Back to top

A Community of Service

Ranking #1 for preparing Peace Corps volunteers among medium size universities and graduate schools, American University has long cherished the partnership established back in 1962 under the leadership of Dr. Ernest S. Griffith, former dean of the School of International Service (SIS).

The SIS mission of public service, environmental stewardship, human rights, and social justice align naturally with the Peace Corps ideals of promoting world peace and friendship. Today, SIS's partnership with the Peace Corps remains strong in a variety of areas for both Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) and future volunteers aspiring to serve overseas on day.

Program Offerings

Peace Corps Prep

Peace Corps Prep prepares SIS students for future success as volunteers abroad. Prep is an undergraduate certificate program offering future PCVs critical sector-specific job skills, foreign language proficiency, intercultural competence, and professional leadership development skills. 

Learn more

Fellows Program

RPCVs attending graduate school at SIS extend the skills and experiences they earned while serving abroad to serve communities in Washington, DC and around the world. Through the Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program, graduate students promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans here in our local communities. 

More on fellows program

Get Involved

Peace Corps Community Archive

The Peace Corps Community Archive (PCCA) collects, exhibits, and provides educational and public programs that document the experiences and impact of individuals who served in the Peace Corps and of individuals and institutions in host countries.

AU Peace Corps Community

Join other AU RPCVs and/or current undergraduates interested in Peace Corps for meetings and social gatherings. AUPCC provides opportunities for mentoring, one-on-one counseling, service projects, and overall networking with like-minded individuals.

More Information

Teaching environmental stewardship

Mike Band, SIS/MA '18

Returned Peace Corp Volunteer, Colombia

I quickly learned that I was there for whatever the community needed.

In addition to teaching English, my counterpart and I created an environmental education program for 50 elementary through high schoolers that focused on environmental awareness and proper waste disposal. We even wrote a grant that funded a tree nursery for the community. My Peace Corps experience is 100% the reason why I went back to school and why I'm studying Global Environmental Policy at SIS.