WASHINGTON, D.C., March 29--President Kennedy tonight praised the youth of the country for their initiative and response to the peace corps and then charged them to match their enthusiasm with service in marking a milestone "on the way to a new era of American pioneering."

The President's message was delivered as a preface to a spech by R. Sargent Shriver, director of the peace corps, to a National Conference on Youth Service Abroad meeting here at American University.

In the tone of the President's message, Shriver warned that the emergence of youthful political leaders in Africa and other possible areas for peace corps work would have to be answered by young people willing and able to "create a new impression of America abroad."

This new impression in the eyes of the needy of the world, Shriver said, could only be achieved "by working with them, living with them, struggling with them, and trying to understand their culture, their ideals and ambitions."

No Moonlight Cruise

The peace corps would not be a moonlight cruise on the Amazon, or a vacation in Kashmir, he declared, but would require hard and difficult work--"the best anyone in this room has to offer."

The director of the peace corps outlined a rigorous recruitment, selection, and training program that would precede the sending of Americans abroad. He emphasized the importance of instruction in the culture, customs, and language of the country concerned, and said that both foreign students living in the United States and experts from abroad would be employed in the training process.

As a part of this preparation, a detailed study is being made to determine what help is needed in countries requesting peace corps aid. The directors will attempt to match the corps' services with the specific problems.

In answer to a question from the floor, Shriver noted the definite place for liberal arts students in the peace corps despite the President's request for technically skilled people. Considering the low level of education of many African teachers, Shriver said that any American graduate with a knowledge of teaching methods would obviously be "a great asset" to any African school.

Campus Action Cited

Shriver also listed three suggestions that delegates to the Conference might follow up on their campuses: explain what the peace corps is trying to do, create peace corps "units" on campus and orient present studies with a view toward possible peace corps membership.

Reuss, the original sponsor of the peace corps legislation in the House, cited teaching as the "first and foremost" job of peace corpsmen, but added "engineering, home economics, medicine--the list is as long as the list of needs in the underdeveloped countries."