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  Public Service: Building a Foundation through Service Learning

As part of Tufts mission to promote civic engagement and community leaders, Tufts Department of Occupational Therapy has established community partnerships with local agencies to facilitate learning through service.

In keeping with the aims of Tufts' Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service, service learning throughout the program allows you to:

  • develop your potential to contribute meaningfully to the greater world and,
  • work directly with communities.
Education for Active Citizenship involves demonstrating a commitment to gaining the knowledge, skills, and values needed to effectively participate in the process of building a better world. Coursework with service learning components address elements of civic engagement and leadership such as:
  • Knowledge of Self
  • Knowledge of the Other
  • Knowledge about Communities
  • Knowledge about Democratic Principles and Practices
  • Problem Analysis
  • Intervention Skills
  • Opportunities for Action (http://activecitizen.tufts.edu/)
There will be numerous opportunities through coursework (i.e., OTS 107 Occupation & Adaptation Adult Years, OTS 229 OT Practice: Older Adults) and course related fieldwork (i.e., OTS 219 Group Theory & Community Based Practice, etc.), for you to actively engage in the learning and growth that emanates from the collaborative process of service learning.

Learning in a real world context allows BSOT students to:

  • Develop meaningful helping relationships
  • Learn about the population they are serving
  • Experience the power of group process and dynamics
  • Add to their knowledge of community systems and service
  • Challenge their creativity and try out new ideas
  • Explore and expand their marketability
  • Apply what they are learning to real-life, practical situations.