Southern Oregon Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

More good news, Peace Corps turns 65!

Former Peace Corps volunteer speaks on USAID shutdown in Ashland A career Foreign Service Officer is set to reveal firsthand accounts of USAID's abrupt shutdown.

Southern Oregon Returned Peace Corps Volunteers hosts speaking events and is always looking for RPCVs who have gone on to interesting work or experiences and would like to share their story. If interested, send us a message.

Earl Hills, a map forward and the hammer - SOU News Earl Hills has lived through challenges and found his map forward at SOU before beginning a teaching career that leans on his experiences.

Stories like this remind us what teacher preparation is really about. Earl Hills shows what happens when someone is believed in, supported, and given time to grow. Now he is carrying that same belief into his own classroom for the next generation.

Collage celebrating 65 years of the Peace Corps. At the center, bold text reads “Peace Corps 65 Years.” Surrounding images show volunteers working alongside community members across different countries: reading to children in classrooms, standing with students in school uniforms, participating in health and agricultural activities, sharing meals, attending a swearing in ceremony, and posing in group photos. The images span decades and settings, highlighting education, public health, youth engagement, and cross cultural partnership.

65 years in, the Peace Corps is unfinished and unavoidable. Born of Cold War ambition and carried by citizens. It has asked Americans to listen before speaking and confront their certainty in rooms shaped by histories not their own. What endures are relationships across distance and difference.

1,700 Kentuckians later, Peace Corps is still going strong | Opinion With 1,7000 volunteers from Kentucky since 1961, the Peace Corps has adapted with a changing world. It's an experience I wish everyone could have.

Great article.

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Agree!

The US will send Tech Corps members to foreign countries in its latest push for AI dominance The Tech Corps will send its volunteers to participating countries, aiming to use American AI to address critical issues.

“The Peace Corps' latest proposal will recruit STEM graduates or those with professional experience in the artificial intelligence sector and send them to participating host countries.”

Peace Corps rolls out Tech Corps to ship US AI overseas. Sounds like uplift. Reads like power. Who names the problems. Who owns the data and labor. What happens to local capacity and consent. Development or techno missionizing. How are you reading this

🇺🇸 One year after being told resistance was futile, we are still here. What began in fear has become collective power. We learned that public service is refusal, memory, and care held in common. Give yourself permission to believe this can be won. We are not leaving.

Jeff Golden Of Ashland Withdraws From Re-Election To State Senate Seat | The Ashland Chronicle-Oregon Golden has served District 3 in the Oregon State Senate since he was elected in 2018. Golden initially announced his decision to run for re-election on Dec.

Grateful for Sen. Jeff Golden’s decades of principled service to Southern Oregon. From wildfire resilience to housing and environmental leadership, he’s served with integrity. I’m committed to continuing the fight for affordable housing, health care, strong schools, and a resilient economy.

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The Myth of the Heroic Adaptor When Responsiveness Collapses into Triage

A student in one of my classes asked a question that would not let go.

Not whether differentiation matters, but when it is actually possible.

I tried to stay with that question here.

Community Resilience and Leadership Student Fellows - Sustainability at SOU The Institute for Applied Sustainability, located on the campus of Southern Oregon University, brings together scholars and practitioners to advance knowledge, lead, and collaborate to create solution...

Applications open for SOU’s Community Resilience and Leadership Student Fellows. Learn by doing, lead with purpose, and create local change through hands-on projects and paid fellowships. 2026 cohort starts Spring 2026. Open until filled.

Lawmakers take up bill to allow big changes to Oregon’s university system The bill, crafted in conjunction with the state’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission, could open the door to mergers between institutions and audits of academic programs.

What do people think?

The Culture in Ashland, Oregon YouTube video by Live and Work in Ashland

Some of what makes Southern Oregon great!

Volunteer Opportunities

🇺🇸 Resistance has always had a soundtrack.

Black-and-white illustrated classroom scene showing several students seated at a long table, writing and reading together in a calm, collaborative setting. Below the illustration, bold text reads “Ready to Lead?” followed by an apple icon. Additional text states “SOU Master of Arts in Teaching. 2026 Applications Now Open.” Smaller text reads “Transform your passion into a career that shapes the next generation.” Southern Oregon University logo appears at the bottom.

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Thinking about how far we've come...
Happy New Year Co-operators!! <3