A Study on the U.S. Peace Corps’ Promotion of International Voluntary Services in the Higher Education Sector

• Main Authors: Chiung-Wen Chang, 張瓊文
• Other Authors: I-Hsuan Chen
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/69910229349665572202

碩士 === 國立暨南國際大學 === 國際文教與比較教育學系 === 101 === By using the documentary analysis method, this study focuses on how the Peace Corps manages international volunteers in the U.S. higher education sector and the strategies the Peace Corps has responded to institutional enviroment forces while coordinating with higher education institutions in promoting international voluntary services. Additionally, this study is also expected to afford Taiwan some references for the implementation of promoting international voluntary services in the higher education sector. Firstly, the study explores the historical background of the Peace Corps so as to understand the context of its promotion of international voluntary services in the higher education sector. Secondly, the study explores how the Peace Corps manages international volunteers and returned Peace Corps volunteers in the higher education sector. Thirdly, the study explores the sources and the contents of institutional forces and what strategies the Peace Corps has responded to while coordinating with higher education institutions in promoting international voluntary services. The conclusions of this study are as follows： 1. The Peace Corps coordinates with U.S. higher education institutions in“Paul D. Coverdell Fellows” (Fellows) program and “Master ’s International”(MI) program. The former is a graduate scholarship program for the returned Peace Corps volunteers to pursue graduate studies and advance their professionals for the sake of future career development; the latter is a program for graduate studens to combine international volunteer services with master’s degree courses. 2. The Peace Corps not only offers oversea volunteers in the U.S. higher education sector a series of training activities to enhance their professional skills, language, and cross-cultural understanding capacities before and during their oversea volunteer services, but also helps returned Peace Corps Volunteers earn graduate degrees and/or certification at reduced cost, and advance their professional development for careers in a wide range of fields. 3. The strategies that Peace Corps has responded to institutional forces are as follow: Firstly, to respond to the U.S. government’s goal of at least 10,000 oversea volunteers and the demand of teachers targeted by the New York State Board of Education, the Peace Corps coordinates with higher education institutions by signing formal agreements in MI program and Fellows program. Secondly, to respond to the strong demands of professional volunteers by the host countries, the Peace Corps rescruits only graduate students in MI program. Finally, for reducing the uncertainty in promoting international voluntary services, the Peace Corps coordinates with prestigious international service organizations, local organizations and governmental organizations of the host countries under agreements. Thus, the Peace Corps and the organizations mentioned above form a horizontal collaberation network. The main suggestions of the study for Taiwan are as follow： 1. To have a long-term international voluntary service program allowing graduate students who are Taiwan citizens an opportunity to combine their academic pursuits with a long-term international tour of service. 2. To coordinate with higher education insitutions and the organizations experienced in international aid to promote international voluntary services in the higher education sector. 3. To offer international volunteers well applying and training programs and to offer the returmed international volunteers well counseling supporting in their transition back to Taiwan.