2015 Peace Corps Prep

Invitation to Participate
NEW PARTNER PROPOSAL GUIDELINES
DEADLINE: Friday, February 27th, 2015
Accepted partners will be encouraged to launch their programs in the Fall of 2015 or Spring of 2016.

INTRODUCTION
In 2007, Peace Corps established the Peace Corps Prep program with the twin goals of fostering
stronger partnerships with undergraduate institutions and developing a pipeline of diverse,
highly qualified Peace Corps applicants. The program prepares students for international
development fieldwork and potential Peace Corps service. Peace Corps provides four
interdisciplinary learning objectives that serve this end, and each partner institution creates a
path through which their students can meet them.
Students who successfully complete the program will receive an official Certificate of
Completion from Peace Corps with the students name, the college or universitys name, and a
brief description of the program. They will also have a competitive edge when applying to be a
Peace Corps Volunteer, though Peace Corps cannot guarantee that they will be selected for
service.

HOW PEACE CORPS PREP WORKS

Peace Corps has identified four core learning objectives that prepare students for international
development fieldwork (listed below). The partner institution creates a program through which
their students are able to meet those objectives. The institution also designates a Peace Corps
Prep program coordinator to oversee the marketing, implementation, and management of the
program.
Partner institutions are granted some degree of flexibility as they align these four learning
objectives with their current programs, structures, and culture, and are encouraged to highlight
local study programs and service opportunities that fulfill these objectives. The strongest
programs create a user-friendly structure through which their students can meet the four
learning objectives.
Peace Corps Prep is intended to reach students from any major who are in good academic
standing, as deemed by the institution. Students who complete the program will receive a
Certificate of Completion from Peace Corps as well as a competitive edge when applying for
Peace Corps service. They should know, however, that they will need to apply to the Peace

Corps the same as any other individual wishing to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer, and that
their selection is not guaranteed.

THE FOUR CORE LEARNING OBJECTIVES TO BE MET BY PREP STUDENTS

1. Training and experience in a specific work sector

Leveraging concrete knowledge and skills is central to on-the-ground international
development work. Students should take at least three courses that build their capacity
to work in one of the following sectors. Additionally, they should accumulate a minimum
of 50 hours of volunteer or work experience in that same sector, preferably in a teaching
or outreach capacity. Click the sectors below or here to learn more about volunteer
openings and needed qualifications.
Education
Agriculture
Health
Youth in Development
Environment
Community Economic Development

2. Foreign language skills

Students should hone their capacity to interact professionally using a foreign language
the stronger the better. PC Prep minimum course requirements vary by desired
placement region.
Latin America: Individuals wanting to serve in Spanish-speaking countries must
apply with strong intermediate proficiency. This typically means completing two
200-level courses.
West Africa: Individuals wanting to serve in French-speaking African countries
should be proficient in French or another Romance Language, usually through one
200-level course.
Everywhere else: The Peace Corps has no explicit language requirements for
individuals applying to serve in most other countries, though it is pointedly helpful
to have done so.

3. Intercultural competence
Engaging thoughtfully and fluidly across cultures begins with ones own self-awareness.
Students should deepen their cultural agility through a mix of three introspective courses
in which they learn about others while reflecting upon their own selves in relation to
others. The goal is to build the capacity to shift perspective and behavior around relevant
cultural differences. Some example courses:
African/Asian/Black/Latin or
Intercultural Communication
Native American Studies
International Development
Gender, LGBTQ, or Disability
Area Studies (i.e., African Studies)
Studies

Note: Prolonged intercultural experiencessuch as studying/volunteering abroad,

supporting new Americans/immigrants in the local community, or teaching in diverse
schoolsalso strengthen a candidacy significantly and may be written into program
structures.

4. Professional and leadership development

International development is a highly professional sector. It is difficult to break into and
demands great initiative and leadership to advance professionally within the field.
Students will benefit from these three activities:
1. Having their resume critiqued by someone in Career Services
2. Attending a workshop or class on interview skills
3. Developing at least one significant leadership experience and preparing to discuss
it thoughtfully (i.e., organizing an event, serving on an executive board, or leading
a project)

BENEFITS TO THE INSTITUTIONAL PARTNER

Establishing a Peace Corps Prep program on campus offers a variety of benefits to the
institution. These include:
Attracting motivated, high-achieving students with a curiosity that enriches the learning
environment
Distinguishing the university from its peers as a leader in international education
Enhancing efforts to globalize the scope of classes, academic programs, and the campus
in general
Strengthening the pipeline of alumni serving in Peace Corps
Increasing opportunities for recruitment and fundraising

BENEFITS TO PARTICIPATING STUDENTS

Participating in Peace Corps Prep provides numerous benefits and rewards for students, which
include:
Making a students education more dynamic, interdisciplinary, and engaging
Providing students with a vision of how they will utilize the skills they are learning
afterwards in the field
Professionalizing students education and helping them create an area of specialty
backed by coursework and hands-on experience
Enhancing students foreign language proficiency and intercultural competencytwo
marketable skill sets in todays professional environment
Providing the opportunity to earn a Peace Corps Prep Certificate of Completion that can
be highlighted in a resume, whether or not students pursue Peace Corps Service
Increasing students competitiveness when applying to be a Peace Corps Volunteer

Peace Corps service itself offers students a two-year, all-expense-paid jumpstart to their
careers. As Volunteers, they serve as representatives of the United States in communities
overseas, cultivating intercultural leadership and project management skills. With nearly 7,000
Volunteers out in the field helping communities make progress toward their goals, todays
Peace Corps is more vital than ever.

PROPOSAL AND SELECTION

The Peace Corps Prep proposal consists of an outline that serves as an institutions official
request to establish a program. Proposals must follow the attached template and address all
questions. Please ensure that responses are numbered to correspond with the template
questions. Do not include supplementary materials unless specifically requested by the Peace
Corps. Proposals should not exceed 5 pages in length (excluding appendix attachments).
Incomplete or alternatively formatted proposals will not be reviewed and institutions will be
so notified.

ELIGIBILITY
The Peace Corps invites proposals from accredited American institutions of higher education
granting bachelors degrees.

SUBMISSION
One electronic copy of the proposal in PDF format must be submitted to the Peace Corps. The
electronic copy of the proposal must be sent to pcprep@peacecorps.gov by 5:00pm PST,
Friday, February 27th, 2015.

SELECTION/EVALUATION CRITERIA
Institutions will be selected based on the following criteria:
On-time submission of a detailed, thoughtful, complete proposal that follows the
provided templates and guidelines.
Development of a program that is easy for students to understand and navigate as they
fulfill Peace Corps Preps four core learning objectives.
o The strongest proposals will highlight university programs and local
study/work/volunteer/service opportunities that align with PC Prep student
requirements.
Development of a strong on-campus recruitment, marketing, and outreach plan for the
program so as to ensure growth and success.
o Special note will be taken of any marketing or outreach efforts made to publicize
the program to diverse or nontraditional student populations. Peace Corps has
made it a priority to build a volunteer corps that represents the diversity of our
country.
Commitment to assign a Peace Corps Prep Program Coordinator who will collaborate
with Peace Corps staff and ensure successful establishment and growth of the program.

NOTIFICATION
Staff at the Peace Corps headquarters will confirm receipt of proposals by sending an e-mail to
the submitter(s) listed on the proposals cover page within 1 week of receipt. All submitters will
be notified via e-mail of their proposals final status on or before April 17th, 2015. All decisions
are final. Schools whose proposals are not accepted are encouraged to apply again in future
proposal cycles.

ESTABLISHMENT
After the review and selection processes are complete, Peace Corps staff will prepare a
Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) based on a Peace Corpsapproved template for each
accepted new school partner. The Peace Corps Director will sign the agreements then they will
be sent to each institution for countersignature by a selected top administrator. This full
execution of each MOC by all parties establishes the new program. The signed MOC serves as
the formal record of understanding between the Peace Corps and the partner school, and is
valid for a term of 5 years. A sample MOC form is available for review by request through the
staff contact information listed below.

IMPLEMENTATION
The Peace Corps requires that school partners perform certain functions in order to fully
implement and administer the program. The Peace Corps reserves the right to terminate any
school partner that does not satisfy these initial requirements in addition to others set out in
the MOC.
The school partner must complete during or before the semester/quarter following the MOCs
full execution:
Develop and upload a web page to be hosted on the schools official website with
sufficient, accurate information such that any potential Peace Corps Prep enrollee will
know how to apply and who to contact with questions. Content on this web page
related to the Peace Corps must be approved by a member of the Peace Corps Office of
Diversity and National Outreach team prior to publication. Webpage design approval
requests can be sent directly to pcprep@peacecorps.gov with the subject line of Web
design approval request.
Develop and implement a marketing and admissions process to identify and onboard
Peace Corps Prep applicants.
Ongoing requirements:
Complete and submit an annual report within the requested time frame. The Office of
Diversity and National Outreach staff at Peace Corps will send a template form for this
report 30 days before it is due.
Send, in writing, any change in coordinator, contact information, or other details central
to the functioning of the program and/or the partnership to the Peace Corps Office of
Diversity and National Outreachs staff within 30 days of such change.
Provide continuous administrative support for the program.

CONTACT
Questions related to the submission of a proposal may be directed to Clayton Kennedy, the
University Outreach Specialist in Peace Corps Office of Diversity and National Outreach.
Clayton Kennedy
University Outreach Specialist
Office of Diversity and National Outreach
Peace Corps
1111 20th Street NW
Washington, DC 20526
Phone: 202-692-2663
E-mail: pcprep@peacecorps.gov