The Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program provides Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) with financial assistance and professional development opportunities as they pursue graduate study. At the University of Vermont’s Grossman School of Business, the Sustainable Innovation MBA (SI-MBA) program offers an ideal path for RPCVs to continue their mission of service through purpose-driven business education.

The one-year intensive program combines core business skills with sustainability and innovation principles. Students engage with real-world challenges, work alongside mission-driven organizations, and learn how business can be a force for positive change. For RPCVs, SI-MBA builds directly on Peace Corps values (e.g., systems thinking, community engagement, responsible leadership) to prepare graduates for impactful careers in sustainability and social enterprise.

About the Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program

Created to help Returned Peace Corps Volunteers continue making a difference at home, the Coverdell Fellows Program partners with more than 120 universities nationwide. Fellows receive financial support (scholarships, stipends, or assistantships) and gain professional experience through U.S.-based internships that expand on the skills they developed during service.

Eligibility extends to RPCVs who have completed their full service, been medically separated, or received “interrupted service” status due to circumstances beyond their control. Peace Corps Response Volunteers with at least 12 months of service are also eligible. These internships help advance the Peace Corps’ third goal of promoting a better understanding of other peoples among Americans while offering practical, community-focused experience.

Peace Corps at UVM

Since 1961, more than 860 UVM alumni have served as Peace Corps Volunteers worldwide. The university consistently ranks among the nation’s top volunteer-producing institutions and maintains strong ties to international service through its campus Peace Corps Recruiting Office and the Green Mountain Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Association.

Vermont’s statewide culture of civic engagement reinforces this connection: in 2018 the state ranked No. 2 among Peace Corps’ top volunteer-producing states, and the Burlington–South Burlington metro area ranked sixth nationwide in volunteers per capita. Together, these efforts make UVM a natural home for RPCVs who wish to translate their global service into lasting, local impact through graduate education.