Since fall 2023, Elon students have met regularly to practice conversational English with Ukrainian college students through programs coordinated by Associate Professor of English Jennifer Eidum and the Peace Corps Virtual Service Pilot Program. Eidum is seeking students to participate this fall.
Molly McGrath ’26 hasn’t yet studied abroad, but she’s already gained global perspectives that will shape her career as an educator through Elon’s programs.
McGrath is one of about 15 Elon undergraduates who have held regular, virtual English language practice sessions with Ukrainian college students since fall 2023.
“The Ukranian students were so excited to be there. They wanted to learn from me, and I wanted to learn from them. The details they shared about their lives were so interesting. Even when it was an 8 a.m. meeting time, it was a great way to start my day,” McGrath said.
The program — through the Peace Corps Virtual Service Pilot Program — continues this fall. Undergraduates who are interested in participating should complete this form.
An elementary education major from Clarksburg, Maryland, McGrath learned of the opportunity to participate through the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) minor and its program coordinator Associate Professor of English Jennifer Eidum. Eidum is also the coordinator of Elon’s Peace Corps Prep program and a former Peace Corps volunteer.
Connecting with college students in Ukraine over various topics — from holiday traditions, childhood education to climate change — stoked McGrath’s curiosity about the world and fostered a deeper appreciation for global and cultural issues. She plans to teach abroad after graduation and wants to incorporate international exchange among U.S. elementary students in her teaching career.
“I want to bring these international perspectives into my classroom. I think it’s vital for students to learn about the world and other cultures,” McGrath said.
Seeing value in the opportunity for Elon students to engage in cross-cultural dialogue, Eidum applied for the Peace Corps Virtual Service Pilot Program in 2023 to lead conversational English lessons on Zoom for students at West Ukrainian National University in Ternopil, Ukraine, and Rivne State University of the Humanities in Rivne, Ukraine, inviting Elon students to join the conversations to lead small-group conversations and share their experiences as U.S. college students.
“This project gives our students considering international teaching exposure to teaching and learning with English language learners abroad. They get to dip their toes in how to talk with and ask questions to students in that environment,” Eidum said. “For those in the Peace Corps Prep Program, they learn the Peace Corps infrastructure and get a real connection to it.”
The sessions are held twice a week, and Eidum oversees them after collaborating with Ukrainian instructors to identify topics of conversation. Peace Corps staff, including the program coordinator for the education program, Tamara Prydatko, also join the meetings.
“The Ukrainian teachers and students of WUNU are grateful to Jennifer and the Elon University students for their outstanding virtual service and continued efforts to spread the Peace Corps mission: to promote peace and friendship among our countries and people,” Prydatko said.
Eidum is recruiting Elon undergraduates interested in working with Ukrainian English-language learners through the virtual program, whether they are in Elon’s Peace Corps Prep program, the TESOL minor or want to volunteer independently. Students who participate earn credit towards Elon Experiences in service through the Kernodle Center for Civic Life, and there are opportunities for internships in the Peace Corps Virtual Service pilot program for students from any major, Eidum said.
Beyond that, students are familiarizing themselves with a population and culture often in the headlines due to the ongoing war with Russia. Peace Corps protocol requires political neutrality and prohibits direct conversations about the conflict, but its effects sometimes emerge as participants share the details of their daily lives, Eidum said.
The pilot program has also allowed Eidum to reconnect to Ukraine, where she served as a Peace Corps volunteer 20 years ago. That experience transformed her worldview and her teaching.
“The Peace Corps and Ukraine are central to my personal and professional identity. Thinking about this place I love, and the people displaced by this unjust invasion, this program keeps the Peace Corps active in Ukraine in a time of war,” Eidum said. “It also keeps me current professionally. I’ve been teaching primarily English-speaking students how to teach English to speakers of other languages, but it has been a while since I have worked directly with English learners. This has been a great opportunity to refresh my knowledge of teaching English language learners.”
Elon’s Peace Corps Prep program is regularly recognized as a top producer of Peace Corps volunteers and Elon is often ranked as a top 10 Peace Corps Prep partner university. Elon established its program in 2013 to prepare students for careers in international development and, at the time, was only the sixth school to host a Peace Corps Prep program. More than 80 Elon students have since graduated from the program.