World Music 4 Life w/ Jonathan Øverby
Jan. 1, 2022 features Niger!
The first Saturday of each month, Dr. Øverby will be honoring 60 Years of Peace Corps with the RPCVs of Wisconsin-Madison, the UW-Madison International Division and the UW-Madison Peace Corps office by playing a selection or two of music from the RPCV International Calendar country of the month!
The radio show runs from 5-9 p.m. CT on WERN, 88.7 on your FM dial. If you're outside listening range, you can stream it online by clicking the event title above!
A Life Unimagined with Aaron Williams
Monday, November 15, 2021, 6-8 pm at Grainger Hall, Plenary Room
Aaron Williams, MBA '73, first African-American to serve as USAID’s executive secretary and the first African-American to be chosen to lead the Peace Corps, will share formative experiences from his youth and defining accomplishments throughout his career, providing inspiration for the next generation who seek to lead on the world stage. He will also read excerpts from his newly released memoir, “A Life Unimagined: The Rewards of Mission-Driven Service in the Peace Corps and Beyond.”
His talk will be followed by returned Peace Corps Volunteers and UW Emeriti Professors Tom Eggert and Paul Ohlrogge, along with the Campus Recruiter, who will briefly reflect on the overlap of the Wisconsin Idea, their Peace Corps service, and the state of Peace Corps return to the field. A reception in the East Atrium rounds out the evening.
Peace Corps or Conservation Corps – Work for the Environment
When: Friday, December 10, 2021, 4-5 p.m.
Where: Live at the Memorial Union (TITU)
AND via Zoom (https://uwmadison.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIrfuuprjotG9fxdafyqR8pBjEhptEpXD3o)
Working for the environment is a passion for those who are in it. Opportunities are available in both Peace Corps and Conservation Corps (an AmeriCorps-funded project).
Find out how one supports the other, and what the differences are. Hillary Olsen, North District Recruitment Coordinator for Conservation Corps Minnesota and Iowa served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Benin, and as an AmeriCorps crew leader for the Conservation Corps.
Kate Schachter, as the UW-Madison Campus Peace Corps Recruiter, had strong elements of environmental work during her Peace Corps service in both Ghana and the Republic of Georgia.
Discover the opportunities.
Click here to see how we’ve been celebrating and watch recordings of past events!
60 years of tradition and service
Share your story of service
We want to share your experience with the Peace Corps! Click the link above and fill out the form to tell us how your experiences shaped your life, and please feel free to include a couple photos as well. You can check out the Badger Peace Corps stories we've already received below!
Peace Corps at UW
The story of Wisconsin's tradition of service in the Peace Corps.
Peace Corps through the decades
For more than six decades, Peace Corps Volunteers in more than 140 countries have demonstrated ingenuity, creativity, and grit to solve critical challenges alongside community leaders.
Badger Peace Corps Stories
Check Out Our Recent 60th Anniversary Events!
Watch "A Towering Task"
A Towering Task is a landmark documentary about Peace Corps’ past, present, and future. It asks: What is the role of the Peace Corps in the 21st century?
If you missed the February 2021 event, find alternate opportunities by clicking the event title above!
Pathways To Public Service
On March 19th, 2021 we held an event called "Pathways to Public Service: Education for the Future."
A panel of UW staff and alum who have served look at opportunities in the UW International Internship program as preparation for service, and Peace Corps and AmeriCorps as post-graduate opportunities.
In Peace Corps, the Education sector always needs the most volunteers – 40%. What is a teacher’s service life like? Is it all “stand and deliver”? What are the ways to prepare?
Watch a recording of the event by clicking on the event name above.
The Larry Meiller Show hosts 60 Years of Peace Corps
Stay tuned for a recording of an insightful conversation between Larry Meiller of The Larry Meiller Show, UW-Madison Peace Corps campus recruiter, and UW alum Isabelle Mengesha, who served in Peace Corps Panama from 2018-2020 (when she was evacuated due to COVID).
Listen to a recording of the interview by clicking on the event name above.
Watch Now: Recording of A conversation with Peace Corps Directors
On March 1, Former Peace Corps Directors reflected on their experiences leading the organization.
You can watch the recording of the conversation by clicking the event title above! [Tip: the hyperlink is at the very bottom of the info page.]
Application Workshop
On April 8th, 2021, we, along with the Writing Center, hosted "Peace Corps Application/Reapplication Workshop: Writing the Résumé and Motivation Statement."
Co-led by a Writing Center instructor and Peace Corps recruiter, this workshop walked attendees through the Peace Corps application process, briefly discussing the expectations of a federal résumé, and helping attendees draw on their experiences to write effective Peace Corps motivation statements.
RPCV Story Slam
On November 18, 2021, the RPCVs of Madison hosted the 7th annual Story Slam, on the theme of "That Was Unexpected!" Attendees heard from 8-10 storytellers who gave 5-minute Slams pondering aspects of service.
Speakers answered questions like - What's something that was learned from the Peace Corps experience that wasn’t expected? What was an unexpected reaction to something that happened? Stories about things from Peace Corps service that RPCVs didn't expect, or never thought they'd do!
Freeze for Food Supports Community Refugees
The RPCVs of Wisconsin-Madison 40th annual Freeze for Food is a winter tradition. It went virtual this year March 6 and 7. In this Runners Choice Virtual Event, participants ran or walked to raise funds for food security for Open Doors for Refugees.
For more information on this annual event, click the event title above.
Water, Culture and Development Earth Day Event
On April 21, 2021, we put on the event: Water, Culture and Development - Earth Day Special
Meet Ursula Pike, who served in Peace Corps Bolivia 1994-1996. Her new book "An Indian Among los indígenas: A Native Travel Memoir" reflects on the importance of water in our lives, and the balance between respect for cultural norms and the need for economic development
You can watch the recording of the event by clicking the event name above!
Peace Corps Nepal: Food Security and Public Health
Usually jobs are identified in specific sectors, like food security or public health. In the case of Peace Corps service, you could be doing overlapping work in multiple sectors.
On December 1, 2021 we held this event where attendees heard from Megan Juneau about how she multitasked on multiple types of projects, and whether that approach was successful for her and her community. She also shared how she decided what to do, what academics and job/volunteer experience helped her, and how Peace Corps skills helped make her successful today.