Teach For America, Peace Corps join forces

Teach For America and the Peace Corps recently came together to give college graduates more opportunities to give back to those in need.

Through the partnership, each organization will encourage their volunteers to consider working with the other program in an effort to move forward.

Teach For America will encourage alumni to consider volunteering in local communities abroad with the Peace Corps, and in turn, the Peace Corps will encourage returned members to consider teaching opportunities.

Teach For America gives recent college graduates an opportunity to commit for two years to teach in urban and rural low-income public schools.

“We are very supportive of the Peace Corps’ efforts to expand opportunities for children and families in developing countries,” said Wendy Kopp, CEO and founder of Teach For America, in a press release.

“Serving in the Peace Corps is one important way that Teach For America alumni can utilize their knowledge, skills and insight to help level the playing field for young people around the world.”

Teach For America places volunteers in struggling communities all across the country, including a location in Indianapolis, and gives volunteers the opportunity to travel and help children in need.

“We have 39 regions across the country. We teach in over 100 school districts,” said Teach For America National Communications Director Carrie James.

Applications for Teach For America positions are at a record high, reaching 46,000 applicants across the program. IU also saw an increase in applications with a total of 250.

“We’re really excited to see that there is a growing number of students at Indiana University, but also across the country, who are interested,” James said.

This year, IU has returned to the Peace Corps Top College Rankings among major U.S. universities.

The Peace Corps offers IU students multiple options to volunteer for public service, and the School of Public and Environmental Affairs has been very active in forming these important programs that very few universities offer.

“We are one of the few institutions that can say that we have both a Peace Corps Fellows Program and a Master’s International Program,” said Jennifer Forney, director of graduate student services at SPEA.

The Fellows Program attracts exemplary candidates after they have completed their volunteer experiences, Forney said. Upon admittance to the program, these individuals are moved into the Service Corps, which allows them to work toward their master’s training.

The students who are part of this program go to school and concurrently work in the field for nonprofit organizations and city government.

“Our program is well-recognized with Peace Corps as really being an ideal fit for these type of students that are very used to working in extreme situations and serving others, where they’re able to come back and get their master’s training and continue to give back in their community placements,” Forney said. “We have at least 10 Peace Corps fellows on a year-to-year basis.”

Nationally, the Fellows Program had 512 participants this past fall, which was their highest number in the 25-year history of the program. Peace Corps Fellows Program Manager Julie Driver sees the increase partly as a product of the suffering economy.

“Generally as economies turn down, graduate applications turn up,” she said.

The Master’s International Program through SPEA allows students to complete a year of academic training before going on to do their Peace Corps service then returning to finish their degree.

“They don’t have to compromise at all — they can have it all,” Forney said. “They can pursue advanced academic training and also get this incredible volunteer experience.”

With such a wide range of students choosing the ultimate volunteer experience in the Peace Corps, it is difficult to nail down exactly what kind of students at IU choose to participate. Peace Corps Public Affairs Specialist Christine Torres said IU has a great track record of producing Peace Corps volunteers.

“Indiana University has pretty consistently been a top university in terms of alums going into Peace Corps, she said. “It has historically had a strong connection to Peace Corps.”