Whittier College has launched a new partnership with the Peace Corps to provide students with a competitive edge when applying for a full post with the international service organization. The undergraduate certificate program, known as Peace Corps Prep, combines targeted coursework with hands-on experience, building the competencies needed to be strong volunteers and fieldworkers within the Peace Corps or other intercultural organizations.
Selected participants will learn about and practice leadership, intercultural competence, foreign language, and a professional sector of their choice such as education, health, or the environment. The program is housed in the Weingart Center for Career and Professional Development.
Whittier is only the third institution in California to establish a Peace Corps Prep program and it’s the first partnership between the College and the Peace Corps. The program was originally created in 2007 and aims to meet the demand for Peace Corps volunteers with a broad and relevant set of expertise, and to support schools’ efforts to provide substantive, globally focused experiences for their students.
Since 1961, Whittier has had 147 Peace Corps volunteers, with two recent graduates currently serving.