The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is offering a new program that can increase the acceptance rate of students into the Peace Corps.
The Peace Corps Prep program helps students interested in the Corps take the correct classes at UNL, find internships and give them hands-on experiences to boost their applications.
The Peace Corps is a two-year program that sends volunteers overseas to aid countries with economic development, medical care, education and more.
"I think a lot of young people right now are interested in global development and the interconnectedness between countries," said Katherine Lacy, who volunteered in China from 2010-12. "I think this is such a great opportunity to learn more about our world and to participate in it."
Students can join the prep program as freshmen and complete it throughout their four years at UNL, or even join with just two semesters left, program coordinator Rebecca Baskerville said.
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To complete the program, students will take a variety of classes that cater to the Corps' six sectors: agriculture, environment, community economic development, health, education and youth development. Corps volunteers will work under only one of the six sectors.
So, having a college major that falls under a sector can make the program completion process easier, said Baskerville, who also volunteered in the Corps.
“I think student to student, it will really vary whether they’re adding several additional classes to their degree plan or if it’s something they'll accomplish very naturally,†she said.
The program itself is free to join, but students still have to pay tuition for the classes they take for the program. However, if a student studies abroad, they become eligible for scholarships through the program, which is something few other schools have.
“This is something that is unique to UNL and isn't offered by most other universities,†Baskerville said.
Upon completion of the program, students will receive a certificate from the Peace Corps. Because the Corps is a highly competitive organization, having certification can give students an edge in the application process, said Anthony Abate, a Peace Corps program specialist.
Students who complete the program don't have to apply to the Corps, but even with the credential, there is no promise of acceptance.
"Students can start the prep program as early as freshmen. By the time they graduate, they'll be 22 or 23. Their life plans may change," Baskerville said.
The program was put together with the help of both the Education Abroad Department and the School of Global Integrative Studies. The university applied to become a Peace Corps prep institution in December, and the program became official in July.
Students accepted into the program will officially start the process in January.
Even without the program, UNL students have been going into the Peace Corps for years. In the last 60 years, more than 500 UNL alums have volunteered in the Corps, Abate said.
All Peace Corps volunteers were removed from their countries and brought back to the U.S. at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in spring of 2020, Abate said, but they plan to be back overseas soon.
Even with an uncertain future for the Peace Corps in the pandemic, Lacy said she highly recommends students take advantage of the program and the opportunities the Corps has to offer.
"The Peace Corps is such a great way to learn about the world while learning about yourself," Lacy said. "As much as it is about learning about a new culture and a new environment, it's also about learning about yourself, your interests and finding out what you're capable of."