as the War on Terror) is the common term for the military political and legal, and ideological conflict and specifically for U For the 2004 fiscal year, Congress passed a budget increase at $325 million, $30 million above that of 2003 but $30 million below the President's request.
The Peace Corps intended to double the number of volunteers it sent abroad by 2007 in accordance with President Bush's request in 2002. According to Joseph Kennedy, "The American reputation has taken a hit in the last couple of years. The need for the Peace Corps couldn't be more urgent. The Peace Corps shows what is best in America, the generosity of spirit. " The Peace Corps is trying to get more diverse volunteers of different ages. This is important so that the Peace Corps can look, according to former director Gaddi Vasquez, "more like America. Ambassador Gaddi Holguin Vasquez (born January 22 1955) is the 8th United States Representative to the United Nations Food and Agriculture " An article published by the Harvard International Review in 2006 argues that the time has come not only to expand the Peace Corps but also to revisit its mission and equip it with new technology to transform it into a 21st-century engine for peace through the global sharing of knowledge.
In 1961 only 1 percent of volunteers were over 50, compared with 6 percent today. Peace Corps spokesperson Gretchen Learman states, "Age is no barrier to joining the Peace Corps. In many cases, it's an asset, since senior volunteers bring so much knowledge to their work. "[18] Married couples are welcome and can work together.
Peace Corps Response, formerly named the Crisis Corps, was created by Peace Corps Director Mark Gearan in 1996. [19] On November 19, 2007 Peace Corps Director Ronald Tschetter announced that Crisis Corps will be changing its name to Peace Corps Response. [20]
This change is the result of an ongoing effort by the Peace Corps to better define the work of its volunteers. The change to Peace Corps Response will allow Peace Corps to broaden their approach to their five programming areas to include projects that do not necessarily rise to the level of a ‘crisis. ’
The program sends former Peace Corps volunteers to foreign countries to take on short-term, high-impact assignments that typically range from three to six months in duration.
Peace Corps Response volunteers generally receive the same allowances and benefits as their Peace Corps counterparts, including round-trip transportation, living and readjustment allowances, and medical care. Minimum qualifications for Crisis Corps volunteers include completion of at least one year of Peace Corps service, excluding training, in addition to medical and legal clearances.
The Crisis Corps title will be retained as a unique branch within Peace Corps Response, designed for volunteers who are deployed to true “crisis” situations, such as disaster relief following hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions and other catastrophes.
Peace Corps employees receive time-limited appointments and most employees are limited to a maximum of five years (60 months) of employment with the agency. This time-limit is referred to as the "five-year rule" and was established to ensure that Peace Corps' staff remain fresh and innovative. Another rule related to the "five year rule" specifies that former Peace Corps employees cannot be re-employed by Peace Corps until they have been out of the agency's employment for the same amount of time that they worked for the Peace Corps. Service as a Peace Corps Volunteer overseas is not counted for the purposes of either of these rules.
| Director | service dates | appointed by | notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | R. Sargent Shriver | 1961–1966 | Kennedy | Three days after President Kennedy signed an Executive Order establishing the Peace Corps, Shriver became its first director. Robert Sargent Shriver Jr (born November 9 1915 is an American Democratic Politician and Activist. Deployment was rapid: volunteers arrived in five countries during 1961. In just under six years, Shriver developed programs in 55 countries with more than 14,500 volunteers. |
| 2 | Jack Vaughn | 1966–1969 | Johnson | Vaughn took steps to improve Peace Corps marketing, programming, and volunteer support as large numbers of former volunteers joined the Peace Corps staff. Jack Hood Vaughn ( August 18 1920 -) was the second Director of the United States Peace Corps succeeding Sargent Shriver. He also promoted volunteer assignments in conservation, natural resource management, and community development. |
| 3 | Joseph Blatchford | 1969–1971 | Nixon | Blatchford served as head of the new ACTION agency, which encompassed U. Joseph Blatchford (born June 7 1934 was the third Director of the United States Peace Corps succeeding Jack Vaughn. S. domestic and foreign volunteer service programs including the Peace Corps. He created the Office of Returned Volunteers to help volunteers serve in their communities at home, and initiated New Directions, a program emphasizing volunteer skills. New Directions Publishing Corp was founded in 1936 by James Laughlin, then a Harvard University sophomore |
| 4 | Kevin O'Donnell | 1971–1972 | Nixon | O'Donnell's appointment was the first for a former Peace Corps country director (Korea, 1966–70). For the science fiction writer see Kevin O'Donnell Jr For the enterpreneur see Kevin M Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries a civilization and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. He worked tirelessly to save the Peace Corps from budget cuts, and believed strongly in a non-career Peace Corps. He resigned as director six years after first joining the Peace Corps. |
| 5 | Donald Hess | 1972–1973 | Nixon | Hess initiated training of volunteers in the host country where they would eventually serve. With this came the greater utilization of host country nationals in the training programs. The training provided more realistic preparation, and costs dropped for the agency. Hess also sought to end the down-sizing of the Peace Corps. |
| 6 | Nicholas Craw | 1973–1974 | Nixon | Craw sought to increase the number of volunteers in the field and to stabilize the agency's future. He introduced a goal-setting measurement plan, the Country Management Plan, which gave a firm foundation for increased congressional support and for improved resource allocation across Peace Corps' 69 countries. |
| 7 | John Dellenback | 1975–1977 | Ford | Dellenback worked to make the best possible health care available to volunteers. John Richard Dellenback ( November 6, 1918 &ndash December 7, 2002) was a Republican U He also placed great emphasis on recruiting generalists. He believed in taking committed applicants without specific development skills and providing concentrated training to prepare them for service. |
| 8 | Carolyn R. Payton | 1977–1978 | Carter | Payton was the first female director and the first African American. Carolyn Robertson Payton ( May 13, 1925 - April 11, 2001) was appointed Director of the United States Peace Corps in 1977 African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa As director, she believed strongly in reflecting America's diversity in the corps of volunteers and worked tirelessly to convince young people that Peace Corps service would enrich their lives. |
| 9 | Richard F. Celeste | 1979–1981 | Carter | Celeste focused on the role of women in development and was successful in involving women and minorities in the agency, particularly for staff positions. Richard Frank "Dick" Celeste (born November 11, 1937, in Cleveland Ohio) is an American politician from Ohio, and a member He invested heavily in training, including the development of a worldwide core curriculum, so that all volunteers had a common context in which to work. |
| 10 | Loret Miller Ruppe | 1981–1989 | Reagan | Ruppe was the longest-serving director and a champion of women in development. Loret Miller Ruppe (1936–1996 was a Director of the Peace Corps and US Ambassador to Norway. She launched the Competitive Enterprise Development program to promote business-oriented projects. She also established the Caribbean Basin Initiative, the Initiative for Central America and the African Food Systems Initiative to help address regional challenges. The Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI was a Unilateral and temporary United States program initiated by the 1983 "Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act" (CBERA Ruppe was highly regarded by volunteers for her tireless energy and enthusiasm. |
| 11 | Paul Coverdell | 1989–1991 | G. Paul Douglas Coverdell ( January 20, 1939 – July 18, 2000) was a United States Senator from Georgia, elected for the first H. W. Bush | Coverdell established two programs with a domestic focus. World Wise Schools enabled U. S. students to correspond with volunteers serving overseas in an effort to promote international awareness and cross-cultural understanding. Fellows/USA assisted Returned Peace Corps volunteers in pursuing graduate studies while serving local communities in the U. S. |
| 12 | Elaine Chao | 1991–1992 | G. Elaine Lan Chao ( born March 26, 1953) currently serves as the 24th United States Secretary of Labor in the Cabinet of President H. W. Bush | Chao was the first Asian American to serve as director. Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry. They include sub-ethnic groups such as Chinese Americans Filipino Americans Indian She expanded Peace Corps' presence in Eastern Europe and Central Asia by establishing the first Peace Corps programs in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and other newly independent countries. Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent. Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south Latvia ( Latvija officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvijas Republika is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region. Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region |
| 13 | Carol Bellamy | 1993–1995 | Clinton | Bellamy was the first RPCV (Returned Peace Corps volunteer) (Guatemala 1963–65) to be director. Carol Bellamy (born January 14 1942) has been Director of the United States Peace Corps, Executive Director of She reinvigorated relations with Returned Peace Corps volunteers and launched the first Peace Corps web site. |
| 14 | Mark D. Gearan | 1995–1999 | Clinton | Gearan established the Crisis Corps, a program that allows Returned peace Corps volunteers to help overseas communities recover from natural disasters and humanitarian crises. Mark Daniel Gearan is a Politician, Lawyer and communications expert The Peace Corps is an independent United States federal agency. He supported expanding the corps of volunteers and opened new volunteer programs in South Africa, Jordan, Bangladesh and Mozambique. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ inc-Latn Bangladesh) officially Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique (Moçambique or República de Moçambique, ʁɛ'publikɐ d musɐ̃'bik is a country in southeastern Africa |
| 15 | Mark L. Schneider | 1999–2001 | Clinton | Schneider was the second RPCV (El Salvador, 1966–68) to head the agency. Mark L Schneider served as the 15th director of Peace Corps (1999-2001 He launched an initiative to increase volunteers' participation in helping prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa, and also sought volunteers to work on information technology projects to enhance development of overseas communities. |
| 16 | Gaddi Vasquez | 2002–2006 | G. Ambassador Gaddi Holguin Vasquez (born January 22 1955) is the 8th United States Representative to the United Nations Food and Agriculture W. Bush | Gaddi H. Vasquez was the first Hispanic American to serve as director. Hispanic and Latino Americans are Americans of Hispanic or Latino descent, which comprises ancestry or origins in Hispanic America His focus as director was to revitalize the Peace Corps through a comprehensive outreach and recruitment program focused on attracting a diverse group of volunteers and staff. |
| 17 | Ron Tschetter | September 2006 - present | G. Ronald A Tschetter (born October 4, 1941 in Huron South Dakota) is the 17th and current Director of the Peace Corps. W. Bush | The third RPCV to head the agency, Tschetter served in India in the mid 1960's. Confirmed by the Senate September 13, 2006[5] and sworn in on September 26, 2006. |
Hundreds of Returned Peace Corps volunteers have written books about their countries of service[21] but five books that are among the most notable for capturing the positive and the negative of the Peace Corps experience are the following:
In popular culture, the Peace Corps has been used as a comedic plot device in such movies as Airplane, Shallow Hal, Christmas with the Kranks, and Volunteers or used to set the scene for a historic era as when Frances "Baby" Houseman tells the audience she plans to join the Peace Corps in the introduction to the movie Dirty Dancing. A plot device is an element introduced into a story solely to advance or resolve the plot of the story Overview Fixed-wing aircraft range from small training and recreational aircraft to Wide-body aircraft and military cargo aircraft. Shallow Hal is a 2001 Romantic comedy film starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Jack Black and Jason Alexander. Christmas with the Kranks is a 2004 Comedy film produced by Revolution Studios and Columbia Pictures. The Volunteers is a 1985 Comedy directed by Nicholas Meyer. Plot Tom Hanks stars as Lawrence a rich kid with Dirty Dancing is a 1987 Romance film. Written by Eleanor Bergstein, the film features Jennifer Grey, Patrick Swayze The Peace Corps has also been documented on film and examined more seriously and in more depth in movies such as the following: