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Peace Corps Officials Visit Illinois State
From left, Dean Olson with
Dr. Ballou, Dr. Titi, Dr. Beck,
and Beverly Beyer.
Michele Titi and Cary Ballou, leading administrators of the Peace Corps Fellows/USA Program, traveled from Washington, D.C. to evaluate Illinois State's program and were impressed with what they saw.  "The site visits to local community organizations and the chance to see our students in action impressed them deeply.  As the day progressed, Dr. Titi and Dr. Ballou shared these positive experiences in meetings with President Bowman, Dean Olson, and Vice President for Advancement Susan Kern.  This was a productive and successful visit," said Frank Beck, Director of the Stevenson Center for Community and Economic Development.

ISU's Peace Corps Fellows/USA Program is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.  There are only 37 Peace Corps Fellows/USA programs across the nation. The ISU program allows for Returned Peace Corp Volunteers (RPCVs) to complete master's degrees in applied economics, political science, or sociology.  Students come from all over the country to participate in this highly selective program following their Peace Corps service in countries as varied as Vanuatu, Kazakhstan, and Bulgaria—38 countries in all.  The program then places Returned Peace Corps Volunteers in communities across the state to help with community and economic development activities.  As such, the program helps RPCVs use their skills from their two years abroad to benefit communities in the United States. Illinois State's program was the first in the nation to focus on community and economic development.

After completing about a year of coursework, participants complete an 11-month internship using their community and economic development knowledge.  Students of the program serve communities in McLean County and across the nation. Former fellows have had internships that focus on downtown restoration, parks and recreation development, youth development, and community organization for social change.  Currently, fellows are working with the Town of Normal to build university-community relationships as a part of the  Downtown Redevelopment Project; partnering with the Economic Development Council of Bloomington-Normal to produce a demographic and economic profile of the county to recruit businesses and new residents; and working with agencies such as People First of Illinois, a statewide self-advocacy organization for people with disabilities, to more effectively address the lack of affordable, accessible housing for people with disabilities in McLean County.

Illinois State's program is one of the largest programs in the nation and has drawn wide acclaim.  Community leaders say that Fellows offer skills that bolster local development efforts and provide an organization "spark" that moves them toward action.  For more information on the program, visit the website at www.StevensonCenter.org.
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