Engineering and Civic Engagement
Hi readers,
So you want to study engineering, but you also want to be civically engaged. Well, then, you’ve come to the right place! Here at Tufts, I have been able to do both. In high school I remember how much I loved to volunteer and help out my local community and when coming to college I was worried that because I was pursuing an engineering degree I wouldn’t be able to do so.
Tufts does a good job of offering many opportunities to be civically engaged and I often find it really rewarding to be able to do so because when I am wrapped up in equations, circuits and labs, volunteering and helping out the community keeps me grounded and reminds me that I want to use my engineering skills to help people.
Some things that Tufts offers that I haven’t been apart of but are popular are:
Tufts Animal Aid
A club where you can walk local dogs in the neighborhood
Tufts Community Day
A whole day where students and faculty invite the Medford and Somerville residents to come and listen to live music, play games, have crafts and overall just unite the university with the larger community
Center for Engineering Education and Outreach (CEEO)
Works with local elementary, middle and high schools on helping students become future engineers
Some things I have done:
STEM Ambassadors
A program where students go to local high schools and promote the teachings of STEM in hopes of exposing them to niche STEM topics so they can seek higher education in such.
Encendido
One of the latin dance teams on campus, hosts monthly open lessons in a wide variety of styles. This is something most dance teams do and is open to anyone and everyone.
Classes
Most of my engineering classes have a civic component or lesson to it. In my Introduction to Computation for Engineering class our labs were entirely about civic engagement and how our engineering work affects communities and people.
Overall, my peers and I genuinely enjoy being able to pursue engineering while also having opportunities and discussions about civic engagement. It makes us well rounded individuals, and if you’re looking for a similar experience Tufts will definitely be able to provide it!