Project PeacePal

Frequently Asked Questions

How often do I write a letter?

We ask that all PeacePals send at least three letters to their PeacePal every year. Mailing times can be up to one month each way, so we recommend that reply letters by written right after receiving a letter from your PeacePal.

How often will I receive a letter?

Our goal is for you to receive three letters per year-one in response to each letter written to your PeacePal.

How much does it cost to join PeacePal?

Please show your support by become a Supporting Member of PeacePal for just $15 per year.  Your membership pays for the cost of mailing your letters to your PeacePal, paying for the postage for your PeacePal to send mail to you, and for the paper, pen, and envelope used by your PeacePals to write their letters to you. Click here to financially support Project PeacePal. There is no charge to join PeacePal, however your support is much needed.

What language will my reply letter be written in?

Most letters are in English.  Some of our PeacePals write only in French or Spanish, but we pay facilitators to translate our letters (another good reason to become a Supporting Member) into English.  If you wish to receive a letter in French or Spanish, just let us know.

How do I write a good letter to my PeacePal?

Think about what kind of letter you would like to receive. Tell your PeacePal about yourself and be sure to let them know that you have learned a bit about their country and culture and would like to learn more. Click here to look at our curriculum where we talk about how to write a letter with appropriate content and format.

What should I talk about in my letter?

You can talk about a number of things, but it's important to remember that you really want to try to connect with your PeacePal. Focus on things you may have in common like family, friends and school. Talking about things like iPods and video games may be out of place because your PeacePal abroad may not have access to those things.

Start by introducing yourself in your first letter by telling your PeacePal your name, age, where you go to school, your family, and what you like to do for fun.  Once you get to know your PeacePal better you might like to talk about things like how you enact peace in your daily life, what you think peace really is, and why you think peace is important!

Can I type my letters?

No, in most cases letters should be hand-printed. They are much more personal and special, and it shows that you took the time and care to send something unique to your PeacePal. Also, keep in mind when you are writing your letter that print is much easier to read than cursive, especially if English is a second language for your PeacePal.

How do I address the envelope?

If you are an individual PeacePal and will be mailing your PeacePal letter to our office, please use our post office box address and on the back flap of the envelope please write your PeacePal's name and country.

If you are in a classroom or group, please do not use an envelope--just fold the paper in thirds and in a blank space on the outside, write your name, school name, teacher name and school address in upper left hand corner.  In the center of the blank space of the outer page, write your PeacePal's full name along with their city and country.

Click here to see an example of an envelope template.

How do you pair PeacePals with each other?

We do our best to match everyone with a PeacePal with whom they can be lifelong friends. This means that you will be writing to someone within 2 years of your own age, and boys will write to boys, girls will write to girls.

How many PeacePals can I have?

Start with one. After a while, if you find that you truly enjoy the experience of writing to a friend in another country and have proven that you write thoughtful (and legible!) letters and are able to get them to us on time, we will be happy to match you with another PeacePal.

Where do you find PeacePals and where will I be writing?

In some cases groups contact us requesting to join PeacePal, and sometimes we get introduced by friends. The answer to this question changes all the time because we get new PeacePal members joining every day from different locations around the world. There is just no way for us to predict ahead of time where your international friend will be from, but doesn't that make it all that much more exciting?

What if I move to a new school or finish high school?

Project PeacePal hopes that you will continue to write to your PeacePal for many years to come. If you graduate or move to a school that doesn't have a PeacePal program let us know because you can either join or start an "Independent PeacePal" group of PeacePals just like you who meet up to talk about peace, learn current events about your PeacePal's country, and write letters.

Can I send a present to my PeacePal with my letter?

No. Drawings and photographs, which lie flat, are always appreciated. If you really feel a need to do something more for your PeacePal and/or their community abroad, consider becoming a PeacePartner and starting a service project to help better your PeacePal's community.

How can I help my PeacePal?

1)      You can write a beautiful, thoughtful letter to your PeacePal, and in doing so you are giving the gift of yourself to your friend.

2)      Become a Supporting Member of Project PeacePal and help ensure that we will be around for decades to come helping you and many others keep in touch with their PeacePals.

3)      Become a PeacePartner and help develop a service project in your classroom or with a group of friends to raise money to benefit your PeacePal and their community.

How do I start a service project?

Please become a PeacePartner and contact our office if you want to do a service project and we will help you get it started! 

I've written my letter, now what do I do?

First, make a copy of your letter for you to keep. It will be a good reference for you to know what you have already shared with your PeacePal. You may even want to start a book where you keep all of the letters you send and receive from your PeacePal so you will have them to remember how your friendship began!

Next, turn in your letter! If you're in a PeacePal class, give it to your teacher. If you're in an Independent PeacePal group, give it to your facilitator or mail it to our office and we'll send it out with the next batch of letters to your PeacePal's country.

What can I hope to get out of Project PeacePal?

Anyone who is involved with Project PeacePal benefits from learning about life and people in other places in the world. Our goal is that you will also develop lifelong friendships through PeacePal that you will benefit from for the rest of your life. PeacePal's curriculum also focuses on you becoming a strong leader and peace builder for the future.

Do I have to wait for the deadline to send my letter?

No! When your letter is ready, go ahead and send it to us. We will send it to your PeacePal as soon as possible, which sometimes means waiting a few weeks until we get a group of letters to send to your PeacePal's location which increases the odds that it will get to its destination, particularly in remote areas.

How can I start a PeacePal group at my school?

First, find an interested and dedicated teacher who would be willing to start a PeacePal program in their classroom. Contact us if you would like us to mail you a copy of the brochure to give them, or you can direct them to our website at www.peacepal.org. Often English or Social Studies teachers are the most enthusiastic about incorporating PeacePal into their curriculum. Next, have them e-mail us so we can help them get PeacePal started!

Why do I have to fill out an application to join Project PeacePal?

The more information we have about you, the better able we are to match you with a PeacePal across the world. We also need this information so we can contact you with information about new developments in the program or upcoming events. By signing the application form, you are also letting us know that you have read and agree to follow the PeacePal Guidelines on page 2 of the application.

How do I join Project PeacePal?

1)      Explore our website.

2)      Fill out an application.

3)      We will let you know that we have received the application and will start looking around the globe for your future PeacePal right away!

Where is the Project PeacePal office?

PeacePal international headquarters are located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Access all of our contact information through the link below, and don't hesitate to contact us with further questions. Thanks very much for your interest. We look forward to hearing from you.