Undergraduate students who hope to someday volunteer for the U.S. Peace Corps should consider enrolling in their university’s Peace Corps Prep Program, Dr. Pamela Moore, associate dean for global engagement for the Office of International Programs and Studies (OIPS) at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) and the university’s Peace Corps Prep coordinator, said. The program equips students with the skills, experience, and mentorship needed to prepare for service in the Peace Corps.
“Serving in the Peace Corps is an opportunity to not only share your expertise in another country but also to learn about another culture through the real-life experience of integrating into a community,” Teki K. Hunt, Peace Corps Prep Program co-coordinator/returned Peace Corps volunteer and director of 4-H youth development programming for UAPB, said. “The program connects skilled volunteers with welcoming host communities for service opportunities in more than 60 countries. Signing up for the preparatory program will help a student’s chances of someday being accepted into the U.S. Peace Corps.”
In Arkansas, the Peace Corps Prep Program is offered at UAPB, the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, Hendrix College, and Southern Arkansas University. Both international students and U.S. citizens are welcome to participate in the UAPB program. However, it should be noted that the U.S. Peace Corps volunteer program is limited to U.S. citizens.
“Peace Corps Prep is implemented under a memorandum of understanding signed and authorized by both UAPB and the U.S. Peace Corps,” Dr. Moore said. “The main objectives of our program are building leadership capacity and workforce readiness for engagement in global careers and strengthening student opportunities to volunteer for the U.S. Peace Corps after graduation from college.”
At UAPB, the Peace Corps Prep Program consists of the following components:
- attendance at Peace Corps Prep cohort meetings, generally two times a year;
- membership and participation in the UAPB Collegiate 4-H Club, which is part of a national and international network of youth organizations;
- advisement by at least one program mentor on internship, volunteer service, or academic and career goals;
- participation in an asset-based community development training program.
Upon completion of the program, students receive a certificate from the Peace Corps. Receiving a Peace Corps Prep certificate does not guarantee acceptance into the Peace Corps.
For information on how to apply for UAPB’s Peace Corps Prep Program, contact Dr. Pamela D. Moore at [email protected] or Teki K. Hunt at [email protected] or visit UAPB’s Peace Corps Prep Program webpage at https://bit.ly/41Eg5yz. For more information on the U.S. Peace Corps and the Peace Corps Prep Program, visit www.peacecorps.gov.
