PEACE CORPS PREP STUDENT GUIDE The Peace Crps Prep prgram will prepare yu fr internatinal develpment fieldwrk and ptential Peace Crps service. T accmplish this, yu ll build fur cre cmpetencies thrugh interrelated cursewrk, hands-n experience, and prfessinal develpment supprt. These fur cmpetencies, r learning bjectives, are the fllwing: 1. Training and experience in a wrk sectr 2. Freign language skills 3. Intercultural cmpetence 4. Prfessinal and leadership develpment This dcument explains each f these requirements in detail. Use this guide t map ut yur Peace Crps Prep curse f study. In particular, refer t this when cmpleting yur PC Prep applicatin, where yu ll need t dcument hw yu plan t fulfill each requirement. This guide aligns pint-by-pint with each sectin f the applicatin! 1. Training and experience in a specific wrk sectr 3 curses + 50 hurs related experience Leveraging cncrete knwledge and skills is central t n-the-grund internatinal develpment wrk. Thrugh this PC Prep prgram, yu will begin t build a prfessinal specialty, which shuld serve yur career well whether r nt yu becme a Peace Crps Vlunteer. Fr PC Prep, yu need t cmplete at least 3 curses that align with a specific wrk sectr (they can but d nt need t cme frm yur academic majr r minr). Yu als must accumulate a minimum f 50 hurs f vlunteer r wrk experience in that same sectr, preferably in a teaching r utreach capacity. Peace Crps Tip! If yu intend t apply t the Peace Crps, the best way t assure that yu will be a strng candidate is t identify the type f assignments in which yu d like t serve at www.peacecrps.gv/penings/, then review the psitins desired qualificatins and build them up accrdingly. In the prcess, yu shuld fulfill these PC Prep experiential requirements!
There are six sectrs in which Peace Crps Vlunteers serve detailed belw. Chse ne sectr t fcus n then cmplete at least 3 curses + 50 hurs f related experience in that sectr. Nte: Actual Peace Crps assignments are based n lcal needs, and thus may r may nt align seamlessly with yur qualificatins. Flexibility is central t the Peace Crps experience! NOTE: Fr any f the six sectrs belw, check ut the URI Clearinghuse fr Vlunteers fr a list f ver 80 lcatins that ffer pprtunities fr students t get experience. http://web.uri.edu/experience/vlunteer/serve/ Or lk at the specific list f internship pprtunities listed under yur majr f interest. http://web.uri.edu/experience/internship-credit-by-majr/ #1 EDUCATION Teach lessns that last a lifetime. Educatin is the Peace Crp s largest prgram area. Vlunteers play an imprtant rle in creating links amng schls, parents, and cmmunities by wrking in elementary, secndary, and pstsecndary schls as math, science, cnversatinal English, and resurce teachers r as early grade reading and literacy teacher trainers. Vlunteers als develp libraries and technlgy resurce centers. If yu chse Educatin, take 3 curses frm ne f the fllwing areas: Elementary, Secndary r Special Educatin English r Linguistics TESOL Math Cmputer Science Engineering Any Physical r Bilgical Science And build 50 hurs f related field experience thrugh an activity such as: Teaching in ne f these r a similar frm: in a classrm, with a cmmunity utreach rganizatin, r in a frmal tutring capacity. The subject f the teaching may be English as a Freign/Secnd Language, special educatin, drama, r a STEM subject. Tutring pprtunities are available in the ACE English Language Institute n the URI campus. The URI Child Develpment Center n campus ffers pprtunities fr URI students t wrk with pre-kindergarten aged children. The URI Mentr-Tutr Internship Prgram has placements as ESL tutrs. #2 HEALTH Serve n the frnt lines f glbal health. Health Vlunteers wrk within their cmmunities t prmte imprtant tpics such as nutritin, maternal and child health, basic hygiene, and water sanitatin. Vlunteers als wrk in HIV/AIDS educatin and preventin prgrams t train yuth as peer educatrs, develp
apprpriate educatin strategies, prvide supprt t children rphaned by the pandemic, and create prgrams that prvide emtinal and financial supprt t families and cmmunities affected by the disease. If yu chse Health, take three curses frm ne f the fllwing areas: Nursing Health Studies Envirnmental r Nutritin r Pharmacy Bimedical Dietetics Bilgy Engineering And build 50 hurs f related field experience thrugh an activity such as: Vlunteer r wrk experience in such areas as HIV/AIDS utreach, hspice, family planning cunseling, emergency medical technician (EMT) r CPR teaching/certificatin, maternal health, and hands-n caregiving in a hspital, clinic, r lab technician setting Cunseling r teaching in health subjects Wrking as a resident advisr in a drmitry, as a peer nutritinist, r as a sexually transmitted infectins cunselr Significant experience in mechanical repairs, cnstructin, carpentry, masnry, plumbing, hydrlgy, r set design #3 ENVIRONMENT Help frge a glbal mvement t prtect ur planet. Vlunteers lead grassrts effrts in their cmmunities t prtect the envirnment and strengthen understanding f envirnmental issues. They teach envirnmental awareness in elementary and secndary schls and t yuth grups and cmmunity rganizatins, empwering cmmunities t make their wn decisins abut hw t prtect and cnserve the lcal envirnment. Vlunteers als address envirnmental degradatin by prmting sustainable use f natural resurces. If yu chse Envirnment, take three curses frm ne f the fllwing areas: Envirnmental Science r related field Natural Resurces Cnservatin Wildlife Bilgy Natural Resurces r Wildlife Management Frestry Bilgy, Btany, r Eclgy Gelgy Oceangraphy r Marine Sciences And build 50 hurs f related field experience thrugh an activity such as: Educating the public n envirnmental r cnservatin issues, r wrking n envirnmental campaigns Cnducting bilgical surveys f plants r animals Gardening, farming, nursery management, rganic r lw-input vegetable prductin, r landscaping Prviding technical assistance and training in natural resurce management URI s Castal Fellwship Prgram prvides undergraduates pprtunities t get invlved in research and applied utreach effrts fcusing n slving current castal prblems. #4 AGRICULTURE Lead grassrts effrts t fight hunger in a changing wrld. Agricultural Vlunteers wrk with small-scale farmers and families t increase fd security and prductin and adapt t climate change while prmting envirnmental cnservatin practices. They intrduce farmers t techniques that prevent sil ersin, reduce the use f harmful pesticides, and replenish the sil. They wrk alngside farmers n integrated prjects that ften cmbine vegetable gardening, livestck management, agrfrestry, and nutritin educatin.
If yu chse Agriculture, take three curses frm ne f the fllwing areas: Agrnmy Hrticulture Btany Entmlgy Agricultural Science Business r ecnmics Bilgy And build 50 hurs f related field experience thrugh an activity such as: Wrking with a large-scale r family-run business invlving vegetable gardening, farming, nursery wrk, tree planting r care, urban frestry, livestck care and management, r fish cultivatin and prductin Teaching r tutring the public in envirnmental r agricultural issues/activities Wrking n the business management r marketing side f a cmmercial farm #5 YOUTH IN DEVELOPMENT Empwer the next generatin f change makers. Vlunteers wrk with yuth in cmmunities n prjects that prmte engagement and active citizenship, including gender awareness, emplyability, health and HIV/AIDS educatin, envirnmental awareness, sprting prgrams, and inf technlgy. If yu chse Yuth in Develpment, take three curses frm ne f the fllwing areas: Internatinal Develpment Develpmental Psychlgy Health Studies Human Develpment Family Studies And build 50 hurs f related field experience thrugh an activity such as: Teaching r cunseling in at-risk yuth prgrams Activities that invlve planning, rganizing, assessing cmmunity needs, cunseling, and leadership, in areas such as educatin, yuth develpment, health and HIV/AIDS, the envirnment, and/r business #6 COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Harness 21 st -century tls t help cmmunities lift themselves. Vlunteers wrk with develpment banks, nngvernmental rganizatins, and municipalities t strengthen infrastructure and encurage ecnmic pprtunities in cmmunities. They frequently teach in classrm settings and wrk with entrepreneurs and business wners t develp and market their prducts. Sme Vlunteers als teach basic cmputer skills and help cmmunities take advantage f technlgies such as e-cmmerce, distance learning, and mre. If yu chse Cmmunity Ecnmic Dev., take three curses frm ne f the fllwing areas: Business r Public Administratin Entrepreneurial r Glbal Business Management Accunting, Banking r Finance Cmputer Science and related majrs Graphic Design Mass Cmmunicatins Internatinal Business And build 50 hurs f related field experience thrugh an activity such as: Wrking with businesses, rganizatins, r cperatives in accunting, finance, micrfinance, management, prject management, budgeting, r marketing
Starting and running yur wn business r ther entrepreneurial activity Training thers in cmputer literacy, maintenance, and repair Website design r nline marketing Funding r leading a cmmunity- r schl-based rganizatin Peace Crps Tip! Nearly tw-thirds f Peace Crps Vlunteers serve in Educatin r Health. Cursewrk and meaningful experience in ne f these areas especially teaching English as a secnd/freign language prduce sme f the strngest candidates. 2. Freign language skills Requirements vary by language Wrking acrss cultures ften entails verbal and nnverbal languages distinct frm yur wn. Building freign language skills is thus a secnd key cmpnent f the PC Prep curriculum. Where wuld yu like t serve? PC Prep minimum curse requirements align with thse needed by applicants t the Peace Crps itself, which vary by linguistic regin. Latin America: Individuals wanting t serve in Spanish-speaking cuntries must apply with strng intermediate prficiency. This typically means cmpleting tw intermediate level curses. West Africa: Individuals wanting t serve in French-speaking African cuntries shuld be prficient in French (r, in sme cases, any Rmance Language), usually thrugh ne intermediate-level curse. Everywhere else: The Peace Crps has n explicit language requirements fr individuals applying t serve in mst ther cuntries. Hwever, yu will still likely learn and utilize anther language during service, s it is nly helpful t have taken at least ne freign language class. Nte: If yu are a strng native speaker and want t serve in a cuntry that speaks yur same language, yu can skip this requirement! 3. Intercultural cmpetence 3 apprved curses Engaging thughtfully and fluidly acrss cultures begins with ne s wn self-awareness. With this learning bjective, yu will deepen yur cultural agility thrugh a mix f three intrspective curses in which yu learn abut thers while reflecting upn yur wn self in relatin t thers. The gal is fr yu t build yur capacity t shift perspective and behavir arund relevant cultural differences.
Yu ll take this cre curse: NRS 300 Intrductin t Glbal Issues in Sustainable Develpment And chse 2 additinal electives frm these belw: AAF 399: Intrductin t Multicultural Psychlgy AAF 336: Scial Inequality AAF 410: Issues in African Develpment AAF 408: African Gvernments and Plitics APG 200: Language and Culture APG 220: Intrductin t the Study f Language APG 301: The Anthrplgy f Nutritin APG 309: Anthrplgy f Religin APG 320: Scilinguistics APG 400: Evlutin, Culture, and Human Disease APG 413: Peples f the Sea ARH 565: Seminar in Cultural Heritage AVS 132: Animal Agriculture, Fd Plicy, and Sciety AVS 390: Wildlife and Human Disease BUS 317: Internatinal Business Cmmunicatins Exchange BUS 428: Multinatinal Finance BUS 429: Glbal Investment Management BUS 441: Leadership Skills Develpment
BUS 448: Internatinal Dimensins f Business BUS 468: Glbal Marketing COM 322: Gender and Cmmunicatin COM 361: Intercultural Cmmunicatin COM 402: Leadership and Mtivatin COM 461: Managing Cultural Differences in Organizatins COM 462: Cmmunicatin and Glbal Sciety ECN 338: Internatinal Ecnmics ECN 344: Plitical Ecnmy f Glbal Finance ECN 386: The Ecnmics f Race, Gender, and Class ENG 160: Literatures f the Wrld ENG 247: Intrductin t Literature f the African Diaspra ENG 360: Africana Flk Life ENG 364: Cntemprary African Literature GEO 305: Glbal Climate Change GWS 150: Intrductin t Gender and Wmen's Studies GWS 305: Current Issues in Wmen's Studies GWS 310: Race, Class, and Sexuality in Wmen's Lives GWS 325: Internatinal Wmen's Issues GWS 386: The Ecnmics f Race, Gender, and Class GWS 430: Wmen and Human Rights Plicy HDF 203: Intrductin t Wrk with Children HDF 357: Family and Cmmunity Health
HDF 412: Histrical, Multi-Ethnic, and Alternative Leadership HDF 414: Leadership fr Activism and Scial Change HDF 416: Persnal and Organizatinal Leadership HDF 434: Children and Families in Pverty HPR XXX: Hnrs Prgrams curses (list updated each semester, many with glbal themes) NVP 200: Nnvilence and Peace Studies Cllquium NVP 500: Thery and Research n Nnvilence and Peace VP 425: Peace Psychlgy PHL 210: Wmen and Mral Rights PHL 217: Scial Philsphy PHL 346: Existential Prblems in Human Life PHP 143: Sustainable Slutins fr Glbal Health Prblems PSC 116: Intrductin t Internatinal Plitics PSC 403: Glbal Ecplitics PSC 410: Issues in African Develpment PSC 422: Internatinal Plitical Ecnmy PSC 435: Theries f Internatinal Cnflict PSC 431: Internatinal Relatins PSY 103: Twards Self-Understanding PSY 384: Cgnitive Psychlgy PSY 480: Psychlgy f Wmen SOC 212: Families in Sciety
SOC 214: Urban Scilgy SOC 240: Race and Ethnic Relatins SOC 242: Sex and Gender SOC 336: Scial Inequality SOC 413: Gender Inequality SOC 444: The Scilgy Of Religin
Is there anther curse in the catalg that yu feel meets this requirement? Please discuss it with yur PC Prep Crdinatr. Peace Crps Tip! Prlnged intercultural experiences such as studying r vlunteering abrad, supprting new immigrants r refugees acculturate t the United States, r vlunteering in diverse schls wuld als strengthen yur Peace Crps candidacy significantly. URI prvides yu with the pprtunity t study in mre than 200 affiliated study abrad prgrams in ver 60 different cuntries that include exchange pprtunities with ther universities in the USA and its territries. Shrtterm, semester and year-lng prgrams prvide yu with a range f exciting ptins. And yu can take classes in almst any area f study fr yur majr, yur minr r yur general educatin electives, with fferings in English OR in a freign language. URI als has ver 30 faculty-led prgrams during spring, summer and the J-term (January 2 week class), which prvide pprtunities t immerse yurself in a different culture and get credit twards yur degree. URI students have wn prestigius external schlarships and fellwships t supprt their study abrad experiences. Deadlines are ften a full year r mre befre yur departure, s be sure t cnnect with the URI Office f Natinal Fellwships, lcated in Lippitt Hall, early in yur planning. 4. Prfessinal and leadership develpment Resume and interview supprt + Leadership experience Internatinal develpment is a highly prfessinal sectr. It is difficult t break int and demands great initiative and leadership t advance prfessinally within the field. PC Prep requires three specific activities that will strengthen yur candidacy fr the Peace Crps (r any ther prfessinal endeavr): 1. Have yur resume critiqued by smene in URI s Center fr Career and Experiential Educatin web.uri.edu/career/http://web.uri.edu/career/ 2. Attend a wrkshp r class n interview skills at URI s Center fr Career and Experiential Educatin. http://web.uri.edu/career/ 3. Develp at least ne significant leadership experience and be prepared t discuss it thughtfully. Fr example, rganizing a campus event, leading a wrk r vlunteer prject, r serving n the executive bard f a student rganizatin. URI s Center fr Student Leadership Develpment prvides guidance abut pprtunities. A Leadership Studies minr is als ffered.