Tufts University Office of Community Relations has a long history of working with partner communities and is a great resource of information and expertise on Tufts relationships with its host communities.  Phone: 617-627-3780.

If your community work/project stems from an academic class project, ask the faculty member what research he/she has done and if he/she has any contacts.

Read local newspapers to stay up-to-date with current issues and events.  Newspapers can be found in Lincoln Filene Hall, Office 108.  Further information about partnership communities are kept there as well.

Talk with Tufts faculty or students about their experiences in the community.

If you are proposing a project that includes research, it may require a completion of the Internation Review Board process before beginning community work.  

“Research plans that propose the use of living human subjects, tissues or materials from living humans, or data on humans must be reviewed and approved or granted an exemption by the IRB before the research begins.  This includes all research at Tufts University regardless of funding source, whether conducted by members of the faculty, students, fellows, administrators or others, across all departments and campuses.” http://www.tufts.edu/central/research/IRB/Forms.htm

Check the http://www.tufts.edu/central/research/IRB/Forms.htm to determine if your plans would trigger the Internal Review Board (IRB) process.