The mission of the Peace Corps is to help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women, and to help promote better mutual understanding between Americans and citizens of other countries.
The Peace Corps was established by the Peace Corps Act of 1961, as amended (22 U.S.C. 2501), and was made an independent agency by title VI of the International Security and Development Cooperation Act of 1981 (22 U.S.C. 2501-1).
The Peace Corps consists of a Washington, DC, headquarters; 9 area offices; and overseas operations in 76 countries, utilizing nearly 8,000 volunteers.