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History

Since the 1960s, the SIT Graduate Institute and the US Peace Corps have worked together to train professionals committed to building a more just world.

A Model for the Peace Corps

 

SIT’s flagship organization, The Experiment in International Living, was a model for the Peace Corps. Peace Corps founder Sargent Shriver’s life-changing experience abroad with The Experiment convinced him to design a program that, like The Experiment, fosters deeper and more authentic connection by immersing participants in the language and culture of the communities they serve. SIT and the Peace Corps continue to lead other US institutions in the scope and variety of their language programs.

First Peace Corps Volunteers Trained at SIT

The Experiment established the SIT Graduate Institute (formerly the School for International Training) to meet the growing demand for professionals with intercultural skills and awareness. SIT went on to train Peace Corps Volunteers for decades—and the school’s graduate programs grew from that training model.