Community service is a core value of the Sackler School and Tufts University. The Sackler Graduate Student Council (SGSC) has taken a leadership role in mounting a wide variety projects that touch our neighborhood and reach across the world. Please watch for calls for volunteers and anyone who is interested in volunteering or organizing a new volunteer opportunity should contact the Outreach committee members.
Projects
Adopt a Platoon
Beginning during the holiday season in 2007, the SGSC has “adopted” 40 soldiers stationed in Iraq who were unable to spend time with their loved ones this year. Adopt a Platoon is a national volunteer ogranization that reaches out to deployed soldiers to be sure they know that we do not forget their service.
Gap Junction
Gap Junction is an interactive science learning program for middle school kids in Boston, in which Tufts graduate students volunteer as instructors to bring hands-on science into after-school programs. During the academic year, individuals or pairs of Sackler students head over to the Paraclete Center to help young scientists conduct a simple research experiment and to teach about some basic biology.
Red Cross
Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood. The Sackler school has helped to boost the blood supply in the school’s area by putting on the SGSC Blood Drive at Tufts Medical Center for multiple years. During the last event, the Sackler community contributed 40 pints of blood. The SGSC is striving to reach 50 pints of blood for the next Blood Drive.
Rosie’s Place
The SGSC has sponsored regular trips to this home for poor and homeless women, located just down the street from the Sackler campus. Volunteers helped to make and serve a delicious meal for women in need on their first visit, and the decision to make regular visits soon followed.
Horizons for Homeless Children
The council chose to support Horizons for Homeless Children, an organization that seeks to provide a safe environment for children to learn and play, by putting on a school supply drive. The community successfully collected two boxes of materials for the children, including toothbrushes, toothpaste, books, art supplies and cash donations.
Brain Bee
The Brain Bee is a part of Brain Awareness Week, an educational mission to help make neuroscience topics and research more noticeable to the public. The bee is a question-and-answer session on brain topics, such as neurological disease, development, learning and memory and much more. It strives to promote Neuroscience Education in and around the Boston Community.