The College of Charleston, one of the of top 25 “Peace Corps Volunteer Producing Colleges and Universities,” hosts two events for people interested in joining the Peace Corps. On Monday, April 11, there will be a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Panel Discussion at 6:00 p.m. in room 409 of the Stern Student Center and on Tuesday, April 12, there will be an information session at 2:30 p.m. in Stern Student Center room 206.
At the Panel Discussion, attendees will hear from six Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCV).From South America to Africa to Asia, these volunteers will divulge the truth about the “toughest job you’ll ever love.”
Currently, the College ranks eleventh among medium colleges and universities with 36 talented undergraduate alumni representing the United States abroad by serving as Peace Corps Volunteers.
“These Volunteers are applying the skills and knowledge they acquired during their time at the College of Charleston to help improve the lives of people across the globe,” says Peace Corps Director Aaron S. Williams. “They are making important contributions to grass-roots projects in agriculture, education, the environment, health and HIV/AIDS education and prevention, small business development, and youth development.”
The College of Charleston is also in its first year of the Peace Corps Master’s International program. The College’s MI program focuses on environmental and natural resources, and be part of the Master of Science in Environmental Studies Program (MES), which is the second largest program in the Graduate School. Students in the MI program take the majority of their classes prior to leaving for their Peace Corps experience, and then, complete the final degree requirements after they return to the College.
The Peace Corps has more than 8,600 Volunteers currently serving overseas—a 40-year high in the number of Volunteers – and is actively and successfully engaged in 77 countries. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy launched the Peace Corps to spearhead progress in developing countries and promote friendship between the American people and other men, women, and children throughout the world. Fifty years later, the mission and three goals that inspired the creation of the Peace Corps are not only still relevant, they are more important than ever in an increasingly complex, 21st century world. Over the past five decades, more than 200,000 Americans have answered the call to service and have provided grassroots assistance to communities in 139 countries.
For more information about the sessions, call Linda Robinson at 843.953.5692.
