Vermont Business Magazine Today, Peace Corps announced that Vermont is the top state and ranks 2nd overall among regionswith the highest number of Peace Corps volunteersper capita, with 6.7 volunteers per 100,000 residents. There are 42 volunteers from the Green Mountain State currently serving worldwide and 1,579 Vermonters have served in the Peace Corps since the agency’s founding in 1961. The Burlington-South Burlington area ranks Number 6 among metropolitan areas with the highest number of volunteers per capita, with 9.5 volunteers per 100,000 residents. Twenty Burlington-area residents are currently serving worldwide. Washington, DC, had the highest overall regional rate at 8.8.
“Peace Corps volunteers come from all corners of our nation to create grassroots level change in our world,” said Peace Corps Chief Executive Officer Sheila Crowley. “Volunteers share their hometown values and perspectives with the host communities they serve, an intercultural exchange that leaves a legacy of peace and friendship. We are deeply grateful to the extraordinary communities in the U.S. which produce citizens with such a strong sense of purpose.”
Vermont has ranked among the top five volunteer-producing states per capita since 2011, with the Burlington-South Burlington area appearing on the list of top volunteer-producing metropolitan areas per capita since 2013. Earlier this year, the University of Vermont ranked No. 8 among medium-sized schools on the agency’s Top Volunteer-Producing Colleges and Universities list. Vermont volunteers are among the more than 230,000 Americans who have served around the world in areas such as agriculture, community economic development, education, environment, health and youth in development volunteers since 1961.
“The transition from Vermont to Albania was pretty smooth,” said Barbara Grant of Island Pond, who is serving as a health volunteer in Albania after a long career as a dietician and health educator in the Northeast Kingdom. “I believe I am making a difference by providing health education within the school system and to neighboring villages. My primary project is in the school but I have made contacts in the department of health with the nurses that give vaccinations in the villages.Sometimes I tag along to do education such as flu prevention, hand washing, breast cancer awareness and diabetes prevention. I have integrated well into the community and have been giving some lessons at women's groups.”
The Peace Corps is unique among service organizations because our volunteers live and work at the community level. Service in the Peace Corps is a life-defining, hands-on leadership experience that offers volunteers the opportunity to travel to the farthest corners of the world and make a lasting difference in the lives of others. Applicants can apply to specific programs by visiting thePeace Corps websiteandconnecting with a recruiter.
Below find the nation’s top 10 volunteer-producing states and metropolitan areas for 2017. View the list of volunteer numbers from all 50 stateshere.
2017 Top States – Per Capita (# of volunteers per 100,000 residents)
1. District of Columbia – 8.8
2. Vermont– 6.7
3. Montana – 4.9
4. Oregon – 4.3
4. Rhode Island – 4.3
6. Virginia – 4.2
7. Maryland – 4.1
7. Washington – 4.1
9. Maine – 4.0
10. Colorado – 3.9
10. Minnesota – 3.9
2017 Top States – Total Volunteers
2. New York – 485
3. Florida – 355
4. Virginia – 352
5. Texas – 327
6. Illinois – 325
8. Pennsylvania – 296
9. Michigan – 266
10. Maryland – 250
2017 Top Metropolitan Areas – Per Capita (# of volunteers per 100,000 residents)
1. Missoula, MT – 11.9
2. Charlottesville, VA – 9.9
3. Ithaca, NY – 9.8
3. Boulder, CO – 9.8
5. Fort Collins-Loveland, CO – 9.7
6. Burlington-South Burlington, VT – 9.5
7. Olympia, WA – 7.9
8. Madison, WI – 7.4
9. Ann Arbor, MI – 7.3
10. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV – 7.2
2017 Top Metropolitan Areas – Total Volunteers
1. New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA – 418
2. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV – 403
3. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA – 273
4. Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL-IN-WI – 258
5. Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH– 182
6. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA – 175
7. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI – 174
8. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD – 154
9. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA – 147
10. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA – 126
*Peace Corps data current as of September 30, 2017. The metropolitan area data used to determine Peace Corps’ rankings are derived from the most current U.S. Census Bureau “Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Area” data. Volunteers self-report their home city and state on their Peace Corps application.
About the Peace Corps:The Peace Corps sends Americans with a passion for service abroad on behalf of the United States to work with communities and create lasting change. Volunteers develop sustainable solutions to address challenges in education, health, community economic development, agriculture, environment and youth development. Through their Peace Corps experience, volunteers gain a unique cultural understanding and a life-long commitment to service that positions them to succeed in today's global economy. Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, more than 230,000 Americans of all ages have served in 141 countries worldwide.For more information, visitpeacecorps.govand follow us onFacebookandTwitter.