AMES, Iowa – The Peace Corps and Iowa State University have announced a renewed strategic partnership centered on an undergraduate certificate program called Peace Corps Prep. Students in the Peace Corps Prep program combine targeted coursework with hands-on experience, building the competencies needed to be effective Peace Corps volunteers and make a lasting impact.
"Volunteers are the heart of our mission, and this program is for any student inspired to serve and make a difference through the Peace Corps’ unique model of community-based development and people-to-people diplomacy," said Peace Corps Chief of Staff Richard E. Swarttz. "Through the Peace Corps Prep program at Iowa State, students will build foundational skills necessary to thrive in the Peace Corps or in any career rooted in purpose or service."
Peace Corps Prep will be offered as an interdisciplinary certificate program in the global resource systems major, which is housed in Iowa State’s Department of Horticulture. Through a combination of coursework and hands-on experience, students will develop core competencies critical to fieldwork – intercultural competence, professional and leadership development, and sector-specific skills in one of the Peace Corps’ six sectors:
- education
- health
- environment
- agriculture
- community economic development, and
- youth development.
These skills will give students a competitive edge when applying for Peace Corps service and can be built upon and marketed throughout their careers.
“Being renewed as a Peace Corps Prep institution underscores Iowa State’s commitment to student education and engagement and the strength of our global resource systems major,” said Ajay Nair, professor and chair of the Department of Horticulture and co-director of Iowa State’s Peace Corps Prep program. “We're pleased to partner with the Peace Corps to help undergraduate students build the skills, knowledge and experiences needed for service and careers in an increasingly interconnected world.”
"The Peace Corps Prep Program provides Iowa State undergraduate students with valuable academic, field and leadership experiences that prepare them for Peace Corps service and future career success,” said Catherine Swoboda, associate teaching professor of horticulture and co-director of Iowa State’s Peace Corps Prep program. “We are excited to continue this partnership and help students develop the skills needed to understand global challenges and make a positive impact in communities around the world.”
Peace Corps Prep is a national initiative with strategic partnerships at more than 150 colleges and universities across America. Established in 2007, the program aims to meet the demand for Peace Corps volunteers with a broad and relevant set of expertise and to support participating schools’ efforts to provide substantive, globally-focused experiences for their students. For more information, visit the Peace Corps Prep website.
Since 1961, Iowa State has produced 1,012 Peace Corps volunteers, with 10 alums currently serving worldwide.
To learn more about the Peace Corps Prep program at Iowa State, contact Catherine Swoboda, cswoboda@iastate.edu.
About the Peace Corps
The Peace Corps sends passionate and talented American volunteers abroad to collaborate with community members on projects that advance both American and local priorities. Volunteers build relationships, model democratic values, and make a lasting impact in the areas of education, health, environment, agriculture, community economic development, and youth development. The Peace Corps equips volunteers with valuable leadership, management and language skills that make them assets to the U.S. workforce and strengthen America’s economic competitiveness at home and abroad. Since 1961, more than 240,000 Americans have served in 144 countries worldwide. For more information, visit the Peace Corps website.
Contacts
Catherine Swoboda, Global Resource Systems, 515-294-0037, cswoboda@iastate.edu
Whitney Baxter, Agriculture and Life Sciences Communications, 515-294-2314, wjsager@iastate.edu