2008.04.24: April 24, 2008: Headlines: Engineering: Computers: Internet: Recruitment: IT: Mercury News: Peace Corps looking for geeks

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By Admin1 (admin) (ppp-70-135-9-78.dsl.okcyok.swbell.net - 70.135.9.78) on Sunday, April 27, 2008 - 8:56 pm: Edit Post

Peace Corps looking for geeks

Peace Corps looking for geeks

For anyone willing to make a two-year commitment and enjoy bringing the wonder of technology to corners of the world that haven't experienced the Internet yet, this could be just the job for them. "It's a growing field for us," said Nathan Hale Sargent, spokesman for the Peace Corps San Francisco Regional Office. "The skills could be as advanced as networking, setting up a computer lab in a community or teaching people basic computer skills." The Bay Area is filled with techies, but only 10 of the 311 people from the Bay Area now serving in the Peace Corps around the world are teaching computer and information technology skills. About 6 percent of the more than 8,000 volunteers from throughout the country are working on information technology projects in 74 host countries. The skills don't need to be all that complicated. "In the field, even knowing how to turn on a computer is actually a skill," said Jonathan Lemon, a cartoonist/animator from San Francisco who served in rural Honduras.

Peace Corps looking for geeks

Peace Corps looking for a few good geeks

PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS BRINGING REMOTE VILLAGES INTO COMPUTER AGE

By Linda Goldston
Mercury News

Article Launched: 04/24/2008 02:21:33 AM PDT

The Peace Corps is looking for a few good people with computer skills, and they're looking in the right place - Silicon Valley.

For anyone willing to make a two-year commitment and enjoy bringing the wonder of technology to corners of the world that haven't experienced the Internet yet, this could be just the job for them.

"It's a growing field for us," said Nathan Hale Sargent, spokesman for the Peace Corps San Francisco Regional Office. "The skills could be as advanced as networking, setting up a computer lab in a community or teaching people basic computer skills."

The Bay Area is filled with techies, but only 10 of the 311 people from the Bay Area now serving in the Peace Corps around the world are teaching computer and information technology skills.

About 6 percent of the more than 8,000 volunteers from throughout the country are working on information technology projects in 74 host countries.

The skills don't need to be all that complicated. "In the field, even knowing how to turn on a computer is actually a skill," said Jonathan Lemon, a cartoonist/animator from San Francisco who served in rural Honduras.

More often than not, the "community didn't have electricity and there was sort of a battery backup," he said.

Lemon was even more surprised to learn that a lot of the residents of San Pedro Zacapa, Honduras, had never been to a big lake just 10-15 miles away, "but talked to people on the computer in Costa Rica." They could do that because Lemon had helped set up donated computers.

Lemon will be among several Peace Corps volunteers gathering in Palo Alto today to tell their stories in the hope of attracting others to sign up. The event is from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Fireside Room at Lucie Stern Community Center, 1305 Middlefield Road, No. 1.

Assignments are for two years plus three months of training. All travel and medical expenses are covered. The pay "is about the level a teacher would make in the country" where you serve, he said.

Lemon said he was skeptical about making a difference when he started his tour. Soon, however, he realized the experience is as much about changing your own perception of the world as it is about helping other people.

"A lot of people go into international development work after the Peace Corps," Lemon said. "I'd certainly do it again."

President John F. Kennedy signed an executive order in 1961 founding the Peace Corps, which has placed more than 190,000 volunteers in 139 countries since then.

About 60 percent of the volunteers are women, and most of them are young. The average age is 27 and the oldest volunteer was 80 years old.

Amoz Cruz of Pinole wasn't sure he wanted to go into the workforce right out of college and went to Independent Samoa with the Peace Corps instead. His assignment was to set up computer systems where they were needed and share his computer skills wherever he could.

"I stayed past the two years to develop a computer studies program" and to help find mentors to carry on the work, he said.

His training taught him the two most important words during his assignment would be "patience" and "humility." It helped.

"It helps you learn to deal with diversity and work with different people to an extreme," Cruz said. "More people should do it."

Contact Linda Goldston at lgoldston@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5862.




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Story Source: Mercury News

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Engineering; Computers; Internet; Recruitment; IT

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