Peace Corps Prep Program Helps Expand Horizons
April 7, 2021
Undergraduates interested in an international career are encouraged to apply for the Peace Corps Prep Program, which helps develop specific skills related to intercultural immersion experiences.
Those who want to serve with the Peace Corps are not guaranteed a position, but the prep program will allow them to become a more competitive candidate.
Each participant will complete coursework and volunteer service to earn a certificate by graduation. In Edmonds’ case, she will get credit for courses and volunteer work already completed and finish final requirements during the spring semester.
Peace Corps volunteers serve a number of ways in a two-year commitment. Some examples include:
- Teaching English, math and science
- Promoting nutrition, maternal and child health
- Promoting basic hygiene and water sanitation
- Promoting sustainable use of natural resources
- Helping small-scale farmers and families increase food security and production
- Promoting active citizenship for youths
- Working with banks, nongovernmental organizations (NGO) and municipalities to encourage economic opportunities.
Each participant in the prep program must acquire core competencies in four areas before graduation: training and work experience, professional and leadership development, intercultural competence and foreign language skills.
Students begin by identifying a specific area in which they want to strengthen their skills, based on where they want to go and what they want to do. These include education, health, environment, agriculture, youth development and community economic development.
Siva Paladugu and Danielle Edmonds were among the first cohort of UT Dallas students to participate in the Peace Corps Prep Program at UT Dallas when it launched in the 2017-18 academic year.
Paladugu had participated in annual medical trips to Honduras, where he distributed medication and assisted doctors during surgeries. Those experiences prompted him to consider serving in the Peace Corps.
“I found it to be a very, very gratifying experience. It made me want to follow in my parents’ footsteps,” Paladugu said. “Diving into the prep program will better prepare me to help the patients in Honduras.”
For Edmonds, the opportunity appealed to her at the right time.
“I’m a firm believer in trying things, and I’m at the age I can do this,” she said. “I would like to have a family one day, and a job. This is a unique time to apply.”
Contact Us
Email or call 972-883-3888 with questions about the Peace Corps Prep Program.
If you are interested in speaking with a Peace Corps recruiter who is assigned to UT Dallas or attending virtual Peace Corps sponsored events, please visit the UT Dallas Career Center site and search Handshake: https://www.utdallas.edu/career/
