The University of Vermont has partnered with the Peace Corps to offer a preparation program in field service and academics for students seeking to join the Peace Corps

The University of Vermont — one of the most prolific universities producing Peace Corps volunteers after graduation — has deepened its connection to the Peace Corps and to global service by becoming an official Peace Corps Prep institution.

"We are so pleased to have been selected as a Peace Corps Prep program for undergraduate students. UVM is now a one-stop shop!” said Jane Kolodinsky, chair of the Community Development and Applied Economics (CDAE) Department at UVM who spearheaded the application process. “Undergraduates can prepare for the Peace Corps through the Peace Corps Prep program, the Peace Corps recruiter (housed in CDAE) can aid these students in the Peace Corps application process, and returned Peace Corps volunteers can earn an M.S. in Community Development and Applied Economics or a Master of Public Administration through the Paul D. Coverdell graduate fellows program," which provides returned Peace Corps volunteers the opportunity to build upon their communication, facilitation, organization and planning skills gained while serving overseas.

The University of Vermont recently ranked No. 7 among top volunteer-producing colleges and universities across the country, with 25 alumni currently serving worldwide. Since the agency’s founding in 1961, 857 UVM alumni have served in the Peace Corps.

“Students today have a passion for service and are interested in not just imagining a better world, but rolling up their sleeves and doing something about it,” added Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet. “Through the Peace Corps Prep program, University of Vermont students can develop skills specifically targeted to Peace Corps service and careers in the international development and service communities.”

Vermont is also the top Peace Corps volunteer-producing state in the nation on a per capita basis. Forty-nine residents of the Green Mountain State are currently serving in the Peace Corps. In 2014, the Burlington-South Burlington metro area also ranked No. 3 nationally for per-capita production of Peace Corps volunteers, with 15 area residents serving overseas.

The Peace Corps Prep program at UVM will give students the opportunity to learn through classroom work and service in the community.  UVM plans to offer all six of the Peace Corps Prep fields available: education, health, environment, agriculture, youth in development and community economic development. To complete the program, students choose three college courses in their preferred sector and dedicate at least 50 hours of work or volunteer experience related to the same sector.

UVM will be joining approximately 30 other colleges and universities in the U.S. who have been accepted as Peace Corps Prep programs.

Enrollment in the Peace Corps Prep program at UVM is open immediately and first-year through senior students from any major or academic program are eligible.

Information: pcprep@uvm.edu.

PUBLISHED

07-02-2015
Daniel John Kirk