The new reinforcement of US Peace Corps volunteers is due to arrive in Bulgaria on March 30 2011. The 41 volunteers will represent the twenty-seventh group to arrive in Bulgaria to spend two years developing communities in the country, the US Embassy in Sofia said in a media statement, .

The volunteers are set to receive 11 weeks of intensive training in eight training sites surrounding the city of Vratsa, which would include lessons in Bulgarian language and culture while they are housed with Bulgarian families and work on small-scale community projects, the statement said.

The Peace Corps is an American volunteer programme run by the US government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the US to understand US culture, and helping Americans understand the cultures of other countries

After the training, the volunteers will work in different organisations and institutions throughout Bulgaria, mostly in small and under-served communities.

Some of those tasks will include English language teachers in primary and secondary schools; others will "partner with municipalities, social institutions, and cultural houses to develop and implement strategic plans, encourage collaboration and transfer skills," the statement said.

Currently there are 141 volunteers working in Bulgaria in the areas of education, youth and community development. Earlier in March, the Peace Corps celebrated 20 years in Bulgaria.