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Peace Corps Sees Double-Digit Hike in Applications
March 14, 2009 9:00 AM
ABC News On Campus reporter Chelsey Delaney blogs:
Applications for the Peace Corps are rising steadily as more students and recent college graduates are drawn to service, according to organization figures.
"Only 6 percent of [Peace Corps] volunteers are over 50," Shannon Borders, the Peace Corp's Dallas spokesperson, said. "Colleges play a key role in our recruitment because joining gives young people an opportunity to gain cross-cultural experience."
Founded in 1961, the Peace Corps has sent volunteers to more than 139 countries to work in agriculture, education, health and environmental training. It has a reported a 16 percent increase in volunteers for the current fiscal year.
Borders attributes the spike in applications to increased curiosity about other cultures and, she speculates, the unstable economic climate. The application process takes anywhere from six to 12 months.
Lindsey Mullikin graduated from the University of Texas in December and said that her motivation to apply grew out of her interest in international affairs during her student days, and from the diversity she enjoyed on UT's campus. When Mullikin began applying a year ago, however, getting in seemed difficult.
"I have read and heard a lot of people talk about how the Peace Corps funding has been cut significantly in the past eight years," said Mullikin, who is assigned to the Dominican Republic and maintains a blog (http://dominicanmully.wordpress.com/) about her experiences. "I think this will change under the country's new administration. I was really lucky to be placed in a program."
Mullikin says she has joined Facebook groups that are dedicated to raising money for the Peace Corps.
The University of Texas ranks eighth in the large-school category for the number of volunteers it produces for the Peace Corps. The school followed Washington University, the University of Colorado-Boulder, Michigan State University, University of California-Berkeley, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, respectively.
Most volunteers work in an educational job. Mullikin's program includes teaching technical skills.
"I think it will deepen my compassion and humility for those around me, and increase my ability to professionally contribute to my community," Mullikin said. "I know that I am going to discover a lot about myself, both good and bad. But I am excited to learn both."
March 14, 2009 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (7)
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see what high unemployment produces?
volunteers!
Posted by: realityville | Mar 14, 2009 11:42:11 AM
I find this highly disturbing that this is posted on the day after a young peace core volunteer death. Why was that article not posted instead of this one.
Posted by: sara | Mar 14, 2009 12:08:30 PM
Another reason to look back on the Bush admin. Cuts in this kind of program really made since. right.
Posted by: Janice Teter | Mar 14, 2009 12:14:05 PM
Can you link me to the peace corps volunteer death story, please? My daughter is considering volunteering. I actually don't worry too much about her safety if she does, but I'm curious. Thanks!
Posted by: Leprechan Kid | Mar 14, 2009 12:22:07 PM
according to information at the okahoma state school of international studies, there have been 170,000 volunteers since 1961. between 1961 and 1999 there were 239 volunteer deaths, and the leading cause of death was car accidents. based on information from the peace corps' own site, there have been an additional 15 volunteer deaths since 1999, including the one reported today. that is an approximately 0.00148 mortality rate among peace corp volunteers. it would appear that mortality rates among pc volunteers is lower than that of the overall american public.
Posted by: antijake | Mar 14, 2009 1:32:50 PM
Programs that Obama creates. Obama cares more about foreign countries than ours
Posted by: tuss | Mar 14, 2009 7:32:30 PM
Their are many people starving in this country with out this country funding abortions and sending innocent naive youngsters into Somalia to be taken hostage and dragged around dead.
Posted by: tr | Mar 14, 2009 7:33:55 PM
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