Middlebury College, Tufts University, and Colby College Head 2001 List
WASHINGTON, D.C.--(COLLEGIATE PRESSWIRE)--Mar 9, 2001--Peace Corps Acting Director Charles Baquet, III, today released the Peace Corps’ annual list of the small colleges and universities (those with less than 5,000 undergraduate students) with the largest number of Peace Corps volunteers currently serving overseas.
Middlebury College in Vermont took the number one spot with 32 alumni currently serving after placing sixth on last year’s list. Rounding out the top three were Tufts University in Massachusetts with 22, and Maine’s Colby College with 21. Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, Dartmouth College in New Hampshire and Whitman College in Washington all tied for fourth place with 19 volunteers each. The University of Chicago and Minnesota’s St. Olaf College tied for fifth place with 18 volunteers each.
“The strong showing of colleges from so many different parts of the country illustrates that many students today are solidly dedicated to service and deeply value the unique experience Peace Corps offers,” Baquet said. “And through their volunteer work overseas, Americans throughout this country are able to learn more about the world in this era of globalization.”
The Peace Corps also released today the list of its top large universities that have produced current volunteers. For the third year in a row, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with 93 graduates currently serving, topped the 2001 list, followed by the University of Colorado-Boulder with 74 volunteers. The University of California-Berkeley jumped from fifth last year to third this year, with 70 volunteers.
Established in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, the Peace Corps has sent over 161,000 trained volunteers to 134 countries. In 2001, more than 7,300 volunteers and trainees—the highest level in 26 years—are serving in 78 countries around the world by working to help fight hunger, bring clean water to communities, teach children, help start new small businesses, and stop the spread of AIDS. During its 40th anniversary year, the Peace Corps hopes to boost the number of volunteers by 25 percent.
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