Student Groups
Tisch College plays an important role promoting and facilitating community service, political participation, and other forms of civic engagement at Tufts University. Much of that work is carried out by students, both individually and, especially, through myriad student organizations on all Tufts campuses that advance Jumbos’ participation in civic life.
We are proud to have an especially close relationship with several of these student groups which we consider Tisch College affiliated organizations, and to which we offer various forms of support.
Learn more about these student organizations:
ACTION
ACTION (Advancing Civic Thought in Our Nation) is a student-run organization which aims to promote youth civic engagement in the greater Boston area.
ALLIES
The Alliance Linking Leaders in Education and the Services (ALLIES) is an undergraduate student organization dedicated to promoting discourse relating to security and foreign policy affairs. Through joint education, research, and collaboration, ALLIES provides students and professionals, military and civilian alike, the opportunity to explore significant topics, events, and policy while developing lasting relationships. For more information, email ALLIES. (IGL)
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is the world's largest human rights organization that seeks to promote and fight for human rights around the world. Through weekly discussions, events, and campaigns, the Tufts Amnesty International chapter aims to raise awareness of human rights abuses among the Tufts community and in the greater Boston area. Founded in 2009, the Tufts chapter has been actively promoting awareness of human rights abuses around the world to the Tufts community. Our weekly meetings include in-depth discussions on both current events as well as the priority campaigns outlined by Amnesty International USA. (IGL)
Learn About Amnesty International
Andrew Goodman Foundation / Vote Everywhere - Tufts Chapter
The Andrew Goodman Foundation (AGF) works with America's colleges and universities to provide resources, visibility, and mentoring to a national network of students who are committed to engaging their peers in participatory democracy through long-term voter engagement, public policy and social justice initiatives. It strives to amplify young voices by showcasing young activists and leaders.
Learn About Andrew Goodman Foundation.
CIVIC
Cooperation and Innovation in Citizenship (CIVIC) works to engage undergraduate students with each other in conversations about policy, current events, and the fundamental principles that drive American democracy. Since its founding at Tufts University in 2015, CIVIC has worked to ensure that it remains a safe but challenging environment in which students must consider their opinions and articulate their thoughts to a wider audience. As Tufts’ only multi-partisan community, CIVIC has become an outlet for many students to engage in weekly political discussions, learn civic-action skills, and develop friendships with those across the political spectrum.
Engineers without Borders
Tufts Engineers Without Borders (EWB) is a student group at Tufts University that designs and implements sustainable engineering projects in developing communities. EWB at Tufts is unique in that it includes liberal arts and engineering students who work together to integrate the conceptual and technical strengths of both schools and thereby strengthen our chapter's projects in the communities in which we work. Tufts EWB works with professional and faculty mentors to design technologically sound projects in communities who express their desire to partner with us. To ensure the sustainability of their projects, they build robust relationships with our partner communities and use participatory methods to address their most pressing needs. (IGL)
JumboCode
JumboCode is a student-run Tufts University club that designs and builds apps and websites for non-profits and charities, free of charge. It strives to offer these services to the organizations that need them most while providing a platform for Tufts undergraduates to gain a practical, first-hand software development experience.
JumboVote
In the run-up to the 2016 general election, Tufts University launched JumboVote as a multifaceted, university-wide initiative to boost political learning, engagement, and voting in that year’s presidential election—and beyond. Spearheaded by Tisch College with support from the Office of the Provost, there are JumboVote representatives in every Tufts school and major administrative department, as well as among the student body. The initiative worked to facilitate voter registration, tackle barriers for Tufts students to vote in local communities, increase voter education, and support events and programs that foster political engagement.
Jumbos for Nonprofits
Jumbos for Nonprofits (JFN) focuses on creating opportunities to empower the leaders of tomorrow by functioning as a foundation board that allocates funding to non-profits in Tufts' surrounding communities. The organization also organizes service projects, coordinates a philanthropic leadership speaker series, and promotes conversations about the social sector.
Learn About Jumbos for Nonprofits
Leonard Carmichael Society
The Leonard Carmichael Society (LCS) is the largest student-run community service organization at Tufts University. LCS operates as an umbrella group for more than thirty service-oriented sub-groups. They work alongside the neighboring communities of Medford, Somerville, and Boston to challenge students to adapt a meaningful view of service and become civically engaged with the world around them.
Learn About Leonard Carmichael Society
MERG
The Middle East Research Group (MERG) is a collaborative, student think-tank and outreach initiative devoted to producing dialogue, scholarship, and nuanced explorations of the region. The group is designed to cultivate future leaders and to inspire students to realize the powerful results of its multi-perspectival model of thinking and acting. Founded as the New Initiative for Middle East Peace (NIMEP) in 2003, MERG works to foster understanding of the MENA region in the Tufts community through sharing the outcomes of its research projects and bringing various experts in fields such as political science, history, religion, art, journalism and humanitarian aid to campus. MERG’s annual fact-finding trip provides its members an opportunity to conduct independent research in the MENA region.(IGL)
The Petey Greene Program
The mission of The Petey Greene Program is to support the academic goals of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people through high-quality volunteer tutoring programs, while educating volunteers on the injustice manifest in our carceral system. The Petey Greene Program at Tufts brings student volunteers into correctional institutions to provide free and quality tutoring to incarcerated people.
Learn About The Petey Greene Program
South Asian Regional Committee (SARC)
The Tufts South Asian Regional Committee (SARC) is an academic discourse and research group focusing on the 8 countries that fall under the region which include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. This group focuses on social, political, historical and economic affairs, with a special focus on current issues facing the South Asian subcontinent. Though bi-weekly discussion meetings and a number of panel discussions, we hope to create a pace for students of all backgrounds, ideologies, Identities and ages to come together to develop a nuanced understanding of the region. For more information email SARC or follow SARC on Facebook. (IGL)
Strong Women, Strong Girls
The mission of Strong Women, Strong Girls is to utilize the lessons learned from strong women throughout history to encourage girls and young women to become strong women themselves. By building communities of women committed to supporting positive social change, Strong Women, Strong Girls works to create cycles of mutual empowerment for women and girls.
Learn About Strong Women, Strong Girls
Tufts Latin American Committee
The Latin American Committee (LAC) is a student-led organization that is dedicated to promoting discourse on cultural, social, political, historical and economic issues in Latin America through a variety of events and initiatives that foster interest and awareness about the region. It is a space open to students of all backgrounds, identities and ideologies to discuss and learn about the Latin American region; they want to spark conversation about the region by facilitating the learning process for students. LAC members engaged in weekly discussions on given topics, followed by meetings with guest experts. To further strengthen and broaden their network the LAC hosts a series of events throughout the year in collaboration with faculty members and other Latin American and Caribbean student groups around the Boston area. (IGL)
Tufts Leadership Training Insititute
The Leadership Training Institute (LTI) is a 10-week program in which Tufts undergraduates mentor Boston-area high school students, helping them gain leadership skills while implementing original community service projects. Many high school students are passionate about solving community problems; however, they often lack the experience and mentorship to effectively pursue their ideas. At LTI, we offer such motivated students the skills, guidance, and individualized support to translate their ideas into real impact. By pairing local high school students from underprivileged backgrounds with Tufts undergraduates who have previously implemented successful community service projects, LTI helps high school students and Tufts undergraduates alike develop their untapped leadership and service potential. In this way, LTI catalyzes branching social change by cultivating innovative ideas. As a student-run organization that hosts ~60 high school students yearly at no cost to them, we depend on grants and funding to carry out our mission.
Women in International Relations
Women in International Relations (WIIR) is committed to exploring opportunities for women in international relations (IR). WIIR aims to strengthen the IR community at Tufts. Through mentorship and networking events, we strive to build a safe space for dialogue, empowerment, and career-building. The IGL’s mission has always been to educate students to become leaders committed to their community and devoted to solving complex global issues that may involve social, political, and ethical implications. As women and femme-identifying individuals have only been able to celebrate their identities in recent years, WIIR wishes to help amplify women’s capabilities and guide their roles as global leaders. (IGL)