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Peace Corps Prep (Outgoing Program)

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  • Locations: Edwardsville, United States
  • Program Terms: Cohort multi-year
  • Restrictions: SIUE applicants only
  • Dates / Deadlines
Fact Sheet:
Fact Sheet:
Language of Instruction: English Program Type: Non-credit
Program Description:

Overview

PC prep header

SIUE students have the opportunity to get a head start on service with the United States Peace Corps after graduation.

Through specific courses, many of which you may already be taking, along with 50 hours of approved field experience, students earn a certificate from the Peace Corps. This certificate, while it does not guarantee it, can greatly enhance the student's chances for acceptance into the U.S. Peace Corps.
Peace Corps Prep develops four important competencies:
  • Training and experience in a specific work sector
  • Foreign language skills
  • Intercultural competence
  • Professional and leadership development
The first step in the application process is to choose a specific work sector:
  1. Education
  2. Health
  3. Environment
  4. Agriculture
  5. Youth in Development
  6. Community Economic Development

Click the tabs above for Information on these Work Sectors.

A full Student Guide to Peace Corps Prep is available from the Study Abroad Office.

To learn more about competing for a Peace Corps assignment, see this pdf.

Click the Apply Now button to get started!

For questions, please call SIUE Study Abroad at 618-650-2419
 

Education

Education PC prep

  Work Sector: Education

Teach lessons that last a lifetime. Education is the Peace Corp’s largest program area. Volunteers play an important role in creating links among schools, parents, and communities by working in elementary, secondary, and postsecondary schools as math, science, conversational English, and resource teachers or as early grade reading and literacy teacher trainers. Volunteers also develop libraries and technology resource center.  
Work Sector Requirements for Education
Take three courses from one of the following areas
  • Elementary Education
  • Secondary Education (e.g., theater education, art education, science education, etc.)
  • Special Education
  • English
  • Speech pathology
  • TEFL/TESL
  • Math
  • Computer Science
  • Engineering
  • Any Physical or Biological Science
  • Early childhood
  • Other relevant courses approved by the Study Abroad advisor
And build 50 hours of related field experience through an activity such as:
  • Teaching in one of these or a similar form: in a classroom, with a community outreach organization, or in a formal tutoring capacity;
  • The subject of the teaching may be English as a Foreign/Second Language, special education, drama, speech, a STEM subject or other subjects;
  • Study Abroad program (short-term, semester-long or year-long) that relates to education of children at the preschool, elementary, middle school, secondary or post-secondary level. (see www.siue.edu/study-abroad)
Please also see Kimmel Student Involvement Center for opportunities (e.g., AmeriCorps Scholarship), St. Louis area nonprofit agencies, etc;

Please see Career Development Center for internship and cooperative education opportunities;

Health

Health PC prep

Work Sector: Health

Serve on the front lines of global health. Health Volunteers work within their communities to promote important topics such as nutrition, maternal and child health, basic hygiene, and water sanitation. Volunteers also work in HIV/AIDS education and prevention programs to train youth as peer educators, develop appropriate education strategies, provide support to children orphaned by the pandemic, and create programs that provide emotional and financial support to families and communities affected by the disease.
Work Sector Requirements for Health
Take three courses from one of the following areas:
  • Nursing
  • Nutrition
  • Public Health
  • Exercise Science
  • Biological Sciences (e.g., medical sciences, medical technology)
  • Chemistry (biochemistry, forensics chemistry, medical science)
  • Environmental Sciences
  • Speech Pathology and Audiology
  • Health Communication
  • Other relevant courses approved by the study abroad advisor

 

And build 50 hours of related field experience through an activity such as:
  • Volunteer or work experience in such areas as HIV/AIDS outreach, hospice, family planning counseling, emergency medical technician (EMT) or CPR teaching/certification, maternal health, and hands-on caregiving in a hospital, clinic, or lab technician setting; o Counseling or teaching in health subjects;
  • Working as a resident advisor in a dormitory, as a peer nutritionist, or as a sexually transmitted infections counselor;
  • Helping improve living conditions for various populations, e.g., significant experience in mechanical repairs, construction, carpentry, masonry, plumbing, hydrology, or set design;
  • Study Abroad program (short-term, semester-long or year-long) that relates to health. (see www.siue.edu/study-abroad)

Please see Kimmel Student Involvement Center; Community Engagement opportunities include alternative spring breaks, AmeriCorps Scholarship, Blood Drives, Campus Kitchen, Service Saturdays (i.e. Gateway 180, Lutheran Senior Services, etc.), and/or St. Louis area nonprofit agencies;

Please see Career Development Center for internship and cooperative education opportunities;
 

Environment

Environment PC prep

Work Sector: Environment

Help forge a global movement to protect our planet. Volunteers lead grassroots efforts in their communities to protect the environment and strengthen understanding of environmental issues. They teach environmental awareness in elementary and secondary schools and to youth groups and community organizations, empowering communities to make their own decisions about how to protect and conserve the local environment. Volunteers also address environmental degradation by promoting sustainable use of natural resources.
Work Sector Requirements for Environment
Take three courses from one of the following areas:
  • Environmental Sciences or related field
  • Geography, Earth and Space Science
  • Biological Sciences (e.g., ecology, evolution and environment)
  • Public Health
  • Civil Engineering
  • Other relevant courses approved by the Study Abroad advisor
 
And build 50 hours of related field experience through an activity such as:
  • Educating the public on environmental or conservation issues, or working on environmental campaigns;
  • Conducting biological surveys of plants or animals;
  • Gardening, farming, nursery management, organic or low-input vegetable production, or landscaping;
  • Providing technical assistance and training in natural resource management;
  • Study Abroad program (short-term, semester-long or year-long) that relates to the environment. (see www.siue.edu/study-abroad)
See Kimmel Student Involvement Center for Community Engagement opportunities including alternative spring breaks, AmeriCorps Scholarship, Blood Drives, Campus Kitchen, Service Saturdays (i.e. Willoughby Farms, The Gardens at SIUE, etc.);

See Career Development Center for internship and cooperative education opportunities;
 
 

Agriculture

Agriculture PC prep

Work Sector: Agriculture

Lead grassroots efforts to fight hunger in a changing world. Agricultural Volunteers work with small-scale farmers and families to increase food security and production and adapt to climate change while promoting environmental conservation practices. They introduce farmers to techniques that prevent soil erosion, reduce the use of harmful pesticides, and replenish the soil. They work alongside farmers on integrated projects that often combine vegetable gardening, livestock management, agroforestry, and nutrition education.
 
Work Sector Requirements for Agriculture
Take three courses from one of the following areas:
  • Geography
  • Business Administration (e.g., economics entrepreneurship, international business, etc.)
  • Biological sciences (e.g., integrative biology, ecology, evolution and environment)
  • Other relevant courses approved by the study abroad advisor
And build 50 hours of related field experience through an activity such as :
  • Working with a large - scale or family - run business involving vegetable gardening, farming, nursery work, tree planting or care, urban forestry, landscaping, livestock care and management, or fish cultivation and production
  • Teaching or tutoring the public in environmental or agricultural issues/activities
  • Working on the business management or marketing side of a commercial farm
  • Participate in a Study abroad program (short - term, semester-long or year-long) that relates to Agriculture ; see http://www.siue.edu/study-abroad

 

See Kimmel Student Involvement Center for service opportunities; Community Engagement opportunities include alternative spring breaks, AmeriCorps Scholarship, Blood Drives, Campus Kitchen, Service Saturdays (Willoughby Farms, The Gardens at SIUE, Metro East Humane Society, etc.)

See Career Development Center for internship and cooperative education opportunities;

 

Youth_in_Development

Youth PC prepWork Sector: Youth in Development

Empower the next generation of changemakers. Volunteers work with youth in communities on projects that promote engagement and active citizenship, including gender awareness, employability, health and HIV/AIDS education, environmental awareness, sporting programs, and info technology.
Work Sector Requirements for Youth in Development
Take three courses from one of the following areas
  • Social Work
  • Sociology
  • Criminal Justice
  • Public Health
  • Exercise Science
  •  Psychology
  • Applied Communication Studies
  • Other relevant courses approved by the Study Abroad advisor 
 
And build 50 hours of related field experience through an activity such as:
  • Teaching or counseling in at-risk youth programs;
  • Activities that involve planning, organizing, assessing community needs, counseling, and leadership, in areas such as education, youth development, health and HIV/AIDS, the environment, and/or business;
  • Study Abroad program (short-term, semester-long or year-long) that relates to youth in development. (see www.siue.edu/study-abroad)
Please see Kimmel Student Involvement Center for Community Engagement opportunities including alternative spring breaks, AmeriCorps Scholarship, Blood Drives, Campus Kitchen, Service Saturdays (i.e. Gateway 180, St. Vincent de Paul, etc.), and/or St. Louis area nonprofit agencies;
Please see Career Development Center for internship and cooperative education opportunities;
 
 

Community_Economic

Economic PC prep

Work Sector: Community Economic Development

Harness 21st-century tools to help communities lift themselves. Volunteers work with development banks, nongovernmental organizations, and municipalities to strengthen infrastructure and encourage economic opportunities in communities. They frequently teach in classroom settings and work with entrepreneurs and business owners to develop and market their products. Some Volunteers also teach basic computer skills and help communities take advantage of technologies such as e-commerce, distance learning, and more.
 
Work Sector Requirements for Community Economic Development
Take three courses from one of the following areas:
  • Business administration (economics, entrepreneurship, finance, human resource management, international business, management,management information systems, marketing)
  • Applied communication
  • Accounting
  • Computer Management and Information Systems and related majors
  • Mass Communications
  • Economics
  • Geography  
  • other relevant courses approved by the study abroad advisor
And build 50 hours of related field experience through an activity such as:
  • Working with businesses, organizations, or cooperatives in accounting, finance, microfinance, management, project management, budgeting, or marketing
  • Starting and running your own business or other entrepreneurial activity
  • Training others in computer literacy, maintenance, and repair Website design or online marketing Founding or leading a community- or school-based organization
  • Study abroad program (short-term, semester-long or year-long) that relates to business and economics (see www.siue.edu/study-abroad)
See Kimmel Student Involvement Center  for Community Engagement opportunities include alternative spring breaks, AmeriCorps Scholarship, Blood Drives, Campus Kitchen, Service Saturdays (Gateway 180, St. Vincent de Paul, etc.), St. Louis area nonprofit agencies.

See Career Development Center for internship and cooperative education opportunities


 
 


Dates / Deadlines:
Dates / Deadlines:
Term Year App Deadline Decision Date Start Date End Date
Cohort multi-year 2024 12/01/2024 ** Rolling Admission TBA TBA

** Applicants will learn of acceptance shortly after this date. If accepted, students must return to their applications to complete the next phase of requirements.