Through this innovative, multi-year leadership program, Tisch Scholars become effective active citizens and catalysts for change. Read about current Scholar Projects.

Becoming a Tisch Scholar

The 2012 application period for the Tisch Scholar’s program has now closed. Please email activecitizen@tufts.edu to be added to our email list and to be informed of future opportunities.

Freshmen and Sophomores may apply to the Tisch Scholars program by completing the application. Sophomores entering the program must plan to stay on campus throughout their junior and senior years.

Scholars Program Year‐by‐Year

This developmental program consciously builds knowledge and skills year-by-year, so students can effectively understand community assets, identify root causes of issues, enter communities as outsiders and manage projects.

Freshman Year: In the fall, students apply to join the program.  Selected students then register for the spring course Education for Active Citizenship (EXP-0041), which lays the foundation for work in the community. The 15-20 students accepted into the program also attend a weekend retreat together.  Applications are due October 15 and may be completed on the Scholar application page.

Sophomore Year: Sophomores are matched with a project developed by the community, working 6‐8 hours per week at the community site. The majority of sophomore projects are in Tufts’ host communities of Medford, Somerville and Boston’s Chinatown.

Junior Year: Juniors may study abroad for all or part of the year. When not abroad, juniors take on increased responsibility and independence through a new or continued project on or off campus.

Senior Year: Seniors develop their own projects which can range from leading a student group on campus, completing an honors thesis or capstone in an academic discipline, or managing a project off-campus.  With the skills they’ve developed through the program, seniors take on significant responsibility, managing and implementing self-designed projects.

Additionally, seniors participate in a fully‐funded alternative break during the last ten days of winter break. Bringing a global component to the program, seniors work as a team during this culminating experience. This component launched in January 2011, when seniors traveled to Jamaica to work on issues of education, healthcare, and sustainable farming in partnership with the BREDS Foundation.

For more information

If you have any questions, contact Sara Allred, Scholars program coordinator, at sara.allred@tufts.edu.

You may also want to explore the links below to read about past Scholar Projects:

Read about 2011-2012 Tisch Scholars’ projects.

Read about 2010-2011 Scholars’ projects.

Read about 2009-2010 Scholars’ projects.

Read about 2008-2009 Scholars’ projects.

Read about 2007-2008 Scholars’ projects.