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Senior Citizen Volunteers
Peace Corps Oldest Volunteer Now Teaching Science
in Ghana
84-Year-Old from Dayton, Ohio, lost wife two years
ago, seeks new challenges
 Aug.
27, 2008 - Ralph H. Bernstein, 84, of Dayton, Ohio, has been accepted
into the Peace Corps, making him the oldest currently serving Peace
Corps Volunteer in the world. The octogenarian is joining the ranks
along with hundreds of older Americans who are putting their
considerable life skills and experience to good use around the world
through service in the Peace Corps.
Bernstein departed for Ghana on June 7, and after
completing his pre-service training was sworn in as a Peace Corps
Volunteer on August 19. Bernstein will now officially begin his Peace
Corps service and work as a secondary education Peace Corps Volunteer,
teaching biology, chemistry and physics to students in a Ghanaian
community.
Bernstein cites the fact that his wife passed away
two years ago, and looking for both a break from the past and a new set
of challenges as his motivating factors for joining the Peace Corps.
Says Bernstein, "I was especially eager to contribute in an area where
my background might be of greater value than in the U.S."
Bernstein looks to carry out his service
diligently, but knows how to keep things in perspective. "No one of us
can cure all ills," he says, "but we can each contribute and make a
difference on some scale."
During his training, Bernstein will live with a
host family in Ghana to become fully immersed in the countrys language
and culture. After acquiring the language and cultural skills necessary
to assist his community, he will then serve for two years as a teacher
in Ghana, living in a manner similar to people in his host country.
Bernstein is a graduate of Yale University, where
he earned a Bachelor of Engineering, graduating in 1945. Bernstein
previously worked as an instructor in mathematics for the US Navy. He
has also taught a variety of engineering subjects and has worked for
paper mills, electric utilities, municipal solid waste and wastewater
concerns, and has carried out environmental research.
Bernstein, who has four daughters and nine
grandchildren, says that family, friends and coworkers have
enthusiastically supported his new endeavor. His daughters are Susan
Bedrossian of Bellingham, Mass., Ellen Fultz of Athens, Ohio, Carol
Bernstein, of Binghamton, N.Y., and Marian Wallace of Sudbury, Mass.
Said Daughter Ellen Fultz, "All of us knew that he
had so much energy and knowledge, and that he could give back in a way
that would be unique for a man of his age. I know it means two precious
years away from us, but I think it will be the start of the next great
chapter of his life."
Today, 8,079 Americans serve in the Peace Corps. Of
that total, 5% of currently serving Volunteers are aged 50 or older. The
Peace Corps regards older Volunteers as a great asset, bringing both
their professional and life experiences to help countries around the
world meet their development needs. Volunteers over age 50 are currently
serving in 67 of the 74 Peace Corps countries.
Bernstein also joins the 292 Ohio residents
currently serving in the Peace Corps. More than 6,072 Ohio residents
have served in the Peace Corps since 1961.
Ghana was one of the first countries to begin
partnership with the Peace Corps. Since the arrival of the first group
of Peace Corps Volunteers in 1961, more than 3,912 Volunteers have
served in the West African nation of Ghana.
Currently, there are 189 Volunteers serving in
Ghana in all ten regions of the country. The Volunteers are actively
working in the following five programs: education, health/water and
sanitation, natural resource management, small enterprise development,
and HIV/AIDS awareness.
The Peace Corps is celebrating a 47-year legacy of
service at home and abroad. Currently, there are 8,000 Volunteers
abroad, a 37-year high for Volunteers in the field. Since 1961, more
than 190,000 Volunteers have helped promote a better understanding
between Americans and the people of the 139 countries where Volunteers
have served. Peace Corps Volunteers must be U.S. citizens and at least
18 years of age. Peace Corps service is a 27-month commitment. To learn
more about the Peace Corps, please visit the website:
www.peacecorps.gov.
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