Ribbons of Impact
Ribbons of Impact combine academic study with immersive, real-world experiences to help students explore complex issues from multiple perspectives. Through interdisciplinary learning and engagement with communities and organizations, students deepen their understanding of global challenges and strengthen their ability to create meaningful impact.
Each Ribbon includes three connected phases:
- Learn: Build foundational knowledge through an academic course.
- Experience: Engage in a conference, site visit, or partner-based learning opportunity in the U.S. or abroad.
- Apply: Complete a culminating project that integrates classroom learning with real-world insights.
Together, these experiences help students connect knowledge to action and prepare to lead change in diverse contexts.
Examples of Ribbons of Impact
In Summer 2026, faculty member Kim Dong launched the first Ribbon of Impact through PH 233: Global Nutrition in Action: Bringing Together Food Systems, Culture, Policy, and Practice, offered at the Tufts European Center in Talloires, France.
Developed in partnership with the Office of the Vice Provost for Education, Ribbons of Impact: Food and Nutrition allowed Tufts graduate students to extend their learning beyond the classroom through a connected, multi-phase experience.
- Learn: Build a foundation in nutrition science, food policy, and community health through PH 233: Global Nutrition in Action.
- Experience: Participate in Professor David Kaplan's Future of Food conference, exploring emerging research and innovations shaping the future of food systems.
- Apply: Complete an integrative project with Professor Kim Dong, connecting academic concepts with real-world insights and challenges.
Together, these experiences enabled students to deepen their understanding of food and nutrition issues while developing the skills to apply their learning in meaningful, real-world contexts.