Online

Dolan, Kelly

Community Development and Applied Economics

2016

MS

The United States Peace Corps' recruitment offices actively seek a qualified volunteer base from its applicant pool for positions in over 60 countries. The state of Vermont, and colleges and universities within the state, have provided the agency with an unprecedented number of volunteers accounting for their consistently high ranking for the number of volunteers currently serving overseas. This research considers the culture of civic engagement in Vermont and how this can, in part, explain the successful recruitment efforts within the state. Drawing on research done on the topic of civic engagement and how it is manifest in different states, this paper presents evidence provided by semi-structured, in-depth interviews with Vermonters that served in the Peace Corps. The motivation for this thesis is twofold; to better understand the civic culture of Vermont, and to explain the success of recruitment efforts within the state potentially providing the opportunity for more targeted recruitment efforts in the future for the Peace Corps and similarly oriented organizations.