On Aug. 27, Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet will travel to Lakeland Elementary and Middle School in Baltimore for a ‘Day in the Life’ event to visit two returned Peace Corps volunteers who are Peace Corps Fellows at the University of Maryland Baltimore County Shriver Peaceworker Program. As part of their graduate degree program, they are completing internships working to enhance the school’s community outreach, parent engagement and overall climate. The student body at Lakeland is 90 percent students of color, and 94 percent of students come from low-income families. Director Hessler-Radelet will tour the fellows’ projects, which include a food pantry serving students’ families and an educational garden, and participate in a roundtable discussion with the fellows and representatives from the school and local community. The event will capture volunteers’ positive impact in U.S. communities after they return home from service abroad, and illustrate the tangible skills that Americans build as Peace Corps volunteers that help to advance our economy and move our country forward. This is an open press event and local TV outlet WJZ has confirmed coverage.

Brooks Binau, Peace Corps Fellow at UMBC (RPCV Zambia, 2011-2013)Age 25Brooks works on a large scale garden project at Lakeland Elementary and Middle School, which engages the surrounding community and provides opportunities for hands-on science projects like baking in solar ovens and verma-composting. He is working on a Masters of Geography and Environmental Systems.

Greg Couturier, Peace Corps Fellow at UMBC (RPCV Peru, 2009-2011)Age 30Greg is a University of Maryland School of Social Work student pursuing his MSW. Greg is working at Lakeland Elementary and Middle School teaching classes to parents, including an English class to Spanish speakers and a Spanish class to English speaking parents who wanted to learn, working on a food pantry, and conducting home visits to families that need help.