Sherman Hall, Western Illinois University

- HANDS ON Internship experience.

- GENEROUS Financial Benefits: a graduate assistantship with a tuition waiver and stipend ($880/month) during on-campus semesters, and a modest salary ($1,750/month) along with a one-time moving allowance ($500) during the internship. Furthermore, an education award from AmeriCorps ($4,725) is presented upon completion of the internship. (Note:availability of education award is dependent on annual renewal of our AmeriCorps grant by the Corporation for National Service).

- STRONG Personal and Professional Support

- ACCESS to a network of community development professionals through the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs.

- Rewarding job placements after graduation. Positions held by alums include: Executive Director of federally-designated Southern Illinois Delta Empowerment Zone; Senior Planner in Summit County, CO; GIS Specialist in Bureau of Land Management, California: Senior Planner in Key West, FL; Community Development Specialist, University of New Hamsphire; Project Manager for International NGOs; Executive Director, Rock Falls (IL) Community Development Corporation.

"I finished the program with strong academic qualifications, unique skills and experiences, and solid job prospects in the development field."
-- Scott Johnson, Peace Corps Fellow in Economics, 1996.

"The internship was the equivalent of three years experience in 11 months." 
-- John Roberts, Peace Corps Fellow in Geography, 1999.

"I have absorbed many skills in this program: organizational skills, group facilitation skills, public speaking, [and] management of the press.
-- Lyle Harris, Peace Corps Fellow in Economics, 1996.