MISSOULA – The Peace Corps announced this week that the University of Montana ranked No. 7 among medium-size schools on the agency’s list of top volunteer-producing colleges and universities in 2020. There are 27 Grizzlies now volunteering in countries around the world.
“For the past six decades, a large swatch of our student body has been interested in a higher calling of public service and trying to make the world a better place,” said Kevin Deitle, the UM campus Peace Corps representative. “This ranking shows we are keeping up the momentum for a program that remains a great idea after all those years.”
Since the agency’s founding in 1961, more than 910 UM alumni have served abroad as Peace Corps volunteers.
The University hosts two Peace Corps programs on campus. The Peace Corps Prep Program is an undergraduate certificate that provides prospective volunteer applicants with sector-specific job skills, foreign language proficiency, intercultural competence and professional leadership development skills.
The Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program, housed in the Department of Counseling within the Phyllis J. Washington College of Education, is a graduate fellowship that offers financial assistance to returned Peace Corps volunteers.
For more about the Peace Corps at UM visit http://www.umt.edu/peace-corps/. The Peace Corps ranks its top volunteer-producing colleges and universities annually according to the size of the student body. View the 2020 rankings of the top schools in each category at http://bit.ly/382UVxK.
“These schools are institutions that emphasize being global citizens and service-minded students,” said national Peace Corps Director Jody Olsen. “I am excited to know the graduates coming from Peace Corps’ Top Colleges are using their skills to make a positive impact on their communities at home and abroad.”
The Peace Corps sends Americans with a passion for service abroad on behalf of the United States to work with communities and create lasting change. Volunteers develop sustainable solutions to address challenges in education, health, community economic development, agriculture, the environment and youth development.
Through their Peace Corps experience, volunteers gain a unique cultural understanding and a life-long commitment to service that positions them to succeed in today’s global economy. Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, more than 240,000 Americans of all ages have served in 142 countries worldwide. To learn more visit https://www.peacecorps.gov/.
###