Tufts Dental School is raising the bar by making active citizenship and public service a core component of its student experience. The school's new Global Service Learning Initiative, which works to make international service opportunities for students more accessible and sustainable, speaks volumes to how Tufts prioritizes community service across its many schools. Along with the recently announced Tufts 1+4 program - which will allow select, incoming undergraduates to embark on a gap year devoted to national or international service on Tufts' dime - the dental school's program is a promising step forward by instilling service opportunities as one of the central parts of a Tufts education.
Service learning is already a part of the educational philosophy of Tufts Dental: Students are required to participate in some form of community engagement as part of the existing curriculum. Beyond building a basis for new experiences and chances to network with those in the public and private sectors, in-school service opportunities provide Tufts students a foundation upon which they can build character and gain new insights about their community and the world.
The dental school's Associate Dean of Global Relations Noshir Mehta explained that one of the school's main goals is to develop and expand the Global Service Learning Initiative, in order to enable "every student that wants to go abroad and gain this sort of experience." This objective not only demonstrates a strong dedication to active citizenship, but also speaks to the theme of globalism that is so prevalent on Tufts' campuses. Though Mehta alludes to a different kind of international experience in service work, his emphasis on equalizing who can participate in this abroad work is something that would also benefit those on the Medford/Somerville campus, where the Office of Undergraduate Admissions frequently stresses the university's attention to international perspectives to prospective students.
Having a dental school that lives up to Tufts' standards of global engagement means a great deal. Further unifying the many members of the Tufts community under a similar ideological umbrella makes each branch of the university more connected.
Active citizenship means examining the motivation behind certain actions and reflecting on the lessons learned from those experiences. The initiative's lecture series and trips seek to do more than just send students to an exotic location to do good; the program will encourage them to think deeply about the significance of their service and enable them to share their experiences through seminars. We commend Tufts Dental School on insisting that service is critical to a competitive and world-class education, and establishing a supportive and expansive new program, instead of simply boasting a buzzword.
