This fall, ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ÊÓƵÎÞÏÞÖƹۿ´ will offer the Peace Corps Prep Program in partnership with the United States Peace Corps, for students interested in international service.
Volunteers receive excellent benefits during and after their service, mak[ing] life-long connections with their host communities
— Associate Director of the International Studies Program and Co-Director of the Peace Corps Prep Program, Anita Deeg-Carlin
In partnership with the United States Peace Corps, ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ÊÓƵÎÞÏÞÖƹۿ´ will launch the Peace Corps Prep Program this fall. The program will be offered through a joint collaboration between the University’s International Studies Program and the Center for Faith & Public Life. This new, specialized career step program will prepare students who are interested in pursuing Peace Corps volunteer work, by combining coursework with hands-on experiences to build the necessary competencies.
ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ÊÓƵÎÞÏÞÖƹۿ´ Associate Director of the International Studies Program and Co-Director of the Peace Corps Prep Program, Anita Deeg-Carlin, said, “The Peace Corps offers a unique opportunity for our graduates to be immersed in a different culture during a two-year assignment. Volunteers receive excellent benefits during and after their service, make life-long connections with their host communities, become fluent in one or more languages, and make career connections by joining the extensive Peace Corps community of global citizens. No matter which field a student serves in, she or he will become a more competent and aware professional.”
As a highly selective organization, the Peace Corps holds applicants to rigorous academic, competency, and experiential standards. To best prepare students and graduates for the Peace Corps, ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ÊÓƵÎÞÏÞÖƹۿ´ has engaged a diverse faculty who teach within the six Peace Corps sectors: education, health, environment, agriculture, youth in development, and community economic development. Students will be exposed to foreign language skills and cultural awareness through introspective courses, and activities will target focused coursework, practical skills training, intercultural competency, career preparation, and leadership skills. Embracing what it means to be a young adult for and with others, students enrolled in the Peace Corps Prep Program will hone their skills and knowledge through intercultural community-building experiences.
Visit fairfield.edu/pcprep for more information about the program, or contact the ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ÊÓƵÎÞÏÞÖƹۿ´ Peace Corps Prep Program co-directors, Associate Director of Jesuit Universities Humanitarian Action Network (JUHAN) Julie Mughal, and Associate Director of the International Studies Program Anita Deeg-Carlin, at PeaceCorpsPrep@fairfield.edu.
Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, more than 230,000 U.S. citizens 18 and older have served in 141 countries worldwide. Volunteers from Connecticut total 3,466 including 156 volunteers from ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ÊÓƵÎÞÏÞÖƹۿ´, four of whom are currently serving. Since 2017, 7,376 volunteers currently serve worldwide, and 111 of those volunteers hail from Connecticut, which ranks in the top 25% for Peace Corps volunteers. For more information about the Peace Corps, visit .
