ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The University of Michigan is one of two Michigan schools producing some of the largest numbers of Peace Corps volunteers across the United States.
As of 2024, 2,065 Wolverines have served with Peace Corps, making the Ann Arbor university the school with the fifth-highest volunteer enrollment numbers, officials said.
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The U-M is a Peace Corps partner and offers students the chance to take the Peace Corps Prep program to gain skills desired for volunteers at the U-M International Center. The university accepts returning volunteers as Paul D. Coverdell fellows so they can continue their education while serving their community.
“Today’s world requires problem solvers and people who understand that it is only through shared impact that we will change the trajectory of global issues. Curiosity and openness to others is cultivated in school, but must be nurtured throughout our lifetimes,” said Peace Corps Director Carol Spahn in a release.
“I am so grateful to these outstanding institutions for challenging and inspiring their students to not only be exceptional students but also to go on to be informed and intentional global citizens.”
More than 240,000 volunteers have come from 3,000 colleges and universities since Peace Corps was established in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy. They volunteer in 144 countries around the world in six areas: education, health, environment, agriculture, youth development, and community economic development.
Other universities producing large numbers of volunteers include Michigan State University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, The Ohio State University and the University of California-Berkley.
“On October 14, 1960, presidential candidate John F Kennedy stood on the steps of the University of Michigan Union and proposed the idea of the Peace Corps for the first time. The students in the crowd roared with enthusiasm at the opportunity to see the world and serve a cause greater than themselves. An experiment in public service was born, and a future of peaceful partnership with hundreds of nations around the world was set into motion,” said U-M alumna and Peace Corps volunteer Emma Petersen.
“As the birthplace of the Peace Corps, the University of Michigan and its ambitious, service-oriented student body have a very special connection with the organization. Over 63 years have passed since that day, but the enthusiasm that U of M students have for making a difference in the world remains the same.”
Those interested in the Peace Corps can learn more here.