An uncertain economy, the desire to explore and the hope to improve the developing world has led 1,291 Boston University students to join the Peace Corp since its foundation in 1961.

Sixty-three BU students joined the U.S. government volunteer program  last year, leading BU to rank 17th among other large colleges and universities in the amount of alumni volunteers in 2010.

Gabe Herrera, a College of Arts and Sciences sophomore and public affairs intern at the Peace Corps Boston recruitment office, said that volunteers have the opportunity to help improve the developing world and to serve as ambassadors of the United States.

“I would say that what makes the Peace Corps unique is that it gives volunteers the opportunity to make a real difference in the communities they serve while getting to learn about other cultures and teaching others about America at the same time,” Herrera said.

Danielle Shaw, a College of Communication ‘07 alumnus, served with two other BU alumni in Burkina Faso, West Africa and said that volunteering presented many challenges.

“Working for Peace Corps is always challenging, whether it means navigating the local politics and customs of a rural village or battling the bureaucracy of a large, and not-so-decentralized, federal organization.”

James Kostenblatt, who graduated from BU in 2003, continued working for the Peace Corps after teaching English in the Republic of Mozambique.

“It was a very positive experience and I was lucky to participate for a short time as an English teacher in rural Mozambique,” Kostenblatt said. “Teachers are revered in Mozambique so teachers are in a good position to implement a project. It was a very positive, life-changing experience.”

Some alumni agreed that Peace Corps is a great way to continue education after college, without spending more years in classrooms.

“Every day you are constantly, and I mean constantly, learning new things and seeing the same concepts in America take on new life forms in your host country,” said Jessica Williams, a College of Arts and Sciences ‘10 alumni who is currently volunteering in Mozambique.

Alumni volunteers encouraged BU students to volunteer in the Peace Corps.

“Coming from a university like BU, you are surrounded by opportunity, privilege and wealth,” Williams said. “If anything, an experience like Peace Corps makes you appreciate so many things that never even crossed your mind as being a luxury.”

The Peace Corps, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary in April, relies on the support of universities and their students, said Peace Corps Director Aaron S. Williams in a statement.

“For the last 50 years, colleges and universities across our country have been an integral part of the Peace Corps family, from developing young leaders, to hosting trainings and teaching the importance of lifelong learning,” Aaron Williams said.

“Colleges instill a commitment to public service among their students and share our belief that, together, we can work to make the world a better place.”

CAS senior Anthony Scavone, who is planning to leave for service in early July, said he is looking forward to learning through service.

“Living in a different country, in a different culture is an entire world away from reading a textbook, listening to a lecture or watching a slideshow,” he said.

“I don’t want to read about development. I want to develop. I don’t want to read about these cultures. I want to experience them. I don’t want to continue talking about change. I want to be change.”

Scavone said he decided to join the Peace Corps after studying abroad in Morocco.

“I had forcibly thrust myself into a situation of discomfort in a strange land, and it had yielded to me quite possibly the single greatest experience of my entire life,” he said.

“All I could think about was the next adventure, the next language to stumble over, the next strange food to eat and the next culture to engage.”

BU will celebrate the organization’s anniversary on April 15 at the BU Trustee Center in an event called “Peace Corps at 50: Fond Memories & Future Dreams.”