Would you like to join the 530-plus West Virginians who have made a difference around the world as Peace Corps volunteers?

A Peace Corps recruiter will be on the West Virginia University campus Tuesday, July 27, to provide application information and answer questions. The visit, coordinated by the Office of Service Learning Programs, will offer students and others who are interested two opportunities to learn more about the Peace Corps mission.

An information booth will be set up in the Mountainlair commons area from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. People are welcome to stop by and pick up literature, ask questions and view an interactive DVD that features testimonials from former volunteers.

In addition, an information session will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Blackwater Room of the Mountainlair. Jason Kane, a regional Peace Corps recruiter, will give an overview of the program, and application forms, literature and promotional items will be available for the taking. Pizza and refreshments will be served.

Recently, WVU announced that Grant Smith, a Charleston native and recent journalism graduate, was planning to spend the next two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Madagascar, teaching English to secondary school students and working on community health projects such as AIDS education.

Smith joins a dozen graduates currently serving in countries such as Paraguay, Kenya, the Eastern Caribbean and Nepal. A total of 188 WVU alumni have also served as volunteers.

President John F. Kennedy created the Peace Corps in 1961 so Americans could share their skills in developing countries. Since that time, more than 170,000 Peace Corps volunteers have been invited by 136 host countries to work on issues ranging from AIDS education to information technology and environmental preservation.

For more information, contact Brett White at WVU s Office of Service Learning Programs at 304-293-8761 ext. 4483.