President John F. Kennedy was in office just over a month when he issued an executive order establishing the Peace Corps.  During his campaign for president in 1960 he had thrown out the idea of the Peace Corps. It would be made up of civilians who would volunteer their time and skills to travel to underdeveloped nations to assist them in any way they could. At first the Peace Corps was a trial program. A couple of month later the United States Congress voted to make the Peace Corps permanent.

The Peace Corps continue to this day. The stated goals of the Peace Corps are to provide technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand American culture, and helping Americans to understand the cultures of other countries. Their annual budget is $374 million dollars. Since 1961, 210,000 Americans have joined the Peace Corps and have served in 139 countries.