#OurTufts Features Shalini Tendulkar

"'Until I took this class, I had never thought of myself as a resident of Medford.’

A student shared that once, reflecting on my community-based participatory research class.

That observation summed up the most rewarding part of my job: encouraging students to realize that they’re more than just Tufts students—they are also members of a wider community.

In this course, students work with a local community partner on a project initiated by the partner organization. (A sample project might be examining how immigrant community members are affected by COVID.) Students learn how to develop partnerships, conceptualize research, develop data collection tools, collect data in a respectful way, analyze it and create different community and academic dissemination products.

But the goal is not only to learn how to do the research but also to reflect on our shared privileges as students and faculty. At universities, academic knowledge is traditionally prized above all else. In this course we shift this mindset and realize the value of people’s lived experiences as a form of knowledge. Those things are as legitimate as the academic knowledge we hold. I want my students to know those things should be valued the same way.

I love everything about teaching: watching students grow in their understanding, observing the skills they’re developing and the connections they’re making. I’m excited to help them make theoretical connections in class, as well as quite literally make connections to support their professional goals.

Many of our faculty, staff and students are motivated by these types of transformative learning experiences—Community Health rocks! It’s an amazing place to teach, train, and learn, and work with folks who are passionate and invested in improving the health of populations locally and globally."

Shalini Tendulkar is a senior lecturer in the Department of Community Health and the most recent winner of the Lerman-Neubauer Prize for Outstanding Teaching and Advising Award

#OurTufts is a series of personal stories shared by members of the Tufts community. [📸: Alonso Nichols/Tufts University]