Jessica Bendzick/Winonan
For some Winona State students, joining the Peace Corps is a memory. For others, it might be a bucket list item waiting to be checked off. For everyone, the Peace Corps Fest will be held to raise awareness and answer questions for anyone interested.
The Peace Corps, founded in 1961, is a volunteer-based agency that is managed by the United States government. Peace Corps volunteers travel abroad to serve the needs of different countries and communities. Its mission is to promote world peace and friendship. This agency also helps people from other countries to better understand American culture, while allowing Americans to become more familiar with the cultures of other countries.
The Peace Corps, having over 215,000 current and returned volunteers, has served 139 different countries.
Some current and returned Peace Corps volunteers, including a few Winona State graduates, will be at the fest. The fest will be from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8 in East Hall. The graduates will share their experiences from volunteering abroad.
Jennifer Baechle, a 2005 Winona State graduate, is one of those students who served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Kazakhstan from 2008 to 2010 when she was 26. Baechle worked at a school and co-taught with several local teachers. She mainly taught English to students in her village.
Baechle said while she was serving, she also assisted in teacher trainings throughout her oblast (like a state), participated in various camps throughout the country, held English clubs in the school and community, wrote a grant to expand the library in the town so English books could be available, and did a myriad of other things.
Volunteering was also a very rewarding experience for Jean Kleinhans, a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee graduate and Winona State grad student. She has volunteered twice. She first went to Estonia in 1998 and stayed there for two years, and then from 2009 to 2012 she was located in China. Both times Kleinhans taught English.
“In Estonia I worked mostly in a secondary school. While in China I taught college students,” she said. Kleinhans was 24 years old when she joined the Peace Corps.
Peace Corps is not just teaching. There are other programs as well, including promoting health awareness, working with farmers to increase food production, planting trees and teaching computer and multimedia skills. The type of work a volunteer performs depends on the needs of the particular country he or she is traveling to.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for people of any age,” Kleinhans said. “Some of my best friends in China were retired teachers who decided to join.”
Emilie Falc, a communications professor, is organizing the Peace Corps Fest. She said there will be different activities for all ages, including an interactive map and friendship bracelet making.
Food and beverages are going to be provided and questions will be welcomed. This event is free and open to the public.
