CU ranked No. 1 for graduates serving in the Peace Corps

(Courtesy of peacecorps.gov)

The University of Colorado at Boulder is ranked the No. 1 school recruiting undergraduate students to serve in the Peace Corps.  According to a CU news release, 117 students are serving around the world this year.

In the CU news release, Chancellor Philip DiStefano said he is glad CU is contributing to the global community.

“I am delighted that our emphasis on civic engagement as part of the learning experience at CU-Boulder has resulted in service-oriented graduates contributing to their global community,” DiStefano said in the news release. “Service learning and civically engaged graduates are a cornerstone of our Flagship 2030 strategic plan and it is gratifying for the university community to realize that our vision is becoming a reality.”

Peter Simons, Director of CU-Boulder’s Institute for Ethical and Civic Engagement said he is proud of the ranking.

“We’re very proud to be No. 1,” Simons said. “The ranking is a real testament to those students who want to be civically engaged. They have a strong desire to work for the common good.”

The news release states that the institute is one of 12 organizations on campus helping to encourage students to participate in service learning and civic engagement.

Simons said that more than 13,000 CU-Boulder students participate in some form of community service every year. With this new ranking, Simons said he hopes to see that number grow.

“Our goal at some point is to see every student engaged in civic engagement and to make service learning a requirement for all students at CU,” Simons said.

According to the release, while the university has placed in the top three schools for the past seven years – three times at the No. 2 position and four times at the No. 3 position – this is the first time it has been ranked No. 1. CU-Boulder is ranked the No. 5 all-time school for volunteers with 2,269 alumni who have served in the Peace Corps since it was established in 1961.

Contact CU Independent Staff News Writer Amanda Barrell at Amanda.barrell@colorado.edu.