Professor of Human Services Dr. Doe West is bringing global engagement, cultural exchange, and social justice into the virtual classroom through service in the Peace Corps Virtual Service Pilot Program.
The innovative pilot program allows qualified professionals to serve internationally without traveling abroad. For West, the opportunity is deeply personal and profoundly meaningful.
"This is a wonderful new option for those who cannot travel physically, and as a person with a disability who requires virtual access, it is a work of true equity and joy," said West.
West will serve by co-facilitating an American culture & English club for high school students in Moldova, an Eastern European country bordered by Ukraine.
Together, West and her Moldovan colleagues will explore culture through food, art, language, history, and shared stories of family and community. Planned exchanges include cooking traditional Moldovan and American dishes, discussing cultural identity, and learning from one another’s lived experiences.
“This is an opportunity to bridge the heart, mind, and spirit, which, to me, is the essence of the Peace Corps,” West added.
West’s connection to the Peace Corps has roots in her earlier career. While serving as Chief of Staff to former Massachusetts State Senator David P. Magnani, she was inspired by his own Peace Corps service, which strengthened her sense of shared purpose and public service. Together, they worked on major legislative initiatives, including the Education Reform Act, an enduring link between education and advocacy that continues to shape her work today.
“At a time such as this, each of us must do all we can do, and I realized I could do more,” she said. “My work as a professor is an investment in the education of our next generation, and this is an extension of that commitment.”
The Peace Corps Virtual Service Pilot Program is selective, with an intensive application and approval process. Service commitments range from 5 to 15 hours per week over three to five months, making it accessible to professionals balancing other responsibilities. West will serve until mid-June, with the possibility of future service in another rotation or country.
“There are very few silver linings to COVID,” West noted, “but this is one of them. So many people with valuable skills wanted to serve, and now they can.”
Dr. West hopes her experience will inspire QCC students and community members to consider virtual service as a pathway to global engagement.
“In a time of so much disunity, this is a way to build mutual care, understanding, and hope for tomorrow.”