Prairie View A&M University, a historically Black educational institution in Texas, has established a new partnership centered on an undergraduate certificate program called Peace Corps Prep. Students in the Peace Corps Prep program will combine targeted coursework with hands-on experience, building the competencies needed to be strong Peace Corps volunteers or other intercultural fieldworkers.
Peace Corps Prep will be structured as an interdisciplinary certificate program housed in PVAMU’s Office of International Programs. Through a combination of coursework and hands-on experience, students will develop four core competencies that are critical to intercultural fieldwork: foreign language proficiency, intercultural competence, professional and leadership development, and sector-specific skills in one of Peace Corps’ six sectors.
“Prairie View A&M University is pleased to partner with the Peace Corps, as the collaboration will help us advance an important aspect of our mission, which seeks to invest in programs and services that address issues and challenges affecting the diverse ethnic and socioeconomic population of Texas and the larger society including the global arena,” said Godlove Fonjweng, executive director of international programs at the university, who will also serve as the Peace Corps Prep coordinator. “The Peace Corps Prep program offers our students the opportunity to hone the skills they will need to be successful in the international arena, either as Peace Corps volunteers or serving the global community in other capacities.”