Badger Peace Corps Tips

Are you a student in the Madison area looking for tips that will help bolster your Peace Corps Application or improve your chances?

Check out the following! These articles have been curated for UW students and alumni based on common questions received during Advising hours.

Local Opportunities

Don’t know where to start? Check out the Diversity Inventory.

The Diversity Inventory (DI) is a searchable online database of diversity and inclusion programs, events, research, support services, and assessment on campus and in the Madison community. This centralized directory collects and reports diversity data, ultimately affecting change by connecting students, faculty, and staff to initiatives that are creating a more inclusive campus community.

Check out this wonderful opportunity for mission-minded students interested in education or working with youth! This is great experience to put on your resume when you apply for the Peace Corps.

Galileo Learning is looking for exceptional students, changemakers, and leaders to join their team! They’re hiring instructors, interns, team leaders and camp counselors for in-person and COVID-safe innovation education summer day camp programs for kids in the community. You will receive personalized professional development, and learn transferable skills to build your resume while having a joy filled summer inspiring future innovators. Make sure to put any leadership and kid experience on your resume when you apply, and be sure to put that you heard about them through Peace Corps.

Next application due date is Sunday, April 24th. We have 70+ sites in the SF Bay Area, SoCal, Chicago, Seattle and Washington DC, so for more job info or to apply, click here.  For questions, email jobs@galileo-learning.com.

(Note: Must be eligible to work in the US, and we are not able to sponsor work visas.)

Social Justice Internships

SuccessWorks is partnering with nonprofits and small businesses in Dane county to develop internships for UW-Madison students. With a variety of opportunities in data analysis, education, program evaluation, communications, publishing, and more, students can develop their professional skills while making a tangible, meaningful impact supporting communities in Dane County!

Find descriptions of some of these opportunities here!

Applications are due January 5, 2022, and most internships begin in late January or early February 2022.

These internships are for UW-Madison undergraduate students enrolled in the spring 2022 semester. L&S students are guaranteed a minimum stipend of $250. Students who are eligible for Federal Work Study may earn a $12/hour wage.

Many of these internships involve working with marginalized communities. Students with diverse backgrounds and identities are encouraged to apply. 

Participating Organizations Include:

  • F.O.S.T.E.R. of Dane County
  • Healing Our Hearts
  • Girls Inc./Goodman Center
  • Brittle Paper
  • Wisconsin Literacy
  • Urban Triage, Inc.
  • Chrysalis
  • JustDane
  • Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership Development
  • EXPO (Ex-incarcerated People Organizing)

Learn more about each specific participating organization, and about social justice internships here!

The Center for Pre-Health Advising gives great ideas here for how to stay productive and involved during the pandemic.

“Even as physical distancing and public health remain of utmost importance, there are an increasing number of opportunities to support your communities safely as we all continue to protect the health of people who are most vulnerable to COVID-19. Many are sharing resources. The Morgridge Center has excellent ideasIdealist gives a great overview. And we offer a number of additional (and overlapping) resources and ideas in the menu below. There are many ways to use time well during this time. In addition to looking for ways to be involved through volunteering, internships, and paid work, we encourage you to take time to learn, reflect, grow, and connect with people (including health professionals) in other ways as well.”

Literacy Network Internships

Literacy Network accepts volunteers, and have information here.

Literacy Network teaches reading, writing, communication, and computer skills to Dane County adults so they can achieve financial security, well- being, and deeper engagement with their families and the community.

Social Justice Hub opportunities:

Badger Micro-Internships

Click here to learn about how UW-Madison students of all majors can build skills and experience through these short-term assignments with a variety of employers.

Here’s a quick summary of what exactly micro-internships are:

Micro-Internships are short-term, paid, professional assignments that are similar to those given to new hires or interns. These projects enable Career Launchers to demonstrate skills, explore career paths, and build their networks as they seek the right full-time role. Unlike traditional internships, Micro-Internships can take place year-round, typically range from 5 to 40 hours of work, and are due between one week and one month after kick-off. Micro-Internships are used by companies ranging from those in the Fortune 100 to emerging start-ups, and go across departments including sales, marketing, technology, HR, and finance.

Micro-Internships are facilitated via the Parker Dewey platform, which connects Career Launchers with Companies in need of support.

SuccessWorks Resources

Here are some resources SuccessWorks has developed that students may need access to under the current situation:

Also, regardless of whether you are a first year, or fourth, you should definitely take a couple seconds to enroll in this Canvas Module by SuccessWorks that guides you through whether graduate school is a good option for you, whether you should consider a gap year (or two!), and what options are available to you. It includes a portion called “Have you considered Peace Corps?” that provides great basic information for those who don’t have their post-graduation plan fully nailed down yet.

Academic Coaching and Tutoring Services in the Division of Diversity, Equity Educational Achievement is hiring coaches aka tutors.

Scholars are from CeO, People, Posse, First Wave, Mercile J. Lee, McNair and students who identify as indigenous/native american /american indian.

Perfect for any student who is looking to sharpen their teaching skills, reinforce their knowledge, flexible virtual hours, fulfilling rewarding experience,  peer to peer support and who want to earn some extra money.

How to Apply to be an Academic Coach:

If anyone is interested in becoming a remote coach, pay begins at $11/hour, the hours are VERY flexible, and this experience is a great way to give back, gain extra experiences, and connect with more students in the division!

To apply, visit this website, click on “Apply” in the top banner, and then click on “Become a Coach.”

This position is frequently available and for most of the semester.

UW BASES Program

Want to work with children, learn about homelessness, and make a difference in the life of a young student? Join the BASES program! Our undergraduate and graduate mentors are matched with early elementary school kids experiencing homelessness and provide in-school support to a child for a full academic year.

BASES has both class and service learning components. Students are prepared for this experience in a biweekly class that focuses on the potential of 1-on-1 mentoring relationships to aid young children’s adjustment to school and how to foster resilience both in and outside of school. Mentors will learn about the effects of poverty and trauma on child development through guest lectures, films, readings, reflective writing assignments, and discussions. Class exercises are designed to support students’ learning about homelessness, mentoring, societal forces, racial inequities, and emotionally responsive teaching.

The need in our city is enormous. Last year almost 1500 students in Madison Metropolitan School District were identified as highly transient or homeless. Applications for the 2022-2023 school year are open through August 2022!

Please refer any questions to bases@education.wisc.edu.

Wisconsin Intensive Summer Language Institutes

Gain two semesters of language learning in just 8 weeks!

Online learning for summers.

Instruction in less commonly taught languages:

Arabic, Bengali, Brazilian Portuguese, Burmese, Dari, Filipino, Hindi, Hmong, Indonesian, Javanese, Kazakh, Khmer, Lao, Marathi, Persian, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sinhala, Tajik, Tamil, Thai, Tibetan, Turkish, Urdu, Uyghur, Uzbek, and Vietnamese

Visit the WISLI website for information on language offerings and to learn about programming, deadlines, application criteria, and more!

Food Bank Opportunities

From Molly McCormick, American Red Cross – SW Chapter

Second Harvest Food bank of Southern Wisconsin – 2802 Dairy Drive Madison, WI 53718

Feed My People – 2610 Alpine Rd. Eau Claire, WI 54703

Point of Contact: Stephanie Jung Dorfman, (608) 906-4517 or sdorfman@feedingwi.org

Feeding America Eastern WI Warehouse Locations:

  • Appleton – 2911 W. Evergreen Drive Appleton, WI 54913
  • Milwaukee – 1700 W. Fond du Lac Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53205
  • Point of Contact: Patti Habeck, (920) 427-5925 or phabeck@feedingamericawi.org

Adam Lemons from Team Rubicon volunteered at the Appleton warehouse location to answer questions or provide some feedback.  You can reach Adam at 585-330-5865 or lemons@teamrubiconusa.org.

Visit Volunteer Wisconsin, where anyone can search for other volunteering opportunities in WI.

Molly McCormick
RPCV Philippines 2015-2017
608-304-2096
molly.mccormick@redcross.org

With more then 17,000 people applying to volunteer for Peace Corps every year, the application is very competitive.

How do you make yourself stand out?

Read these tips below and contact the campus recruiter to craft an application that will catch the placement officer’s attention.