Snapshots from the Peace Corps

Thousands of CU-Boulder undergraduate alumni have served in the Peace Corps since the program's establishment in 1961. For a decade, CU-Boulder has held the No. 4 rank or higher nationally as a producer of Peace Corps volunteers. A collection of photos illustrates some of the experiences of current and recent volunteers.

UGANDA -- Jim Tanton, left, is pictured with members of a USAID founded group inside a cave where locals were known to hide out during the tumultuous years when Idi Amin was in power. The group works to market and develop tourist destinations in the region. (Courtesy Jim Tanton/2013)

UGANDA -- Pictured is a woman who is described by Peace Corps volunteer Jim Tanton as a true organizer, bringing everyone in her village together -- beautiful and genuinely joyous. (Courtesy Jim Tanton/2013)

UGANDA -- Two men take a break from work milling grain at the local factory. They make cassava flour which is used in the local staple food, kalo. (Courtesy Jim Tanton/2013)

UGANDA -- An elephant holds up traffic in Katwe, a fishing village known for its salt lakes, near Queen Elizabeth National Park. (Courtesy Jim Tanton/2013)

PHILIPPINES -- Allie Nunes, front, is teaching high school English fluency during her Peace Corps service. (Courtesy Allie Nunes/2013)

PHILIPPINES -- Allie Nunes, second from left, is teaching high school English fluency during her Peace Corps service. (Courtesy Allie Nunes/2013)

PHILIPPINES -- Allie Nunes, third from left, is teaching high school English fluency during her Peace Corps service. (Courtesy Allie Nunes/2013)

LESOTHO -- Andrew Kary, left, and Erinn Kary, right, stand behind their mountain house, a short distance from the schools where they teach as Peace Corps volunteers. (Courtesy Andrew Kary/2013)

MOZAMBIQUE -- Anneke Claypool washes clothes and enjoys the sunset from her balconey. As a Peace Corps volunteer, she spends most of her time teaching ninth-grade math and working at a youth center. (Courtesy Anneke Claypool/2013)

CAMEROON -- Carly Kane, second from left, is developing community health while serving in the Peace Corps. She says she's her post is in a village where many children screamed and cried when they first saw her because they'd never seen a white person. (Courtesy Carly Kane/2013)

PARAGUAY -- Chris Kampe, right, is shown after having planted a tree with is his friend as part of a reforestation project he's developing with local youth. (Courtesy Chris Kampe/2013)

EL SALVADOR -- Kara Zucker hikes an hour to the nearest town to make photo copies at an internet cafe for her class the next day. (Courtesy Kara Zucker/2013)

EL SALVADOR -- Kara Zucker, left, is pictured with a six-year-old girl whom Kara affectionately describes as a snuggler who has a mind of her own - a rare trait among local children. (Courtesy Kara Zucker/2013)

SAMOA -- Natalie Ziemba, second from left, attends a swearing-in ceremony with her language training group. Candy necklaces are are a traditional Samoan gift for any kind of achievement, she says. (Courtesy Natalie Ziemba/2011)

SAMOA -- Natalie Ziemba, back, works in a classroom with her seventh-year students. (Courtesy Natalie Ziemba/2011)

SAMOA -- Natalie Ziemba, back, warms up with her first, second and third-year students before soccer. They also are practicing saying colors. (Courtesy Natalie Ziemba/2011)

NAMIBIA -- Pamela Williams, front-left, is working with girls to build their self-esteem and positive body images. They also discuss futures, teen pregnancy, family planning, healthy lifestyle choices and HIV/AIDS. (Courtesy Pamela Williams/2013)

SWAZILAND -- Ryan Fouss, left, sits in front of his rondoval hut with his bhuti, or brother. He wears a traditional lijobo, or loin skin, made from monkey. He likes to wear traditional clothing to show his community that he's making an effort to assimilate, he says. (Courtesy Ryan Fouss/2013)

NAMIBIA -- Chris Janes, second from left, runs a teacher relay against a boys team. (Courtesy Chris Janes/2013)

NAMIBIA -- Women from the Herero tribe wait to start a march for what's called Heroe's Day. (Courtesy Chris Janes/2013)

NAMIBIA -- Peace Corps volunteer Chris Janes says this is the type of housing that some of his students live in. He works with San people who are nomadic, without a set village. (Courtesy Chris Janes/2013)

NAMIBIA -- Pictured is Peace Corps volunteer Chris Janes's grade-10 classroom -- a nice space compared to many others at rural and remote schools. Though, don't be fooled -- many of the desk tops slide off if you sit on them, which he discovered the hard way, he says. (Courtesy Chris Janes/2013)

NAMIBIA -- Chris Janes, left, helps prepare American food as a thanks to host families. The volunteers divvied regions and the Rocky Mountain group made "amazing baked beans and fat cakes, a staple Namibian food. We had to give them something familiar," said Chris. (Courtesy Chris Janes/2013)

NAMIBIA -- Leaders of Camp Glow -- Guys and Girls Leading Our World -- demonstrate a "trust chair." The camp is for learners from all over Namibia to spend time in the capital city and learn about how to be community leaders. (Courtesy Chris Janes/2013)