About

What is the Peace Corps Prep Program? Peace Corps Prep is a certificate program for undergraduates that centers on one empowering question:

How can you prepare yourself to be the best Peace Corps Volunteer you can be? The Peace Corps has identified four core competencies that are critical to the intercultural fieldwork Peace Corps Volunteers do: 

1. Sector-specific skills
2. Foreign language proficiency
3. Intercultural competence
4. Professional savvy and leadership

Peace Corps Prep programs create frameworks for you to build these four competencies, integrating coursework with hands-on experience and professional development. Upon completion of the program, you will receive a certificate from the Peace Corps--and a competitive edge when applying for Peace Corps service. Students are encouraged to begin the program in their sophomore year.

What the VSU Peace Corps Prep Program Offers You

Virginia State University’s partnership with the Peace Corps complements well the University’s mission to develop students’ global competence, civic responsibility, and leadership skills needed to engage communities at home and abroad. Grooming students to become leaders and builders of their communities has been the hallmark of Virginia State University since it was founded in 1882.

The VSU Peace Corps Prep Program integrates academic study, community service, study abroad, and career preparation to offer program participants a culturally immersive academic experience that meets the following goals:

1. Broaden students’ knowledge of the world and prepare them to continue VSU’s legacy of service to humankind, both domestically and internationally.
2. Prepare students for the complex and culturally diverse global workplace that they will encounter upon graduation.

Established in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, the Peace Corps has stayed true to its mission of promoting world peace and friendship.  The Peace Corps has sent nearly 220,000 Americans abroad to work at the grassroots level to tackle the most pressing needs of communities around the world.  Volunteers of all ages have served in 140 countries worldwide, helping to develop sustainable solutions that address challenges in agriculture, community and economic development, education, environment, health, and youth development.  Through their service, volunteers gain a unique cultural understanding, a life-long commitment to service, and transferable skills that position them to succeed in today’s global economy.  

For more information, visit www.peacecorps.gov  and follow the Peace Corps on Facebook and Twitter.