Partnering with

Communities
A Guide to Getting Involved with Tufts’
Partner Communities

March 2006
March 2006

Dear Colleagues:
I’m pleased to present you with a new resource, Partnering with Communities:
A Guide on How to Get Involved in Tufts’ Partner Communities. Partnering
with Communities is intended as a resource guide to facilitate, expand and
deepen connections between Tufts and local partner communities.
This guide is dedicated to the memory of Jeff Coolidge, member of Tisch
College’s Board of Overseers, who was a tireless and compelling advocate for
strong community partnerships to be a defining commitment of Tisch College.
Many Tufts’ colleges and departments have had long and productive
partnerships with the broader community. Partnering with Communities is a
starting point, a work-in-progress, and intended to stimulate your interest in
getting involved. We invite your feedback to inform future editions.
Partnering with Communities is organized by three sections:
I. An Introduction to Partner Communities
II. A Guide on How to Get Involved
III. Resources Available
The guide is posted on the web and will be updated annually on the Tisch
College web site (activecitizen.tufts.edu and click on “Lincoln Filene Center
for Community Partnerships”). Partnering with Communities is a companion
to Partnering for Community Impact: A Resource Guide to Active Citizenship
and Public Service Activities at Tufts. Both PDF documents are available on
the web site.
Special thanks to the Swearer Center for Public Service at Brown University
and the University of Brighton’s Community University Partnership
Programme in the United Kingdom, whose resources have informed this guide.
Sincerely,
Shirley Mark
Director
Lincoln Filene Center for Community Partnerships
Principles for Community Partnerships

Tisch College strives to operate its community partnership activities in

accordance with the following principles:

„ To focus its programs in communities where Tufts

University campuses are located: Boston's Chinatown,
Medford, Somerville, Grafton, the Mystic River Watershed
and Talloires, France.

„ To plan, conduct, and manage teaching, service and

research activities in full collaboration with community
partners. To take into consideration the impressive assets
of local communities as well as the problems and
challenges that they face.

„ To fully orient and prepare people from Tufts to be

effective in their community work. To elevate community
representatives’ knowledge about Tufts.

„ To maximize both (a) contributions to the education of

Tufts students and to faculty research, and (b) benefits to
communities. To support university and community
representatives to jointly define high standards of quality,
and to produce work that meets these standards. To
document, evaluate and disseminate information about
both educational outcomes and community benefits.

„ To support and elevate faculty participation in community

partnerships through their teaching, research and public
service activities.
Sponsoring Organizations

Lincoln Filene Center for Community Partnerships

The Lincoln Filene Center for Community Partnerships (LFC), a program of the
Jonathan M. Tisch College for Citizenship and Public Service at Tufts University
(activecitizen.tufts.edu), facilitates connections between Tufts and its
host communities of Boston’s Chinatown, Medford, Somerville, and an
environmental partnership with the Mystic Watershed Collaborative. The LFC has
also recently begun to work collaboratively with the Grafton campus.

The Lincoln Filene Center forges partnerships between Tufts and local communities
that build on community assets, advance shared interests, create civic engagement
opportunities, and address community-identified needs and social justice.

Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service

The mission of the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service is to
ensure that students graduate from Tufts prepared to be committed public citizens
and leaders who take an active role in building stronger communities and societies.

Strategy:
To catalyze civic engagement and community building by identifying and supporting
Tufts students, faculty, staff, alumni and community partners who develop creative,
effective approaches to active citizenship at the university and in communities
around the world.

Tufts University Office of Community Relations

Tufts University Office of Community Relations serves the university and its host
communities by working to foster positive relationships through cooperation and
communication. Community Relations formally represents Tufts University to a
wide range of public, private, and non-profit entities in Tufts’ host communities.
Community Relations also coordinates access to Tufts facilities, facilitates
community and high school auditing of courses, and manages the Neighborhood
Service Fund. It is an important source of guidance for the community work of
Tufts students, faculty and staff. Tisch College and the Office of Community
Relations work together closely to ensure that community needs are addressed.
Table of Contents

Opening Letter from Lincoln Filene Center

Principles of Community Partnerships
Sponsoring Organizations

I. Tufts’ Partner Communities 1

Medford 3
Somerville 7
Boston’s Chinatown 11
Grafton 14
Mystic River Watershed 16

II. A Guide on How to Get Involved 19

1. Getting Started 21
2. Making Plans 23
3. Getting Down to Work 26
4. Sharing the Results 28
5. Tying up Loose Ends 29
6. Glossary of Terms 30
7. Endnotes 32

III. Resources 34

Local resources pertaining to Tufts’ Partner Communities 36

National and Regional Resources 44
Maps of Partner Communities 47
Section I: Tufts’ Partner Communities

Background
Founded in 1852, Tufts University has four campuses—Medford/Somerville, Boston’s
Chinatown, Grafton, and Talloires, France. This section provides an overview of
communities surrounding Tufts’ Massachusetts campuses. All of these communities are
rich in history and culture and provide ample resources and opportunities for learning and
civic engagement.

Medford and Somerville are home to the main campus of Tufts University. This campus
houses the School of Arts and Sciences, School of Engineering, the Fletcher School of
Law and Diplomacy, and the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public
Service. There are approximately 5,000 undergraduate, 1,500 graduate students, 426 full-
time faculty, and 550 full-time staff on the main campus.i

Boston’s Chinatown is home to the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of

Nutrition Science and Policy, the School of Dental Medicine, the School of Medicine,
and the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences. There are over 1,800 graduate
students, 236 faculty, and almost 600 full-time staff at the Tufts Chinatown campus.

Grafton is home to the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University.

There are 330 graduate students, 75 faculty, and 266 full-time staff at the Grafton campus.

Mystic River Watershed –- Tufts’ main campus is located in the Mystic River watershed.
The Mystic River runs less than a mile from campus. For years, students have benefited
from real-life learning experiences throughout the watershed. Since 2000, more students
are exposed to watershed issues through the Mystic Watershed Collaborative, a
formalized partnership between Tufts and the Mystic River Watershed Association.

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Medford

Medford has some truly unique cultural resources— the Chevalier Theater,
Medford Brooks Estate Land Trust, Royall House, and others. It is also
home to some nationally known artists, sculptors, and studio furniture
makers. We, at Springstep, are proud to be breaking new ground as a
unique center for community participation in dance and music traditions
from around the world. This is an interesting city in which to build
programs that celebrate our world heritage.
Claudia Thompson, Executive Director
Springstep

History

One of the oldest settlements in the country, Medford was incorporated as a town in 1630
and as a city in 1892. It is the fourth oldest English settlement in North America and was
a center for industry, such as manufacturing brick and tile and building clipper ships.
Medford was a site for the Underground Railroad and several residents were committed
abolitionists. At the same time, the historic Royall House remains one of the few existing
former slave quarters in the Northeast and is known as a significant site in the
Revolutionary War. The classic songs, “Jingle Bells” and “Over the River and Through
the Woods,” were written by Medford residents James Pierpont and Lydia Maria Child,
respectively.

Today

This diverse community of nearly 56,000 people ranges from recent immigrants to long-
term resident families spanning multiple generations. Medford is designated a "Tree City
USA" and is the recipient of the Massachusetts Governors Award for Open Space.
Medford is part an innovative partnership called a “tri-city.” Its partners are Malden and
Everett, and in addition to the economic goals of creating 7,500 jobs and increasing the
tax base, the collaboration also provides community resources and support for its
residents.ii Medford also has a high population of elderly people, many with chronic
illness and few family supports to meet physical (daily living) needs. Obesity
and substance abuse are universal social and health issues. Medford Health Matters
works to improve the health and well being of all who live, work, school and play in
Medford. Medford’s other community resources include the Chevalier Memorial
Auditorium, Royall House, Medford Cultural Council, the Middlesex Fells Reservation
and the Brooks Estate, among others. Annual community events include an Open
Studios Weekend, Black Lab Craft and Fine Art Event, and performances by The Mystic
Players.

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 Medford is a city with a strong sense of community, although it has seen
considerable change in recent decades. Parents who grew up here talk
about the freedom they had as children to go outdoor ice-skating and
neighborhood roaming without any kind of adult supervision. Twenty-five
years later, they aren't about to let their own young kids have the
same kind of freedom. Although the city is still graced by the natural
beauty of the Middlesex Fells, the Mystic River and the Mystic Lake,
much of it has become decidedly urban, with all of the real and imagined
dangers that go along with urban life. Medford has also seen striking
demographic change. Immigrant families are introducing more ethnic,
cultural and linguistic diversity to a city that has been predominantly
white European and African American... This influences public school
culture, as some parents lobby for the "traditional" forms of schooling
they had growing up in Medford, while others push the district to
cultivate progressive classrooms that resemble those in affluent school
systems.
Cynthia H. Krug, Medford resident and
Program Director of the Tufts Literacy Corps

General information about Medford:iii

Land Area: 8.14 square miles

Total Population: 55,765

Population Density: 6,851 per square mile

Median Household Income: $52,476

Individuals Below the Poverty Line: 3,418 (6.5% of the population)

Percent of Owner-occupied Units: 58.6%

Percent of Renter-occupied Units: 41.4%

Key Facts about Immigrants:

• Immigrants comprise 16 percent (9,037 persons) of Medford’s population.
• Twenty-three percent of individuals living in poverty are foreign-born.
• The four largest immigrant groups are from Haiti (979), Brazil (827), China (624)
and Portugal (516). These groups comprise 32.5 percent of the total foreign-born
population.

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 • While, the total population has declined from 1990 (57,407) to 2000 (55,765) by
2.9 percent, the immigrant population has increased by 33.4 percent (from 6773 in
1990 to 9037 in 2000).

Medford has high population of elders, many with chronic illness and
fewer family supports to meet physical (daily living) needs. Obesity
and substance abuse are universal health issues and a huge social as well
as medical issue. Medford Health Matters works to improve the health
and well being of all who live, work, school and play in Medford.
Lisa O'Loughlin, Executive Director
Greater Medford Visiting Nurses Association
and Medford Health Matters

Political Representation

The chief elected official in Medford is Mayor Michael J. McGlynn. A seven-person City
Council serves as the elected legislative body. Medford is represented at the state level by
Senator Patricia D. Jehlen, Representative Paul J. Donato, Representative J. James
Marzilli, Jr. and Representative Carl M. Sciortino, Jr. The federal level elected officials
are Senator Edward Kennedy, Senator John F. Kerry, and Representative Edward J.
Markey.

Geographic Boundaries

Medford is bordered by Winchester and Stoneham to the North, Malden and Everett to
the East, Somerville to the South and Arlington to the West. It is five miles from Boston.
The northern sections of the city contain significant open space. The Mystic River
flows through the center of Medford.

Tufts Involvement

For many years, Tufts students have contributed greatly to the quality of
life in our community. Their caring and compassion for their fellow
human beings, coupled with their energy, vision and commitment to
excellence have made a positive impact upon Medford and its citizens. The
Tufts community understands not only the value of education, but also the

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 importance of protecting our environment, giving new life to the Mystic
River, and promoting green space within our borders. Tufts students who
take the leadership role and want to give back to our city only enhance the
landscape of our neighborhoods. Come and experience Medford...the
Ford by the Meadow.
Mayor Michael J. McGlynn
Medford, Massachusetts

There are numerous programs that connect the Tufts community with Medford. Dozens
of Tufts students, undergraduate and graduate, are engaged in community-based
organizations and schools in Medford each year. For example, Citizenship and Public
Service Scholars Program, a program of Tisch College, develops and leads projects in
Medford Public Schools. Other students are engaged through academic courses, research
and internships. Community partners include Medford Health Matters, Springstep,
Medford Family Network and others.

In 2004, the President of Tufts University entered a 10-year Partnership Agreement with
the Mayors of Medford and Somerville. In the Partnership Agreement, Tufts commits
annual financial payments to the cities, a set level of financial aid to local residents who
are admitted for undergraduate study, and expansion of Jonathan M. Tisch College of
Citizenship and Public Service programs and other community service programs, such as
Tufts Literacy Corps and Tufts Jumpstart.

Medford's proximity to Tufts and its varied community-building projects—relating to

culture, public health, and the environment, for example—make it an ideal partner for
Tufts students and faculty who support education for active citizenship.

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Somerville

Despite being a suburb, Somerville is undeniably urban: dense,

diverse, and dynamic, with real urban problems, constituencies, and
resources. At the same time, all of these "big-city" elements are presented
in a very approachable package—politics are local, close, and familiar;
government is neither faceless nor overly technocratic. The result is an
exciting place to live, and an even more exciting place to work or conduct
applied research.
Ezra Haber Glenn, Director of Planning and Development
Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development
City of Somerville

Historyiv

Until after the Revolutionary War, Somerville was a section of Charlestown often known
as “beyond the neck,” referring to the narrow spit of land between the Mystic and Charles
Rivers that joined the two areas at that time. In 1639, eleven years after they first settled
here, English settlers formally bought the land from the Pawtucket tribe. In 1842, the
1,000 residents of the Somerville area successfully gained state approval to become their
own town. Farming was still the main occupation, with brick making the primary
industry. The advent of the railroad forever changed the landscape of the town. Farms
became streets of houses and many new people moved to the town, including early waves
of immigrants from Canada, Ireland and Great Britain. With a population of 14,000,
Somerville became a city in 1872.
The next big wave of immigrants into the United States between 1892 and 1930 brought
new languages and cultures to the city streets, continuing the trend of population
explosions. Italians and Irish were the two largest groups, but there were also large
numbers of people from Greece, Scotland, Germany, Armenia, and Eastern Europe. By
1930, Somerville was the most densely populated city in the United States. By the end of
World War II, the population peaked at 105,800 rivaling the density of Calcutta, India.
Two- and three-family homes were tucked closely together, creating tight neighborhoods
of working class families who supplied labor for industries, including heavy industry,
warehouse, and meat packing. The range of new groups coming to Somerville after 1960
expanded, shifting the racial profile of the city to include immigrants from Haiti,
Vietnam, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, China, Colombia, Brazil, El Salvador, Guatemala, and
Nicaragua.

Today

Since 1980, the racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity of the city has increased
markedly. Due to the large percentage of artists living and working in Somerville, the

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“Paris of the 90’s” was among its epithets. By 1997, Somerville had begun to gain more
popularity as a place to be, with Utne magazine declaring Davis Square one of “the
hippest places to live” in the country. As the city gained popularity as a desirable city to
live and work in, real estate prices soared, which further shifted the socioeconomic
disparity. Currently, almost a third of the population in Somerville is foreign born and
half of those residents arrived in the past ten years. The schools truly reflect the changing
demographics of the city, with 75% of the children in one school coming from immigrant
families.

...a resurgence of progressive politics has brought about

the defeat of several more traditional state and local office holders.
In a series of elections in 2005/6, politicians identified with
progressive issues and/or members of the Progressive Democrats of
Somerville, have been elected to School Committee, the Board of Aldermen,
State Representative and State Senator. The PDS group now has gained
almost 1/3 representation on the Democratic City Committee... Somerville is
a vibrant, politically active city with tremendous cultural/social/human
resources.
Alex Pirie, Coordinator
Somerville Immigrant Service
Providers Group

Political Representation

The chief elected official in Somerville is Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone. An eleven-person

Board of Alderman serves as the elected legislative body. Somerville is represented at the
state level by Senator Jarrett T. Barrios, Senator Patricia D. Jehlen, Representative Denise
Provost, Representative Carl M. Sciortino, Jr., and Representative Timothy J. Toomey, Jr.
The federal level elected officials are Senator Edward Kennedy, Senator John F. Kerry,
and Congressman Michael E. Capuano.

v
General information about Somerville :

Land Area: 4.11 square miles

Total Population (2000): 77,478.

Population Density: 18,851 per square mile

Median Household Income (1999): $46,315

Individuals Below the Poverty Line: 9,395 or 12. 2% of the population

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Percent of Owner-occupied Units: 30.6%

Percent of Renter-occupied Units: 69.4%

Key Facts about Immigrants:

• Immigrants comprise 29.3 percent of Somerville’s population.
• Thirty-five percent of those below the poverty line are foreign-born.
• In 2004-2005, Somerville’s school system had 14.23 percent of the students
designated as having limited English proficiency. This is nearly triple the state
average of 5.1 percentvi.
• The largest immigrant groups in the city originated from Brazil (4,182), Portugal
(3,039), El Salvador (2,188), Haïti (1,765) and China (1,529).
• As of 2000, 5.4 percent of Somerville’s residents were from Brazil, but this
number is likely higher. Between 2000 and 2003, one in every five new
immigrants to Massachusetts was from Brazilvii.

Geographic Boundaries

Somerville is bounded by Medford to the North, Everett and Boston to the East,
Cambridge to the South, and Arlington to the West. Its 4.1 square miles lie between the
Mystic River and lower Charles watersheds in the Mystic Valley corridor. Tufts straddles
the border of Somerville and Medford.

Tufts Involvement

Somerville is the base of one of Tufts most robust partnerships, with hundreds of students
engaged each year. Faculty, graduate and undergraduate students from a range of courses
and student programs actively work with public agencies and community-based
organizations throughout Somerville. These include academic partnerships and student
organizations. Community partners include groups such as the Community Action
Agency of Somerville, Somerville Arts Council, Somerville Community Corporation,
Somerville Immigrant Providers Group, Somerville Public Schools, Somerville Youth
Workers Network, the Welcome Project, and many others. Some organizations, such as
National Student Partnerships’ Somerville office, were established thanks to extensive
energy and input from Tufts students and staff.

When SCC and the City of Somerville Housing Department decided to

collaborate on a housing study, UEP faculty graciously shared their
extensive housing policy expertise… SCC has benefited from two projects
done by teams of UEP students working under excellent faculty oversight.
Danny LeBlanc, CEO
Somerville Community Corporation

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In 2004, the President of Tufts University entered a 10-year Partnership Agreement with
the Mayors of Medford and Somerville. In the Partnership Agreement Tufts commits
annual financial payments to the cities, a set level of financial aid to local residents who
are admitted for undergraduate study, and expansion of Jonathan M. Tisch College of
Citizenship and Public Service programs and other community service programs, such as
Tufts Literacy Corps and Tufts Jumpstart.

Somerville is a very vibrant place, always has been. With all the changes
in demographics, it's a real microcosm of society…white working class,
immigrants and refugees of color—many of whom live in poverty, and
"YUPPIES", all living in close proximity and attempting to share
resources. There's always tension, but also there are ambassadors and
bridgers from every sector trying to make dialogue and community
happen. The boundaries between different groups appear to be somewhat
more open. The fact that community agencies and Tufts are working
together more deeply, is an indication of shared mission and will that
makes me feel hopeful.
Adina Davidson, The Family Center

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Boston Chinatown

Chinatown is a hub of rich Asian culture, tradition and heritage. It offers

an array of needed services for the fast growing community. It needs
resources, manpower and space to preserve and maintain this vibrant
community.
Esther Lee, Director of Development
South Cove Community Health Center

History

While there is evidence of Chinese coming to Boston as early as the late eighteenth
century, Chinatown was formally settled in the 1880's. In 1870, C.T. Sampson hired 70
Chinese laborers to break a strike at his North Adams shoe factory. The following year,
he hired an additional 50 Chinese workers because of their high productivity level. After
two or three years of this work, some Chinese renewed their contract, others returned to
China, and still others moved to Boston. Some were employed to construct the Pearl
Street Telephone Exchange and others came from the recently finished transcontinental
railroad. These early pioneers created a tent settlement near Harrison Avenue and Oxford
Place called Ping On Alley, creating one of the country's earliest Chinatowns. viii

Discrimination and prejudice restricted the Chinese to living in an insular and

geographically tight-knit community. There were very few Chinese women in the United
States because of anti-Chinese legislation, including the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.
Discrimination also restricted job opportunities to those available within the Chinatown
community, such as groceries, laundries, restaurants or to jobs few white Americans
wanted.

Today

Boston’s Chinatown is currently a thriving immigrant community and is home to more

than 5,000 residents. There is a strong residential base, and tens of thousands of
Chinese Americans and other Asian Americans living in eastern Massachusetts look to
Chinatown for services. The opening of immigration legislation and immigration
patterns over the last 40 years has diversified the community, which is reflected in the
diverse Asian restaurants and retail outlets. Chinatown serves as a cultural, social, and
economic hub, and it is also a social service center for the region’s Chinese and Asian
residents.

In recent years, Boston Chinatown has also emerged as a neighborhood with increased
political clout. Chinatown has influenced city politics, as demonstrated by the 2005
elections of At-Large Boston City Council members Felix Arroyo, a Latino, and Sam
Yoon, an Asian American.
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General information about the Boston Chinatown community:ix

Total land area: 46 acres

Population: 5,563

Median Household Income: $25,321

Percent of Owner-occupied Units: 7.5%

Percent of Renter-occupied Units: 92.5%

Key Facts about Immigrantsx:

• Immigrants comprise 55.7 percent of Chinatown’s population.
• Forty percent of the population has lived in Boston five years or less.
• The rate of poverty is significantly higher in Chinatown (28%) than in the whole
of Boston (18%).
• In 1990, 35.2 percent of the community residents claimed to speak English “not
well” or “not at all.”
• The Asian population in Boston is increasing at an annual rate of more than 10%.
It has more than doubled in each of the last two censuses.xi

A major challenge for Chinese immigrants in Boston is securing jobs

that pay a living wage. Many immigrant workers live in poverty,
despite working 60 or more hours per week, because employers
routinely violate wage and hour laws. Tufts students, working within
the Asian Outreach Unit of Greater Boston Legal Service, and the
Chinese Progressive Association's Workers Center, help workers
obtain unpaid wages, and secure their rights to receive the minimum
wage (i.e., $6.75 per hour in Massachusetts) and overtime.
Cyndi Mark, Managing Attorney
Asian Outreach Unit
Greater Boston Legal Services.

Political Representation

The chief elected official in Boston is Mayor Thomas M. Menino. A thirteen-person City
Council serves as the elected legislative body. Boston’s Chinatown area is represented at
the state level by Senator Dianne Wilkerson and Representative Salvatore F. DiMasi. The
federal level elected officials are Senator Edward Kennedy, Senator John F. Kerry, and
Congressman Michael E. Capuano.

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Geographic Boundaries

The boundaries of this neighborhood as defined by The Chinatown Coalitionxii —are

roughly Essex Street to the north, by Lincoln Street and Interstate 93 to the east, by East
Berkeley Street to the south, and by Tremont Street to the west.

Tufts Involvement

The Tufts Chinatown Partnership, a program of the Lincoln Filene Center, works
collaboratively with The Chinatown Coalition, community-based organizations, public
agencies, and schools to develop projects that address community needs, as well as
advance education for active citizenship for Tufts students. Dozens of Tufts students,
undergraduate and graduate, are engaged in community-based organizations and schools
in Chinatown each year. They are placed through courses, internships, and student
programs.

For example, Tufts Medical School has a Community Service Selectives course where
first and second year students work with community organizations and public schools.
The Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning graduate program also works
collaboratively with Chinatown organizations supporting development issues. Some of
the agencies that undergraduate students work with include: Asian American Resource
Workshop, Asian Community Development Corporation, Asian Task Force Against
Domestic Violence, Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, Chinese Progressive
Association, South Cove Community Health Center, the Josiah Quincy School (K-5) and
the Josiah Quincy Upper School (grades 6-12).

There are numerous opportunities for Tufts students, faculty and staff to engage and learn
about the Chinatown community.

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Grafton

Historyxiii

Situated to the southeast of Worcester, Grafton is a dynamic rural community with

approximately 13,000 residents. Grafton has a close bond with its natural surroundings.
Founded in 1784, when it seceded from the town of Sutton, it was the third of the original
“praying towns” dedicated to Christianizing the region’s Native America population. The
area’s link with nature has continued from this early rural heritage.

Today

The town has a diverse mix of land uses including farming, forest, residential, and
commercial. Both agriculture and advanced technological research flourish in the city’s
diverse and vibrant economy. Grafton’s citizens are committed to developing its potential
as modern a community that retains its rural character.

General information about Grafton:

Total Land Area: 22.74 square miles

Population: 13,035

Density: 573 per square mile

Median Household Income: $56,020

Individuals Below the Poverty Line: 828 or 5.6 percent of the population

Owner-occupied Units: 72.3%

Renter-occupied Units: 27.7%

Key Facts about Immigrants:

• Immigrants comprise 4.3 percent of the town of Grafton.
• In 2004-2005, Grafton’s school system had .48 percent of the students
designated as having limited English proficiency. This is significantly
below the state average of 5.1 percent.(Massachusetts Department of
Education)xiv

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Political Representation

Grafton is led by an elected Board of Selectmen, who appoint a Town Administrator.

Current members are: Susan M. Mills, Christopher R. Lemay, Peter J. Adams, John L.
Carlson, Craig Dauphinais. Grafton is represented at the state level by Senator Edward M.
Augustus and Representative George N. Peterson, Jr. The federal level elected officials
are Senator Edward Kennedy, Senator John F. Kerry, and Congressman Richard E. Neal.

Geographic Boundaries

Grafton is located in east central Massachusetts. It is bordered by Shrewsbury to the

North, Worcester to the Northwest, Upton and Westborough to the East/Northeast,
Northbridge to the South, Sutton to the Southwest, and Millbury to the West. Grafton
is 30 miles to the east of Boston and approximately six miles from Worcester.

Tufts Involvement

The Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine is engaged in a range of community

service activities that bring together veterinary students and faculty with the local
community. These partnerships include work with Grafton and Worcester public schools,
a pet visitation program that brings animals to nursing homes and other facilities, a Pet
Loss Support Hotline that is staffed by students, faculty, and community members, and
an annual open house that features educational programs for the community.

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Mystic River Watershed

The biggest challenge for those who advocate for the Mystic River
watershed is that most of its beauty has been masked by the decades of
industrial use. Fences have blocked access to both the river’s beauty and
also its beastly neglect and abuse. There need to be more opportunities for
education in the watershed.
Officer Patrick Johnston
Everett Police-Marine Unit

Overview

The Mystic River watershed encompasses 7,658 square miles northeast of Boston, from
the upper reaches of the Aberjona River in Reading down to the Boston Harbor. This
beautiful region provides a habitat for a variety of year-round wildlife and seasonal
guests, including bald eagles, harbor seals, and porpoises. However, the area also
includes 21 cities or towns and is densely populated with more than three-quarters of a
million residents. The majority of the most threatened environmental justice communities
in Massachusetts are located in the Mystic River watershed. The long history of industry
in the region has raised concerns over water quality, public health and safety, toxic
pollutants, and more. Some of these issues are known nationwide: Jonathan Harr’s book,
The Civil Action, unfolded in Woburn where two Superfund sites were identified.

A series of planning efforts have helped to guide activity in the Mystic River watershed.
In 1999, a diverse group of regional stakeholders met over three days for a Future Search
and Focus Workshop. They determined key concerns in the watershed and identified six
themes for further work: watershed identity/awareness, habitat restoration, new
governance and partnerships, public access, water quality and quantity restoration, and
environmental and social justice.

In 2000, a goal of “fishable and swimmable by 2010” was proposed as a means to

succinctly articulate a comprehensive long term goal. In November of 2005, the Mystic
River Watershed Association released the Mystic Action Plan, a major effort to gather
existing assessment data and lay out the potential next steps to make improvements
throughout the watershed. In addition to rich background information, this plan outlines a
number of action items that would address the priority issue areas that have evolved from
the early planning stages: water quality, water quantity and flooding, land use and open
space, recreation, habitat, environmental justice, community capacity, watershed
awareness and funding. The next phase will involve an expanded range of stakeholders
adopting discrete action opportunities, working locally while building towards watershed-
wide goals.

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General Information about the Mystic River watershed:

Land Area: 7,658 square miles

Total Population (2000): 759,737

Population Density: Ranges from 18,868 (persons per square mile) in Somerville
to 1,247 (persons per square mile) in Wilmington.

Median HH Income (2000): A range from $30,161 in Chelsea to $94,049 in Winchester

Individuals Below the Poverty Line: Average of 7.88 percent with a range from 1.9
percent in Wilmington and Burlington to 23.3% in Chelsea.

Political Representation

The towns and cities in the Mystic River watershed demonstrate a full range of
governmental structures from strong elected mayoral governments to Town Meeting
formats with appointed administrators. The major communities in the watershed are
represented at the state level by four Senators and eleven state representatives. The
federal level elected officials whose districts include significant portions of the Mystic
River watershed include: Senator Edward Kennedy, Senator John F. Kerry, Congressman
Michael E. Capuano and Representative Edward J. Markey.

Geographic Boundaries

The Mystic River watershed stretches from the headwaters in Reading to the North, to the
coast of Winthrop to the East, to Boston, Somerville, and Cambridge to the South, and
Belmont, Arlington and Lexington to the West. The major water bodies in the watershed
include the Aberjona River, Horn Pond, the Mystic Lakes, Spy Pond, Fresh Pond, the
Mystic River, the ponds of the Middlesex Fells area, and tributaries of Mill Brook,
Alewife Brook, Malden River, Island End River, Chelsea Creek. The Mystic River
watershed drains into the Boston Harbor, which is part of the Gulf of Maine watershed.

Tufts Involvement

The Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) has had a long-

standing relationship with Tufts University, which is located in the
watershed. Working with Tisch College, we have been able to engage

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 students in our efforts to protect and restore the watershed's
resources. The result for MyRWA is a boost to our work, and, for the
students, a chance to make a real difference in their communities.
Nancy Hammett, Executive Director
Mystic River Watershed Association

The Tufts Boathouse is situated on a major tributary of the Mystic, the nearby Malden
River. The sailing team practices regularly at the Upper Mystic Lakes. The watershed
has provided a laboratory for a number of theses for students from Engineering to
Economics, offering a wide range of research opportunities in this complex watershed
system. In 2000, a number of departments and schools across Tufts formally joined
community partners to address environmental concerns through the Mystic Watershed
Collaborative (MWC), a partnership between Tufts University and the Mystic Watershed
Association. Students are engaged in Mystic activities each year ranging from clean-ups
to extensive field-based research projects on policy topics. Over the years, a broader
array of organizations and public agencies have teamed with the Mystic Watershed
Collaborative to focus on improving conditions in the watershed through grants, directed
research and community involvement.

The graduate Field Projects course in the Urban and Environmental Policy
and Planning Program is a classic example of a partnership that focuses on
an often-overlooked part of the academic mission—public service. Students
form consulting teams that then work with local communities. Challenges
like designing a development plan that respects the integrity of a city
neighborhood, restoring and protecting an urban river or helping a town
think through its commitment to greenhouse gas reductions become real
only when university and partner communities join hands. To nurture a
process like this is to witness the strength of community-based learning and
service."
Rusty Russell, J.D., Lecturer in Environmental Law
Department of Urban & Environmental Policy &
Planning, Tufts University

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Section II: How to Get Involved

The Lincoln Filene Center for Community Partnerships has compiled information that
may assist your preparation for work with local communities.xv

When thinking about working with communities, we suggest that you take a few minutes
and ask yourself the following questions:

„ What issues are you interested in?

„ What communities would you like to work with?
„ What are the assets and opportunities available for your learning,
orientation and potential project?
„ What are the community-identified needs that are of interest?
„ What are the anticipated outcomes from your involvement?

An exploration of such questions will help you to clarify your goals, interests and
expectations for working with a community.

These questions are challenging to answer. Therefore, we have assembled a guide to help
you:

1. Getting Started
2. Making Plans
3. Getting Down to Work
4. Sharing the Results
5. Tying up Loose Ends
6. Glossary of Terms

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1. Getting Started

Faculty, students, and staff can work toward developing community-based learning
experiences that are of mutual benefit to community partners.

Learn about the community you want to engage in—do your research!

„ History of the area

¾ Geographical location and environment.
¾ Current population demographics and how they have changed over time.
¾ How geography and/or population affects life in this community.

„ Community assets and alliances

¾ Cultural institutions
¾ Social service, organizing and advocacy organizations
¾ Educational institutions and libraries
¾ Municipal services and programs

„ Identify specific challenges in the community

¾ What have community members done in response?
¾ What progress has been made?
¾ What are new challenges? What continues as long term challenges?

„ University role in the community.

¾ What relationships, partnerships and history exist between the university
and community?
¾ Are there any tensions you should be aware of?

Research community-based organizations or public agencies you are interested in:

„ Mission, History and Structure

„ Budget—what are funding sources? Main expenditures? What other

resources/assets are available to the organization?

„ Stakeholders—who is affected by the organization? Who belongs to this

organization?

„ How can you reach your goals and help address a community’s identified needs?

„ Who are you, in relation to the community you wish to work with, and what
strengths and challenges does this comparison present?

„ What are your personal and academic expectations for the project?

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Examples of Opportunities to Serve Community-based Organizations or Public Agencies

Issue Area Sample Ideas

• Research, write, and publish articles
• Produce a newspaper
Advocate for An Issue • Start a campus chapter of an organization
• Speak to civic groups
• Organize a speakers forum, a public hearing, a conference
• Present health information to peers and community
• Provide basic health care (with training)
• Coach youth sports
Health • Organize health fair, health screenings, blood drive
• Comfort hospital patients
• Develop curriculum and lead health education workshops
• Monitor habitats and/or analyze water/air/habitat quality
• Conduct energy/resource audits, Assist researchers
• Design native habitat restoration
Environment • Landscape using native plants
• Set up recycling and composting
• Organize a trash clean-up
• Staff Hotlines
• Organize safe driving/bicycling/walking to school campaigns, a peer
Public Safety mediation training
• Organize training for emergency preparedness
• Organize home safety audits, a anti-violence campaigns
• Tutor and/or train tutors
• Lead after school clubs for middle/high school students
• Serve as teacher’s aides
Education • Organize forums
• Develop curriculum
• Make displays
• Cook/work at soup kitchens
Economic • Conduct research for economic planning
• Staff shelters, work at training centers
• Hold a tax training workshop, collect planning data
• Organize opportunities to share culture
• Teach citizenship classes, ESL classes
Immigrants • Teach language classes to elementary students
• Hold an educational forum for the public
• Lead voter education and registration activities
• Teach classes, write/read letters
Political Participation • Organize a public issues forum, volunteer to lead outings to public
agencies, museums, etc.

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2. Making Plans

Once you have identified the issues and potential communities you would like to work
with, it is important to research what relationships may already exist.

„ The Lincoln Filene Center for Community Partnerships (LFC) has

relationships with a number of community organizations and is a great place to
start. Go to activecitizen.tufts.edu or 617.627.3453. The following are a few of
the resources LFC has to offer.

¾ Partnering for Community Impact: A Resource Guide to Active Citizenship

& Public Service Opportunities at Tufts provides information on
departments and organizations at Tufts involved in the community and is
available on the Tisch College website: activecitizen.tufts.edu

¾ Watch for LFC or Tisch College presentations that highlight partner

community activities.

¾ There are resource binders describing community-based organizations and

public agencies in the LFC office for Chinatown, Medford, the Mystic
Watershed and Somerville. (Grafton is in development.)

„ Tufts University Office of Community Relations has a long history of working

with partner communities and is a great source of information and expertise on
Tufts relationships with its host communities. Tel. 617.627.3780

„ Other Suggestions:
¾ Conduct basic research on local communities and partnership organizations
to determine opportunities and options.

¾ Talk with Tufts faculty or students about their experiences in the community.

¾ If you are proposing a project that includes research, check the

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

¾ “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

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Considerations for Faculty

If you are planning community-based research or teaching you may want to consider the
following:

For Community-Based Research

„ Recognize that there are many research questions that are of interest to
community members and that might fit well with your own research agenda.

„ To the extent possible build on existing relationships that have been established
with the community.

„ There are a range of ways to involve community members in research. Don’t

underestimate the value that community can add to every aspect of your research
project from identifying the research question, to designing the research approach,
to analyzing the results.

„ Remember that the institutions that fund research often require community
involvement.

For Community-Based Teaching

„ Identify ways a community project can enhance the pedagogic goals of your
course and create opportunities to integrate theory with practical experience.

„ Provide the students structured opportunities to reflect on what they are learning
in the community.

„ Are there any special security or safety considerations? Space considerations?

„ Will your students work with children? Do they need to complete a CORI form
to check for past criminal record?

For All Community-Based Work

„ Create mechanisms to evaluate progress and adapt as needed.

¾ Work with community partners to determine how to measure the success of

the experience

¾ Make plans from the outset to either conclude the project at a certain point
or transition it so that gains made are not lost

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Considerations for Community Based Organizations and Public Agenciesxvi:

„ What type of commitment does your organization expect?

„ How long a term of service would your organization prefer?

„ To what degree are students and faculty able to meet the needs of people served
by your organization?

„ What skills or expertise are you seeking?

„ Have you worked with volunteers or students in the past? What have they done?
What were the challenges? How could that be continued or expanded?

„ What knowledge, skills and experiences are students able to gain from working
with your organization? What do you want them to learn?

„ Are there logistical concerns? Are there any issues with liability?

„ Do you have questions about the academic components of the class and how it
relates to your organization?

„ What are your expectations regarding communications between the program,

students, and your organization?

„ What kind of orientation and training will students need to work at your
organization?

„ What financial implications do you foresee, if any, from this collaboration?

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3. Getting Down to Work—Tips for Students

When beginning work at a community-based organization, consider the following

guidelines. These can serve as a reference for faculty, staff or students supporting a
thoughtful and reflective experience for the student and the community partner.

„ Approach your position as you would any job. Each organization has certain
policies and expectations you must respect. If you have to miss a scheduled visit,
make every effort to get in touch with your supervisor well in advance.

„ A student establishing rapport with local communities needs to have a non-

judgmental attitude, acceptance, an understanding of people’s rights to make
their choices and decisions, and respect for each individual’s worth, dignity,
empathy and authenticity. Show respect for traditions and difference, and
avoid imposing your culture and value systems on others.

„ Set goals for service and for learning. Sit down with community partner, be
straightforward about your learning requirements, and ask them to do the same
about their needs.

„ Articulate each person’s role. Decide and document in a project agreement

program and logistical details such as transportation, supervision, timeline, and
reporting systems. Refer to this agreement in the future for clarification of
expectations. Contact the Lincoln Filene Center if you would like assistance.

„ Be sure to intentionally engage in reflection throughout this experience.

Reflection has proven to be an essential element for best practice in active
citizenship. It increases both project effectiveness as well as enhances student
learning. Contact Tisch College Student Programs if you would like assistance.

„ Create a schedule of days and times that you are available to work. Be prompt.
Be sure to inform your supervisor if you are not able to go in, about Tufts
academic schedule, breaks, etc. Keep a time log of your hours and how your
time is delegated. This is useful for periodic assessment as well as valuable
documentation for the organization. Some organizations can use the value of
your time as a match for grant funding.

„ Expect uncertainty at first. Your level of comfort and responsibility will increase
as the semester progresses. Ask for help or feedback when you are in doubt
about how or what you are doing.

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„ Recognize your limits by accepting assignments that you can handle. Don’t be
afraid to speak up if you don’t think you are qualified to work on a particular
task.

„ Communicate with your site supervisor; ask for feedback from your supervisor
on a regular basis.

„ Be aware that as a community based learner you may learn information about
individuals you are working with that is covered by rules of confidentiality.
Speak to your community supervisor to discuss how the obligations of
confidentiality may apply to you.

„ Be realistic about what you can accomplish. Don’t expect to accomplish in two
hours of weekly service what a trained professional cannot accomplish in 40.

„ Consider how you can link this experience to your future goals and academic
experience.

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4. Sharing the Results

Sharing your experience with the Tufts community and with the public is an important
part of your learning:

„ Plan ahead for a final presentation of the work.

Formal public presentations in the community can highlight outcomes and raise
awareness of issues. Plan strategically to enhance the mission and goals of the
community-based organization and to facilitate interest in sustaining the project.
Be aware that this might involve some longer-term planning and may involve a
commitment outside the typical academic calendar frame. Discuss whether this
is an option for you.

„ Consider whether you can produce a communications product that may be

used multiple times for learning. Final written reports are often the product most
useful to a host organization. Can you also produce a digital story for viewing
and make extra DVDs for distribution to key stakeholders? Be sure to provide
on-line and hard copies.

„ Brainstorm ways to share your efforts with the Tufts campuses.

Host an open class session with a presentation and food. Organize a campus-
wide event and announce it on www.tuftslife.com. Post a website from your
course that can serve as a link to both Tufts and the broader community.

„ Consider web postings of your project. This might be on the organization’s

website or within a Tufts department. Make sure to obtain permission from your
community partner prior to posting. This is especially true with photo
documentation which may require release forms.

„ Be alert to press and media coverage possibilities. Contact the Tufts Daily and
other Tufts publications about features. Local cable access can often provide
technical support to create a short video on a local topic of interest.

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5. Tying up Loose Ends

Transitioning your project

„ Make sure to document your process and activities regularly for your own
records and reports to supervisors. A journal can be a very useful tool for
recording ideas for later reflection.

„ Create a contact list and documents folder that can be passed on to successors or
supervisors.

„ Maintain an organized work space and files so that your community supervisor
can easily access information once you leave. Create a CD of important files as
documentation to share with community partner as you complete your project.

„ Provide your supervisor(s) with any passwords or account information that is

critical for project sustainability.

„ Create an annotated bibliography of literature related to your topical issue can be

a useful tool for both academics and community sites, so consider creating one
as part of final products.

Final Steps

„ Take a moment to consider your work. How would you assess your own
strengths? Areas for improvement? What would you have done differently?
What lessons will you carry to your next experience?

„ Update your resume or CV to reflect your experience and accomplishments.

„ Share your experience with Lincoln Filene Center for Community Partnerships
staff to help strengthen Tufts knowledge base of university-community
partnership efforts.

„ Send a thank you letter to the organization in appreciation of their time and
energies. Don’t be afraid to offer diplomatically constructive feedback to
improve future partnerships.

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6. Glossary of Terms

“Education for Active Citizenship”

At the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service, our focus is on
“education for active citizenship.” We support student and faculty efforts to become
engaged in communities and civic life. Our goal is to prepare effective public citizens
who will take an active role in addressing the core problems of society throughout their
lifetimes, whatever professions they choose.

Community-based learning
Community-based learning moves beyond the traditional placement model of work-based
learning to learning from experience in a community context, with mutual benefits to
both student learning and partner organizations. Generally, definitive products are one of
the direct outcomes. Project ideas are typically identified by a community organization,
or grow from students’ experience through prior community exposures such as
volunteering.

While the language of community-based learning can be overwhelming and confusing at

times, below are some clearly defined terms that can assist faculty, staff and students.

Community
Community can be used in a number of ways to apply to almost any group of individuals.
It is often used to describe a geographic group whose members engage in some face-to-
face interaction. The term community can also be used in a more meaningful sense to
emphasize the common bonds and beliefs that hold people together.

Community Service
Community Service is volunteerism that occurs in the community—action taken to meet
the needs of others and better the community as a whole. Programs of all types, like
scouts, schools or YMCAs, often perform "community service."

Experiential Education
Emotionally engaged learning in which the learner experiences a visceral connection to
the subject matter. Good experiential learning combines direct experience that is
meaningful to the student with guided reflection and analysis. It is a challenging, active,
student-centered process that impels students toward opportunities for taking initiative,
responsibility, and decision making.

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Reciprocity
A central component in service-learning and community engagement that suggests that
every individual, organization, and entity involved in service-learning functions as both a
teacher and a learner.

Reflection
The critical component of successful service-learning programs is "reflection." Reflection
describes the process of deriving meaning and knowledge from experience and occurs
before, during and after a service-learning project. Effective reflection engages both
teachers and students in a thoughtful and thought-provoking process that consciously
connects learning with experience. It is the use of critical thinking skills to prepare for
and learn from service experiences.

Watershed
A watershed is an area that drains into a single body of water, such as a stream, river, or
ocean. Sometimes watersheds are called basins or catchment basins. The boundaries of a
watershed are determined by the surface features of the land or its topography.
Watersheds can be nested one inside the other.

Volunteerism
The performance of formal service to benefit others or one's community without
receiving any external rewards; such programs may or may not involve structured
training and reflection.

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7. Endnote
i
Tufts University Fact Book, 2004-2005, and 2005-2006.
ii
http://www.medfordchamberma.com/index.asp?pageID=138
iii
Source: 2000 Census Summary File 3 (SF 3) - Sample Data and 1990 Summary Tape File 3
(STF 3) - Sample data
iv
The Well-Being of Somerville 2002, Cambridge Health Agenda and City of Somerville and
The History of Somerville: a fourth grade unit of study (1985) compiled by Marsha E. Roselli.
"Somerville- community profile", Massachusetts Dept of Housing and Community Development
http://www.mass.gov/dhcd/iprofile/274.pdf
v
Sources: 2000 Census Summary File 3 (SF 3) - Sample Data
vi
Massachusetts Department of Education
vii
MassInc., 2005
viii
Doris Chu, The Chinese in Massachusetts (1987), Chinese Historical Society of New England.
ix
Source: 2000 Census Summary File 3 (SF 3)- Sample data
* This data set encompasses an area larger than Chinatown (Census blocks groups 7011, 7021,
7022, 7023 and 7041), but it indicates demographic, economic and social trends in the area
x
2000 U. S. Census.
xi
http://asiancdc.org/demographics.html
xii
A Chinatown coalition that works on issues of interest to the broader Chinatown community,
has members representing social service and advocacy organizations, hospitals, and universities.
xiii
Source: The community profile from the Department of Housing and Community
Development (http://www.mass.gov/dhcd/iprofile/110.pdf) and the description on the city’s
webpage (http://www.town.grafton.ma.us/Home/)
xiv
2000 Census Summary File 3 (SF 3)- Sample data
xv
References: This section has been compiled with resources from numerous sites. These
include: The Swearer Center for Public Service at Brown University, the University of
Brighton’s Community University Partnership Programme, National Service Learning
Clearinghouse, Massachusetts Campus Compact, the Lincoln Filene Center for Community
Partnerships and Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service.
xvi
Building Bridges: Student Placement Handbook for Chinatown Community Organizations.
Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service, Tufts University. 2005-2006.

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Section III: Resources

The Lincoln Filene Center for Community Partnerships has compiled the following
resources which may assist your preparation for community-based work, research, and
curriculum efforts.

I. Local resources pertaining to Tufts’ partner communities including

municipal websites, community resources, and media outlets. Our
partner communities are:

A) Medford
B) Somerville
C) Boston’s Chinatown
D) Grafton
E) Mystic River Watershed

II. An Annotated list of national and regional resources

III. Maps of Partner Communities

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I. Local Resources pertaining to Tufts’ Partner Communities

A) Medford:

Municipal Website: Medford: http://www.medford.org/

Community Resources:

„ Medford Chamber of Commerce

One Shipyard Way, Medford, MA 02155

Phone: 781-396-1277 Fax: 781-396-1278
Email: director@medfordchamberma.com
Website: http://www.medfordchamberma.com/index.asp

„ Medford Environmental Alliance

Phone: 781-395-4664
Website: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MedfordEnvAlliance

„ Medford Family Network

The Medford Family Network (MFN) is a program of the Medford

Public Schools. Its mission is to provide family support and parenting
education programs for families with children six years of age and
under. The MFN supports collaborative efforts among Medford
agencies to improve services for children, as well as linking families
and children with direct services and service providers.

The Medford Family Network

Medford High School
489 Winthrop Street, Medford, MA 02155
Phone: 781-393-2106 Fax: 781-393-2123
http://www.medford.k12.ma.us/mfamnet/famhom.htm

„ Medford Health Matters

Medford Health Matters (MHM) is working to implement the principles

of Healthy Communities in Medford. Founded in 1995 as a coalition of
community organizations and agencies, MHM became an independent
non-profit organization in 2002. The initial efforts included a

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 community assessment and development of a community action plan to
mobilize community resources and address needs identified in the
evaluation.

Contact: Lisa O’Loughlin

Address: 278 Mystic Ave.
Phone: 781-396-2633
Email: loloughlin@gmvna.com
http://www.medford.org/CityLinks/MedfordHealthMatters/history.htm

Media Outlets:

„ Community Newspapers

Medford Transcript
Nell Escobar Coakley
Phone: 781-393-1826
Email: ncoakley@cnc.com
Website: http://www.townonline.com/medford/

Medford Daily Mercury

Email: editor@maldennews.com

„ Community Access Television

TV3 Medford
Phone: 781-395-5993
Website: http://www.tv3medford.org

B) Somerville

Municipal Website: Somerville: http://www.ci.somerville.ma.us/

Community Resources:

„ Cambridge and Somerville Resource Guide

A collaborative project between the Cities of Cambridge and

Somerville and the Cambridge Health Alliance. This database may
not be totally up to date, but is still offers a sense of the diversity of

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 programs offered in Somerville in the areas of housing, health care,
child care, after-school programming, food and nutrition, educational,
employment, recreation, and others.

Website: http://www.mnip-
net.org/Cambridge/CambridgeRDB.nsf/wfp?open

„ Early Childhood Advisory Council

The Somerville Early Childhood Advisory Council (ECAC) is a

citywide collaboration representing a wide range of early education
and care, health, and social services organizations working to ensure
that the needs of young children and their families are being met.

Pamela Holmes 617-625-6600x3640

Carolyn Camina 617-623-5510

„ Somerville Chamber of Commerce

The Chamber of Commerce is a network of Somerville businesses and

a clearinghouse for business and government information.

Somerville Chamber of Commerce

2 Alpine Street
P.O. Box 440343
Somerville, MA 02144
Phone: 617-776-4100 Fax: 617-776-1157
Website: http://www.somervillechamber.org/

„ Somerville Community Health Agenda (SCHA)

The Somerville Community Health Agenda (SCHA) is an innovative

partnership between Cambridge Health Alliance, Somerville Health
Department and the community that facilitates collaborative
community processes to improve the health of Somerville residents.
Two publications from the SCHA that offer insight into Somerville
are the Guide to Somerville Groups and Coalitions and The Wellbeing
of Somerville 2002. These can be found at
http://www.challiance.org/comm_affairs/som_health_agenda.shtml

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 Jessica Collins
Director, Somerville Health Agenda
Community Affairs
Cambridge Health Alliance
230 Highland Ave, Somerville, MA 02143
Phone: 617-591-6940
Email: jjcollins@challiance.org

„ Somerville Grantwriters and Fundraising Group

Grantwriters, development consultants, or staff at nonprofit

organizations or city agencies in Somerville meet every six weeks to
share information and to coordinate fundraising efforts.

To learn more, contact:

Dennis Fischman: dfischman@caasomerville.org
Kate Ashton: kashton@ci.somerville.ma.us

„ Somerville Immigrant Service Providers Group

The ISPG was formed in December 2003, to represent Somerville’s

immigrant communities. Most of the membership has worked together
in immigrant ad hoc coalitions and initiatives since 2000.

Alex Pirie, Coordinator 617-776-5931 x 243 apirie@somervillecdc.org

„ Somerville Youth Worker Network

Engages Somerville youth workers in networking, information

sharing, training and grantwriting opportunities. Meetings are held
monthly on the third Tuesday of the month at the 165 Broadway
Youth Center. The Somerville Youth Council is a program of the
Network.

Website: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SomervilleYouthWorkers/
Somerville Health Agenda, Jessica Collins 617-591-6940

Media Outlets:

„ Community Newspapers

Somerville Journal
Kathleen Powers
Phone: 617-625-6300

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 Email: kpowers@cnc.com or somerville@cnc.com
Website: http://www.townonline.com/somerville/

Somerville News
Email: somervillenews@aol.com

„ Community Access Television

Somerville Community Access Television

Phone: 617-628-8826
Website: http://www.access-scat.org

C) Boston Chinatown

Municipal Website: Boston Chinatown: http://www.cityofboston.gov

Community Resources:

„ The Chinatown Coalition

A coalition of community-based organizations, social service
agencies, and public schools focused on working collaboratively on
community-wide issues. These include public safety, health, land use
and development, and public resources (e.g. an effort to develop a
public library in the community).

Contact information:
The Chinatown Coalition
c/o Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center
885 Washington St.
Boston, MA 02111
(617) 635-5129 x1099
Email: tcc@bcnc.net

„ Chinatown Residents Association

Mission: The Chinatown Resident Association (CRA) was formed
in 1999 to increase the resident voice on issues that affect Chinatown.
Its mission is to advance the quality of life of Chinatown residents
and preserve Chinatown as a neighborhood for working families and
the elderly. The goals of the agency are to:

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 ¾ Promote resident decision-making over the future of
Chinatown
¾ Preserve and expand affordable housing
¾ Work for a safe and healthy living environment
¾ Cooperate with community organizations and businesses
to strengthen Chinatown as a social, cultural, political and
economic center

33 Harrison Avenue, 3/F

Boston, MA 02111
Telephone: 617-851-1701
Email: info@bostoncra.org
www.bostoncra.org

Media Outlets:

„ Community Newspaper (bilingual English-Chinese)

Sampan Newspaper
Asian American Civic Association
200 Tremont Street
Boston, MA 02116
Phone: 617-426-9492
info@aaca-boston.org
Website: http://www.sampan.org

„ Community Access Television

Boston Neighborhood Network Television

8 Park Plaza
Suite 2240
Boston, MA 02116
Phone: 617-720-2113 Fax: 617-720-3781
Website: http://www.bnntv.org/

D) Grafton

Municipal Website: Grafton: http://www.town.grafton.ma.us/Home/

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 Community Resources:

„ Grafton Volunteers: http://www.grafton-ma.org/

„ Links to Grafton organizations: http://www.grafton-ma.org/links.html

Media Outlets:

„ Community Newspaper
Grafton News
Phone: 508-839-2259
Email: mrcmb@charter.net

„ Community Access Television

Worcester Community Cable Access, Inc.

415 Main St.
Worcester, MA 01608
Phone: 508-755-1880
Website:
http://www2.wccatv.com/index.php?option=com_contact&Itemid=3

E) Mystic River Watershed

Municipal Website: none

Community Resources:

„ Mystic River Watershed Association

MyRWA's mission is to protect and restore clean water and related
natural resources in the basin's communities and to promote
responsible stewardship of our natural resources through educational
initiatives. The overarching goal is to make the Mystic River
“fishable and swimmable” by 2010. A small organization, MyRWA
accomplishes its mission by forging links with citizens’ groups,
universities, businesses, and government agencies.

Nancy Hammett, Executive Director

Mystic River Watershed Association
20 Academy Rd, Suite 203
Arlington, MA 02476
Phone: 781-316-3428
Website: http://www.mysticriver.org

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Media Outlets:

„ Community Newspapers

Boston Globe
PO Box 2378
Boston, Ma 02107-2378
Phone: 617) 929-2809 (617) 929-2000
Email: news@globe.com

Boston Globe Calendar

PO Box 2378,
Boston, MA 02107-2378
Phone: 617-929-2793 (tape)
Submit to www.boston.com/ae/events
Include event name, date and time, location, whether wheelchair
accessible, name of sponsoring group(s), brief description, state
incorporation number, fee, and if benefit, for whom, contact area
code and phone number for publication

Community Newspaper Company

Phone: 781-433-8200
Email: Chantman@cnc.com

Arlington Advocate
9 Meriam St.
Lexington, MA 02420
Phone: 781-674-7726
Email: arlington@cnc.com

Belmont Citizen-Herald
9 Meriam St.
Lexington, MA 02420
Phone: 781-674-7723
Email: belmont@cnc.com

Cambridge Chronicle
240A Elm St., Suite 20
Somerville, Ma 02144-2948
Phone: 617-629-3387
Email: cambridge@cnc.com

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 Cambridge Tab
PO Box 9113
Needham, Ma 02192-9113
Phone: 617-629-3395
Email: rgreene@rcn.com

Lexington Minuteman
9 Meriam St.
Lexington, MA 02420
Phone: 781-674-7725
Email: Lexington@cnc.com

Malden Observer
57 High St.
Medford, Ma 02155-3808
Phone: 781-393-1820
Email: malden@cnc.com

Medford Transcript
57 High St.
Medford, Ma 02155-3808
Phone: 781-393-1826
Email: medford@cnc.com

Somerville Journal
240A Elm St., Suite 20
Somerville, Ma 02144-2948
Phone: 617-625-6300
Email: somerville@cnc.com

II. National and Regional Resources

Association American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U)

AAC&U is the leading national association concerned with the quality, vitality,
and public standing of undergraduate liberal education. Its members are
committed to extending the advantage of a liberal education to all students,
regardless of their academic specialization or intended career. Founded in 1915
by college presidents, AAC&U now represents the entire spectrum of American
colleges and universities—large and small, public and private, two-year and

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four-year. AAC&U comprises more than 1000 accredited colleges and
universities that collectively educate more than five million students every year.
http://www.aacu.org/about/index.cfm

AAC&U
1818 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
Phone: 202-884-7435
Email: memberservices@aacu.org.
Website: http://www.aacu-edu.org/

Campus Compact
Campus Compact is a national coalition of college and university presidents-
representing some 5 million students-who are committed to fulfilling the civic
purposes of higher education. As the only national higher education association
dedicated solely to campus-based civic engagement, Campus Compact
promotes public and community service that develops students' citizenship
skills, helps campuses forge effective community partnerships, and provides
resources and training for faculty seeking to integrate civic and community-
based learning into the curriculum. http://www.campuscompact.org/about

Publications:
Introduction to Service-Learning Toolkit
Introduction to Service-Learning Toolkit: Readings and Resources for Faculty

Campus Compact
PO Box 1975
Brown University
Providence, RI 02912
Phone: 401-867-3950
Fax: 401-867-3925
Website: http://www.compact.org/

Massachusetts Campus Compact

The Massachusetts Campus Compact is a membership organization of college
and university presidents leading Massachusetts institutions of higher education
in building a state-wide collaboration to promote service as a critical component
of higher education.

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Executive Director: Barbara Canyes
MA Campus Compact
Tufts University
Medford, MA 02155
barbara.canyes@tufts.edu
Phone: 617-627-3889
Website: http://ase.tufts.edu/macc

Corporation for National and Community Service

Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve are the well known programs
of this national government agency dedicated to supporting opportunities for
community service in the United States.

Corporation for National and Community Service

1201 New York Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20525
Phone: 202-606-5000
TTY: 202-606-3472
Email: info@cns.gov
Website: http:www.nationalservice.org/

National Service Learning Clearinghouse

A program of the Learn and Serve component of the Corporation for National
and Community Service, the website offers valuable contacts, tips and tools for
those engaged in service learning related to strengthening schools and
communities.

National Service Learning Clearinghouse

Phone: 1-866-245-SERV (7378)
Email: info@servicelearning.org
Website: http://www.servicelearning.org/hehome/index.php

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 Acknowledgements

The Lincoln Filene Center for Community Partnerships would like to

express a debt of gratitude to all the individuals from local community
partners and the multiple campuses of Tufts University for their support with
the production of Partnering with Communities.

Special thanks to Barbara Rubel, Director, Office of Community Relations

for her assistance.

We are immensely grateful to the staff and students at Jonathan M. Tisch

College of Citizenship and Public Service for all their assistance and
concentrated efforts: Michael C. Castagna, Robert Hollister, Emily
Keifenheim, Audra S. Ladd, Julia Martinez, Molly Mead, Bobbie l. Peyton,
Emilienne Prophete, Derek W. Tam-Scott, and Nancy Wilson.
Lincoln Filene Center for Community Partnerships
Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service
Tufts University
Medford, MA 02155

Web: activecitizen.tufts.edu
Tel: (617) 627-3453
Fax: (617) 627-3401

Staff
Shirley Mark
Director, Lincoln Filene Center
shirley.mark@tufts.edu
(617) 627-3656

Lisa Brukilacchio
Community Engagement Specialist
lisa.brukilacchio@tufts.edu
(617) 627-3076

Rachel Szyman
MACC AmeriCorps*VISTA
rachel.szyman@tufts.edu
(617) 627-2811