Students looking to travel and help others soon will be given the chance. The Peace Corps is holding an event from 7 to 9 p.m. today at the Stevenson Tower North smart classroom to explain current prospects the organization offers.

Ken Surdin, regional recruiter for the Peace Corps, said the meeting will consist of a video, discussion of the application process, benefits of participation and personal experiences of volunteers.

Since its introduction in 1960, the Peace Corps has sent more than 170,000 volunteers to developing countries to educate, further technological advancements and preserve the environment.

“We have programs in over 70 different countries,” Surdin said. “We have something for everybody.”

In addition to helping others, being a member of the Peace Corps is a career-building experience.

“It gives you two years of international experience and an advantage when applying for government jobs,” Surdin said.

Currently, 36 colleges offer tuition reimbursement to students in Peace Corps. NIU does not offer any reimbursement, but there is discussion of its possibility, Surdin said.

Not everyone, however, is cut out for the Peace Corps.

“It’s for people who want to do positive work abroad,” Surdin said. “It allows for the chance to make our own country broad-minded and conscious of other nations.”

During the interviewing process, the Peace Corps looks for a combination of education, work experience and volunteerism, Surdin said.

Margaret Cook, coordinator for Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Programs, was a Peace Corps volunteer for two years.

“I joined because I felt it was a way to make a contribution to the world,” Cook said.

Being a volunteer developed her self-confidence and helped her learn to act independently, she said.

“Another benefit was the chance to see America through the eyes of people who live in another part of the world,” Cook said.

Nick Eddy, a senior art major, said the Peace Corps is vital.

“The most important aspect of the work that Peace Corps does is in health education,” Eddy said, “because it helps people understand sickness and what they can do to prevent it.”

Interviews will be held by appointment Tuesday at Career Services in the Campus Life Building, Suite 200.