Ann O'Connell, Alana DeJoseph and Gil Latz at the screening of “A Towering Task: The Story of the Peace Corps”
Alana DeJoseph, producer and director of the documentary film, “A Towering Task: The Story of the Peace Corps” visited Ohio State for a screening event and discussion centered around global citizenship on April 6.
The screening and a Peace Corps 60th Anniversary commemorative event on April 7 serve as a reflection point to discuss the complex history of internationalization, civic engagement and global citizenship – and Ohio State’s path forward in these spaces.
With DeJoseph moderating, the panel discussion featured two Ohio State faculty members contemplating what it means to be a global citizen and how to quantify that credential. Vice Provost for Global Strategies and International Affairs Gil Latz detailed how the university is integrating international into the curriculum and Ann O’Connell, professor and program chair for the Department of Educational Studies in the College of Education and Human Ecology, discussed methods for evaluating and quantifying cultural engagement and exchange.
Numerous Returned Peace Corps Volunteers attended the screening, thanked DeJoseph for telling the story of the Peace Corps and engaged in the discussion via reflections on their experiences abroad.
This reflection on the Peace Corps’ history and impact comes at an exciting time for the organization as it resumes invitations for new volunteers to serve abroad after a two-year hiatus in the wake of the pandemic.
The screening and commemorative event were made possible with support from the Central Ohio Returned Peace Corps Association, College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences International Programs in Agriculture, Office of International Affairs, Office of Marketing and Communications, and National Peace Corps Association.
