The Tiny Peace Car Drops in at University of Puget Sound

TACOMA, Wash. – The mighty little Peace Car is on its way to Tacoma. The eco-friendly car, wrapped in the color of tree bark and sporting the Peace Corps logo, is the new four-wheeled recruiter for the national service group that has sent more than 220,000 young Americans abroad.

The Peace Car is making its maiden trip to the Northwest to raise the Peace Corps' visibility and help celebrate the 100th birthday of the National Parks Service—a government office where many Peace Corps alumni now work. The car is one of a handful of tiny eco-friendly smart cars making buzz-creating road trips for the Peace Corps around the country.

The University of Puget Sound, which is tied for first place among small colleges for its Peace Corps volunteers in 2016, will host the Peace Car on Friday, Aug. 5, from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Everyone is welcome to stop by for a photo with the little car, which will be striking a casual pose at Jones Circle at 9 a.m. You can also follow the car’s progress on social media with the hashtag #peacecar.

Peace Corp regional representative Stephanie Nys will be at the wheel—her first time in a smart car. She will meet some Puget Sound Peace Corps alumni who now work on campus and the Career and Employment Services staff members who liaise with students interested in the overseas service.

 

“Our little Peace Car is small but really draws attention,” said Nys. “I think this trip is relatable to Peace Corps volunteers’ experiences abroad in some ways. You stand out in your community and feel small, at first, when you’re not really sure what your focus is, but the work you do and the people you build relationships with will have a lasting impact.

“I hope the little car’s journey will spark interest among Americans to start their own journey with the Peace Corps.”

Nys served in Liberia as a volunteer from 2011 to 2013, instructing high school students in general science and biology. She worked with local leaders to improve sanitation, student attendance, and teaching at the school, and helped students appear on a local radio program, How da body? Performing skits that promoted good health. She is now Puget Sound’s local liaison for the Peace Corps.

Puget Sound will be the Peace Car’s first stop for the day before it heads off to other local campuses and points of interest in the City of Destiny.

Volunteering for the Peace Corps has been a Logger passion for many years. Puget Sound has ranked nationally among the Top 15 small colleges for producing volunteers since 2001.  

About the Peace Corps: The Peace Corps sends Americans abroad to address the most pressing needs of people worldwide. Volunteers work at the grassroots level to develop sustainable solutions to challenges in education, health, economic development, agriculture, environment, and youth development. Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, more than 220,000 Americans of all ages have served in 140 countries worldwide. For more information, visit peacecorps.gov.

Learn more about volunteering for the Peace Corps by contacting Career and Employment Services: pugetsound.edu/ces

For directions and a map of the University of Puget Sound campus: pugetsound.edu/directions.
For accessibility information, please contact accessibility@pugetsound.edu or 253.879.3236, or visit pugetsound.edu/accessibility.

Press photos of the Peace Car are available upon request.
Photos on page: Peace Car and Stephanie Nys

Tweet this: The mighty little #peacecar is @univpugetsound plus @PeaceCorps alumni. 9 a.m., Aug 5. C’mon over for a photo http://bit.ly/2adodAI

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