The thought of embarking on a humanitarian mission to help an underserved community was something that fascinated Elizabeth Doone from the moment she heard about the .
A teenager at the time, Doone remembers hearing about the organization鈥檚 goals and envisioning the impact she could have if she were to apply later in life.
鈥淭hey had given us a presentation on Peace Corps when I was in middle school and it kind of stuck with me,鈥� Doone, PhD, an instructor in USF鈥檚 Exceptional Student Education Program, said. 鈥淚 knew it was something I was going to do at some point in my life.鈥�
During her senior year of college, after networking with a recruiter on campus, Doone decided to apply to the Peace Corps and was placed at a teaching college in Ghana.
Witnessing the impact her service had on her professional career has motivated her to promote the Peace Corps as a potential step for future educators in USF鈥檚 College of Education.
鈥�(Peace Corps) is really an opportunity to expand your worldview, to expand your understanding of how things are connected, how people are different, but also the same,鈥� Vogel said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so important for tomorrow鈥檚 educators to bring in different worldviews and perspectives and (for students) to have a syllabus created by someone who has been deeply exposed to those global perspectives.鈥�
If you鈥檙e an education major at USF who鈥檚 passionate about creating change at a grassroots level, joining the Peace Corps can be a gratifying opportunity to give back and use the talents and skills developed while studying education at USF.
Below are a few reasons why serving in the Peace Corps might be a great fit for you:
Teach children from various cultures and backgrounds
Joining the Peace Corps can be a non-traditional path for aspiring educators to teach students located across the globe and to learn about the field of education in varying contexts.
Among the six sectors in the Peace Corps where individuals can serve, education is the largest. Volunteer opportunities include teaching literacy at an elementary level and teaching other subjects such as math and science or English as a second language in various regions including Asia, South America, Africa, Europe and beyond.
Serving in the education sector is also a great way for aspiring educators to gain an intercultural teaching experience, says Kristen Vogel, USF鈥檚 Peace Corp Recruiter. Learning how to teach students in an entirely different region may lead to valuable realizations about the world you live in.
鈥�(Peace Corps) is really an opportunity to expand your worldview, to expand your understanding of how things are connected, how people are different, but also the same,鈥� Vogel said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so important for tomorrow鈥檚 educators to bring in different worldviews and perspectives and (for students) to have a syllabus created by someone who has been deeply exposed to those global perspectives.鈥�
For Dr. Doone, having served student teachers in Ghana enabled her to develop cultural competence, a the National Education Association (NEA) defines as one鈥檚 ability to successfully teach students who come from cultures other than their own.
鈥淟iving in a global world, we need to learn and understand diversity,鈥� Dr. Doone said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to have a cultural lens on how different we are, but also on how our difference brings us strength. Putting these perspectives together can bring forth a wealth of understanding and can help us do better at solving problems.鈥�
Living in a global world, we need to learn and understand diversity. It鈥檚 important to have a cultural lens on how different we are, but also on how our difference brings us strength. Putting these perspectives together can bring forth a wealth of understanding and can help us do better at solving problems.
Elizabeth Doone, PhD
Build key teaching skills while making a difference on a global level
Peace Corps volunteers who work in the education sector are often provided with a teaching opportunity that鈥檚 completely different from what they鈥檝e experienced in the United States.
After teaching math and science concepts to teachers in Ghana, Dr. Doone was motivated to take a non-traditional teaching route once she arrived back home, she said.
鈥淧eace Corps was instrumental because it gave me an alternative view to what students need,鈥� Dr. Doone said. 鈥淚nstead of going to a traditional school to teach, I taught in a wilderness camp for kids who had been kicked out of school and who had chaotic lives.鈥�
The time Dr. Doone spent in her host country also opened her eyes to distinct teaching challenges. Having spent two years with children who she says, 鈥渉ad nothing and would do anything to go to school,鈥� enabled her to develop skills that are necessary for educators everywhere.
鈥�(In Ghana,) I didn鈥檛 have access to paper and pens all the time and we didn鈥檛 have technology,鈥� Dr. Doone said. 鈥淭here was so much that was lacking yet, you were able to make do with what you had and problem-solve in the moment. Connecting the curriculum to students鈥� real-life experiences becomes so much more apparent when you鈥檙e working with kids who don鈥檛 have shoes and who come to school eager to learn.鈥�
Have a life-changing experience and receive support upon returning home
Returning home after completing your service in the Peace Corps will be an adjustment, but the wide range of resources and opportunities available to you may help make your transition much easier.
include student loan deferment, partial cancellation on certain loans, more than $10,000 to help with your life plans, career and transition assistance, and the opportunity to attend graduate school at a reduced cost through the .
For Lauren Strange, the Peace Corps Prep Coordinator at USF World and a former Peace Corps volunteer who taught English to children in the Kyrgyz Republic, one of the biggest benefits, she says, is the opportunity to network with like-minded individuals in the Peace Corps community.
鈥淪ince returning from my service (in 2009), I have connected with RPCV鈥檚 (Returned Peace Corps Volunteers) everywhere I have lived and I鈥檝e built incredible personal and professional networks,鈥� Strange said. 鈥淭here are so many wonderful benefits of service, of deepening your intercultural understanding, of travel and of community.鈥�
Explore the possibilities through USF World鈥檚 Peace Corp Prep Program
USF鈥檚 Peace Corp Prep Program is focused on generating knowledge, fostering intellectual development and ensuring student success in a global environment.
Students who co-enroll in the program through USF鈥檚 Global Citizens Project can prepare for potential Peace Corp service through the building of four core competencies: training and experience in a work sector, foreign language skills, intercultural competence and global citizenship and professional and leadership development.
Amanda Higley, an elementary education major at USF, says the program is tuned to her interests in serving diverse learners and teaching abroad.
鈥淚 think the focus on a global perspective is super valuable and it co-aligns with everything we鈥檙e learning at the College of Education because there鈥檚 such a focus on inclusion in the classroom,鈥� Higley said. 鈥淚 know the Peace Corp Prep Program is beneficial no matter what I do post-graduation, just gaining this preparation will be helpful in any classroom situation.鈥�
Are you an education major who鈥檚 interested in joining the Peace Corps? Contact Peace Corps Prep Coordinator Lauren Strange at lstrange@usf.edu to schedule a chat in her office on the ground floor of USF鈥檚 Global Student Hub.