Curious about the Peace Corps?
Perhaps you’ve read that the University of Wisconsin–Madison has produced nearly 3,200 Peace Corps Volunteers since 1961. And with 68 Badger alumni currently serving overseas, UW–Madison ranks second on the annual list of top-producing universities and colleges.
Peace Corps Week – Monday, Feb. 29 through Friday, March 4 – offers opportunities to learn about the Peace Corps and to talk with people who have served overseas.
Tuesday, March 1: The kickoff event – from 4 to 6 p.m., at the University Club, 803 State St. – will include a special program, Celebrating 55 years of Peace and Justice, and opportunities for networking.
The program will feature Cecilia Zarate, who recently received the Global Citizen of the Year Award from the United Nations Association of Dane County, and Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Jack Laun, co-founders of the Colombia Support Network, speaking on the prospects for peace with justice in Colombia between the government and guerillas.
This event is sponsored by the UW–Madison Peace Corps Office, International Division and Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies Program within the Institute for Regional and International Studies.
Wednesday, March 2: Learn about the Let Girls Learn initiative and how the Peace Corps is creating educational opportunities for girls worldwide with a special screening of Girl Rising, a documentary the focuses on nine girls in the developing world as they confront tremendous challenges and overcome nearly impossible odds to pursue their dreams.
The screening, followed by discussion, will be held at Union South, at 4:30 p.m.. Check TITU for room.
Friday, March 4: Chat with Peace Corps recruiter Micah Kloppenburg (Nicaragua 2009-11) and other Returned Peace Corps Volunteers about their experiences at the Peace Corps Open House, on Friday, March 4, from 1 to 4 p.m., Red Gym, Room 106.
Opportunities to learn about the Peace Corps extend beyond Peace Corps Week.
Tuesday, March 15: Learn how Peace Corps Volunteers have made a difference in the communities they served and how their experiences changed their own lives, from 4 to 5:30 p.m., Red Gym, Masley Media Room. In Stories that Matter, a panel of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers will talk about how their service has affected their lives and careers.
In addition to the special events, drop-In Peace Corps advising is available Tuesdays, 3-5 p.m., in Ingraham Hall Room 331, and Fridays, 2-4 p.m., in the Red Gym, Room 106.
In addition, students may contact Micha Kloppenburg, the campus recruiter, by phone at (608) 262-1121 or by email at peacecorps@international.wisc.edu.
Graduating college students are encouraged to browse open programs and apply by April 1 for assignments departing fall 2016.
– by Kerry G. Hill