Peace Corps
President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps to promote “world peace and friendship” at the height of the Cold War. Since that time, more than 220,000 have volunteered to serve in the Peace Corps. There are more than 8,073 volunteers working across the globe today in more than 70 countries.
Arizona State University is the state's top-producing school for Peace Corps volunteers, ranked No. 8 in the nation for 2020. The university has established the Peace Corp Prep program for undergraduate students, which offers a specialized curriculum and experiences with a community of like-minded students working to become Peace Corps volunteers. Also, ASU has created the Paul D. Coverdell Fellowship for returning Peace Corps volunteers to pursue graduate education in selected fields.
Peace Corps volunteers tackle some of the world’s most challenging problems during their service, from climate change to elementary and secondary education, food security to gender equality and empowerment.