OCR Text |
Show Peace Corps Needs Home Economists The Peace Corps needs 500 home economists for programs slated for the next 12 months, according to R. Sargent Shriver, Director of the Peace Corps. In a letter to Dr. Dorothy S. Lyle, president of the 27,000-member 27,000-member American Home Economics Eco-nomics Association, Shriver explained: ex-plained: "The range of skills that the newly developing nations desire de-sire from the Peace Corps has assumed a definite pattern. A substantial and important part of this pattern is the skill of the home economist. Most of the nations na-tions we will serve are asking for home economists with the largest number being requested by the countries of Latin America." Amer-ica." Shriver pointed out that such countries as "Brazil, Venezuela, Nigeria, and India want volunteers volun-teers who can serve as home demonstration agents, 4-H type club leaders, teachers in nutrition nutri-tion and health, clothing and textile tex-tile designers, and similar assignments." assign-ments." All of these are jobs performed by home economists. Dr. Lyle announced that she is circulating a "call-to-action" to the 500 colleges and universities univer-sities that offer majors in home economics to ask their cooperation coopera-tion in recruiting home economists econo-mists for the Peace Corps. Each year, approximately 8,000 students stu-dents graduate with degrees in home economics usually with a specialization in one of six areas textiles and clothing, foods and nutrition, applied art, family economics and home management, manage-ment, family relations and child development, and housing and household management. To date, home economists are already serving in the Peace Corps in Chile, the island of St. Lucia in the West Indies Federation, Feder-ation, and Nigeria. |