Promoting First-Year College Students' Civic Skills Through Community Participatory Learning Experiences

Abstract

The Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University, in collaboration with the organization Where There Be Dragons, created the Tufts Civic Semester program. This is a transformational, first-semester program that combines an academic and experiential learning experience away from the Tufts campus, and there are different themes and core elements depending on the site location, including environmental sustainability, indigenous sovereignty, and immigrant rights. Each year, cohorts of 8-12 students spend their first semester as a living learning community engaging with community organizations and building civic skills to promote equity and justice. The program has run in Urubamba, Peru and the Southwestern United States to date, with plans of expansion to additional global locations. This chapter will provide information on program themes, including global perspective taking and developing personal social responsibility, program logistics, and program evaluation.