Peace Corps

Contact your campus Peace Corps Recruiter, Vicki Runion,   vrunion@iu.edu   (812) 855-9257 

Indiana University is proud of our long-standing and significant role in promoting Peace Corps on our campus. Consistently in the top tier, IU ranked 21st in 2019 for alumni volunteers. Since 1961, more than 1,695 Hoosiers have put their education and experience to work around the world in the areas of education, health, environment, community and economic development, agriculture, and youth in development.

Peace Corps is an international service organization of the United States. The Peace Corps sends Americans abroad to tackle the most pressing needs of people around the world. Peace Corps Volunteers work at the grassroots level toward sustainable change that lives on long after their service while at the same time becoming global citizens and serving their country.

The world has changed quite a lot since the Peace Corps was first established, and the need for Peace Corps Volunteers is more relevant than ever. The Peace Corps continues its original mission based on three simple goals:

1. Helping people of interested countries in meeting their needs for trained men and women.
2. Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.
3. Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of all Americans.

Indiana University employs a campus-based Peace Corps Recruiter who is responsible for providing advice and insight to those interested in Peace Corps service. The Recruiter is your face-to-face resource to learn about opportunities with the Peace Corps, the application process, and what the life of a Peace Corps Volunteer entails. The Peace Corps Recruiter is housed within the Walter Center for Career Achievement in Ernie Pyle Hall.

The next application deadline is April 1st!  Check  out current openings here:   https://www.peacecorps.gov/volunteer/volunteer-openings/

And check out the Peace Corps Prep Program:    IU Peace Corps Prep Program 

Office Hours: Fridays 1:00--3:00.  Also by appointment MTTHF

SEE YOUR PEACE CORPS RECRUITER AT THESE SPRING SEMESTER EVENTS:

Jan. 27   Diversity Career Fair, 4-7:00 p.m., IMU Alumni Hall

Jan. 28     Hoosier Network Event, 7:30-9:00 p.m., Skjodt Assembly Hall

Jan. 29      School of Public Health Career Fair, 4-7:00 p.m., IMU Alumni Hall

Jan. 30      Arts & Sciences Career Fair, 3-7:00 p.m., IMU Alumni Hall

Feb. 5        Criminal Justice Networking Night, 5-7:00 p.m., IMU Solarium

Feb. 7        O'Neill Career Kickstart, 1-4:00 p.m., O'Neill Atrium

Feb. 11       O'Neill Nonprofit/Advocacy Career Fair, 2-5:00 p.m., O'Neill Commons

Feb. 11       Kelley Employer Networking Night, 7-9:00 p.m., Conrad Prebys Career Center

Feb. 18       OVPDEMA Opportunities Abroad After Graduation Event, 6-7:00 p.m., 300 N. Jordan Ave. Room 110

Feb. 26      Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Panel Session, 7-8:00 p.m., O'Neill A225  Food provided!

March 3     Application/Resume Workshop, 12-1:00 p.m., Ernie Pyle Hall, 203E  Lunch provided!

March 5     Peace Corps Africa Event, 12-1:00 p.m., GISB 1060  Learn what it's like to service in Africa from those who have been there!  Lunch provided!

March 7     Hamilton Lugar School Direct Admit Day Expo, 2-3:00 p.m., GISB Atrium

April 15     Invitee Send-Off Event. Calling all Peace Corps Invitees! This party is for you!  Feel free to bring friends and family to join returned volunteers who will celebrate as you embark on this great adventure. Food provided!  RSVP vrunion@iu.edu

Check out our new feature, "Updates from Kat," in which we keep in touch with Katye Lester, an IU Alum (2019) and former Peace Corps Campus Ambassador, who is serving in the Youth in Development sector in Ecuador! 

Update from Kat (Happy New Year!)  Kat's family visited her over the holidays! "The photo with my family and my host family is when we went to my site. We gave my host family Christmas presents and shared breakfast and ice cream.  The pictures with the alpacas is from when we were in Quito and went to the “Teleférico” (cable car) that took us up to 13,000 feet elevation. There are beautiful views of Quito up there, but it was cloudy and rainy that day so we didn’t get to see much. We were still excited to meet these alpaca friends! The picture of us on the beach is from when we visited the Galápagos Islands. It was a beautiful experience and we saw so much wildlife (dolphins, sea lions, sharks, iguanas, birds).

Update from Kat (November): 

I did with our project called Zonas Seguras (safe zones) where we talk about preparing for natural disasters, preventing violence in our communities, and taking care of ourselves. In the first picture, the kids had to link arms and then all try to stand up at the same time without using their hands. In the second picture, the kids are creating a community map and  identifying areas of safety, and areas of risk!

I have been moving on projects and continuing to integrate in the community:) it has been great! And we just had our Reconnect conference because we officially completed 3 months of service and 6 months total in country. I feel rejuvenated and excited to start some new projects 😊 I also adopted a new kitten, Nacho, and am so excited to have a new companion.

Update from Kat: (October) "I've started some projects and have English Club on Mondays and Thursdays, a Community Group on Fridays, and I started doing dance therapy for some of the kids around town which is super fun!"

Update from Kat (September):  "I've completed one month at my site!  Days are pretty slow for me , but I'm making progress.  I've been doing CAT (Community Assessment Tools) in my town and doing some workshops with local youth.  I made some delicious banana brownies for my family and when I got home they had nearly eaten all of them!  life is good and I'm so thankful to be here."

Vicki Runion, Peace Corps Recruiter        vrunion@iu.edu

Indiana University          Ernie Pyle Hall

940 E. 7th Street               Bloomington, IN  47405