Through the Berkeley Peace Corps DeCal, students will learn about the Peace Corps experience as well as the projects involved in the Peace Corps. In a series of lectures and Returned Peace Corps Volunteer presentations, students will see that there are some general trends among the experiences of each Peace Corps member and also observe the unique differences.

We hope to gather a group of people with a common interest of serving others for the well-being of the community in which we live. This DeCal is especially beneficial for people who are planning to apply to the Peace Corps. We will hold Returned Peace Corps Volunteer panels and presentations, so we can learn the Peace Corps service projects abroad and the necessary skills for service. Even if you do not intend to apply to the Peace Corps, this course can be relevant to you, as it focuses on factors key to public service, including: cross-cultural competence, geographical knowledge, and communication skills. If you are passionate about public service and cross-cultural understanding, this is the course for you!

At the beginning of each class, the students will participate in a geographic and demographic trivia game. This game gives the students a chance to not only bond with each other but also learn about that day’s speaker and his or her country of service. After the trivia game, they can break up into small groups and discuss their thoughts about the past week’s speaker and his or her experience. This way, they can share their thoughts and receive feedback about their reflection papers from their peers. The students can talk about their critiques of the Peace Corps organization, their feelings about the speaker’s experience, their thoughts and questions about the geography and culture, and parts about the speaker’s presentation that surprised them.

This course is a great curriculum for anyone interested in community development, foreign affairs, international travel, developing economies, ESL teaching, computer skills training, health care development, hygiene education, agriculture & environmental studies, youth development, business development, microfinance, economic development, public service, public policy, sustainability, entrepreneurship, and leadership development.