UF ranked #3 among Peace Corps Prep Certificate-issuing Institutions
UF recently ranked #3 among the 140 Peace Corps Prep certificate-issuing institutions in the nation, issuing 35 Peace Corps Prep certificates to the graduating class of 2020. There were 305 Gators enrolled in the Peace Corps Prep program during the 2019-20 academic year.
Peace Corps Prep is an integral part of the internationalization strategy at UF. As an avenue for undergraduate students to structure their global learning experience, Peace Corps Prep at UF is paired with the International Scholars Program (ISP), a commencement medallion program. Together, these programs provide students a path to internationalize their education, regardless of their degree, while earning valuable transferable skills and contributing to their communities. In order to obtain an ISP/ Peace Corps Prep certificate, students enroll in international, sector specific, and foreign language coursework and engage in hands-on experiences outside of the classroom by participating in global campus life events, international service learning or internships, or study abroad. In the end, students connect all of their global learning experiences by creating an eportfolio, where they document their journey through the programs and articulate the numerous transferable skills they’ve acquired through their international engagement.
While having a Peace Corps Prep certificate does not guarantee acceptance into the Peace Corps, enrolling in the program helps students be more competitive. Since 2017 at least 16 UF Peace Corps Prep graduates have been selected to become Peace Corps volunteers, serving in Senegal, Benin, Cameroon, Morocco, Paraguay, Dominican Republic and other destinations, and contributing to make UF one of the top Peace Corps Volunteer-producing Schools.
“In the midst of a global pandemic and in the face of the many challenges the world faces today, we are prouder than ever of the contributions of UF graduates to making the world a better place through programs like the Peace Corps,” notes Dean of the UF International Center Leonardo Villalón. “The Peace Corps Prep program at UF helps our students not only to be more competitive for the Peace Corps, but more broadly to become better citizens of the world.”
UF Peace Corps Prep and the International Scholars Program are recognized as a model among global leadership programs in US institutions and have been recently featured in The International Educator, a monthly publication by NAFSA, the leading International Education organization in the US.