Advancing Student Engagement in Communities:

A Tool Kit for Effective Orientation & Evaluation

INTRODUCTION:

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Tisch College Principles for Community Partnerships

Sponsoring Organizations

Top Ten Things to Remember about Community Partnerships

Frequently Asked Questions

I. How was the Tool Kit created?

In the months leading up to the 2008 Presidential Symposium, three groups comprised of community leaders, Tufts faculty and Tufts students met to consider what factors characterize successful community-engaged work.  The separate groups looked at student projects from the perspective of the student, the campus supervisor and the community co-educator.  While it is understood that every partnership has different goals and circumstances, they agreed that there are general "best practices" in community-university partnerships. 

This tool kit is a result of those dicussions and focuses primarily on orientation and evaluation as these topics were deemed most important by the three groups.  The staff at Lincoln Filene Center for Community Partnerships have attempted to translate the results of the conversations into tools that can be adjusted to best fit your needs.

II.  Why was this Tool Kit created?

As previously mentioned, key components of orientation and evaluation emerged from group conversations.  We agreed that when students made thoughtful and informed decisions about where they wanted to work, when faculty had a clear understanding of expectations and circumstances, when the community co-educator had directly negotiated these and knew what to expect, and when all parties were in regular communication with each other, success was nearly guaranteed.  It was also noted that evaluations are crucial in determining what works well and what needs improvement in the next partnership.  The forms in the tool kit, designed for each of the parties, are intended to be helpful guides through the orientation and evaluation processes.

III.  Is this the final product?

The tool kit presented here is not the final product.  Each new project or experience may provide insight that ought to be added, and by using a wiki we will be able to achieve this.  This process and its outcomes belongs to all of us.  We invite your continued input and investment in these community-university partnerships.   Please view the Discussions page for more information on how to leave your own input.