Peace Corps Prep Certificate

UW-Eau Claire has partnered with the Peace Corps to offer a non-academic certificate aimed at preparing you for global citizenship. The Peace Corps Prep Certificate helps Blugolds pursue volunteer service with the Peace Corps and careers in international development.

Through courses, service learning, student/professional leadership, study abroad, and cultural immersions, you’re already building knowledge in global sectors like health and education, youth development, and the environment. Along the way, you're probably honing foreign language proficiencies, intercultural understanding, and leadership skills too. Those experiences and qualities are hallmarks of global service and a successful Peace Corps Volunteer, which means you're on the way to (or earned already!) a Prep Certificate without realizing it!

Our Peace Corps Prep program corresponds directly with the Peace Corps’ application process, which means you'll gain a competitive edge if you apply to volunteer. But completing the certificate doesn't lock you into anything! Start by flipping through Peace Corps opportunities, which are updated every single month, and see if you're drawn to one of their opportunities for global leadership. 

If discovering international adventure and global service sounds enticing, and you just want to learn more about serving the Peace Corps in one of over 60 countries, UWEC's Peace Corps Prep Certificate is for you.

What you'll gain from the Peace Corps

Peace Corps participants gain substantial leadership experience and the unparalleled chance to travel to the farthest corners of the world. Service members participate in intercultural fieldwork and help work on a development project in a critical area: sustainability, agriculture, education, health, youth engagement, or economic development. You’ll return as a global citizen, a practiced leader, a community organizer, and an intercultural change agent.

Peace Corps Volunteers receive a monthly allowance during service, free housing, paid vacation, paid flights to and from your country of service, and service awards to prepare for life after service. You'll also have access to educational opportunities when you return, like federal student loan forgiveness and the Peace Corps Coverdell Fellows Program, which helps to cover graduate school tuition after your service. You can read more about the other benefits at the link below, or you can connect with a Peace Corps recruiter who can answer any questions you may have about Peace Corps service.

Campus Ambassadors

Want to earn money while gaining experience in leadership, public speaking, networking, marketing, and other forms of organizing and administration? Apply to be a Peace Corps Campus Ambassador! 

Campus Ambassadors are college students who raise the Peace Corps’ profile on their campus and introduce its mission to students. As a UWEC Peace Corps Ambassador, you’ll be considered UWEC’s local expert, and your job will be to inform student groups about the Peace Corps. You’ll organize student outreach efforts, develop relationships with professors and student clubs, share Peace Corps details with peers via social media, and coordinate/support events.

On average, you’ll work about 5 hours per week over one whole academic year. Ambassadors receive a $1600 stipend per semester during the year they hold their post. And your campus ambassadorship will also help enhance your own future Peace Corps application!

Before applying to become an Ambassador, email UWEC's Peace Corps Prep Academic Coordinator, Dr. Sean Weidman, to see if you're eligible to apply. The 2026-2027 Campus Ambassador application is currently closed, but next year's application will open in spring 2027.

Certificate Application Process

Students interested in becoming part of the Peace Corps Prep Program will need to submit an application to the Peace Corps Prep Committee. In your application, you will be asked to outline what work sector you would like to pursue as a Peace Corps Volunteer as well as how you plan to fill the experience requirements during your time at UW-Eau Claire. Please review the Peace Corps Prep Student Guide and/or attend a Peace Corps informational session to learn more about the program.

How to apply:

1. Reach out to Dr. Sean Weidman (weidmans@uwec.edu) if you are interested in submitting an application. He'll walk you through Peace Corps expectations and give you a checklist to track your Prep Certificate progress.
2. Application deadlines: 
   • (Fall 2026) December 6
   • (Spring 2027) April 25
3. Approval Process: The Peace Corps Prep Committee reviews and approves applications, sometimes only after revisions. Students who are asked to revise will be given specific feedback for resubmission. The Committee will make every effort to complete your review prior to your Peace Corps application deadline.
4. Questions? Contact Dr. Sean Weidman, Peace Corps Prep Academic Coordinator.