Tufts Blogs

Tufts University is widely recognized for our strong commitment to civic engagement. This dedication is embodied in the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, a university-wide institution devoted to studying and promoting civic participation. Tisch College is widely regarded as the only endowed college of its kind in the United States, offering students unique opportunities to integrate civic learning into their academic and extracurricular lives. Through Tisch College and the broader Tufts community, students can access scholarships, research grants, study-abroad programs, and hands-on community partnerships.

One program that has had a particularly meaningful impact on my life — and on the lives of many student-athletes — is the Tufts Athletics Civic Life Ambassador (CLA) program.

The CLA program begins with the Civic Life Ambassador Practicum, a year-long, one-credit course run through Tisch College. In this practicum, student-athlete representatives from all 28 varsity teams meet weekly to learn about civic engagement and develop outreach initiatives with the surrounding community. Through classroom discussions, collaborative project planning, and direct community involvement, ambassadors strengthen essential skills in communication, leadership, problem-solving, and community partnership.

Each year, ambassadors partner with local organizations to host and support events that directly benefit neighboring communities. For just a handful of examples, this fall:

1. The track & field and cross country teams volunteered at the Somerville Homeless 5K, organized by the Somerville Homeless Coalition.

2. The softball and men’s basketball teams hosted a home run derby to raise funds for the Somerville Mobile Farmers Market.

3. The field hockey and lacrosse teams competed in a friendly fundraising competition benefiting the Elizabeth Peabody House food pantry.

4. Teams across campus also organized stem cell donor registration drives and blood drives.

Beyond fundraising, Tufts Athletics is deeply involved in youth outreach. On National Girls and Women in Sports Day, all women’s teams host clinics that introduce local girls to a variety of sports, empowering them to explore athletics in an encouraging environment. During Community Sports Day, student-athletes organize interactive stations for local children—ranging from sport-specific drills to crowd-favorite attractions like the swim and dive team’s dunk tank.

Partnerships with Special Olympics and Team IMPACT further expand this outreach. Through Team IMPACT, each participating team welcomes a child facing serious illness or disability onto its roster for the year, building meaningful and lasting relationships. Athletes also host fundraising and engagement events in support of these partnerships.

Service efforts extend well beyond organized programming. On Tufts’ annual Day of Service, hundreds of student-athletes volunteer throughout Medford and Somerville, cleaning streets and public spaces. In the spring, athletes help restore the Malden River — home to the Tufts crew team’s boathouse — by collecting trash along the riverbanks and waterways. On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, teams attend a commemorative service at a historic Cambridge church where Dr. King once spoke, before participating in service projects such as making Valentine’s cards for seniors, assembling toiletry kits, and creating blankets for individuals experiencing homelessness.

Year after year, Tufts Athletics demonstrates the powerful role collegiate athletics can play in strengthening local communities. While the Civic Life Ambassador program is currently unique to Tufts, it serves as a model for how universities can empower student-athletes to lead with purpose beyond competition. I hope other institutions will look to programs like this and encourage their athletes to make meaningful contributions in their own communities.