Social Work Month 2014

CSWE celebrates Social Work Month 2014, along with other organizations in the support of the All People Matter theme.

Check this page throughout March for celebration updates and follow CSWE on Twitter for useful information relevant to social work education! Since March is also Women's History Month, we'll also be tweeting about important contributions that women have made throughout social work history.

1. Colorado State University (Fort Collins, CO) will hold an author presentation with live music on March 12, 2014
2. East Carolina University School of Social Work (Greenville, NC) is hosting the Liberty in North Korea's visit to campus to promote human rights in North Korea. The nonprofit organization will present human rights issues in the country on March 18, 2014.
3. Florida State University (Tallahassee, FL)
   • Social Work Festival, March 3, 9:00 am-5:30 pm, University Center C, Social Work Lobby, Florida State University, 296 Champions Way, Tallahassee, FL 32306. Participants will enjoy festivities and refreshments as they learn about the college’s degree programs (BSW, MSW, PhD), international programs, professional development and certificate opportunities, as well as meet its Institute for Family Violence Studies team and representatives from the FSU chapter of the Association of Student Social Workers.
   • Wendy P. Crook Project: Memorial Garden, March 21, 9:00 am-3:00 pm, The Shelter, 480 West Tennessee Street, Tallahassee, FL 32301. The college teams up with the Tallahassee/Leon County Homeless Shelter to build a garden for the enjoyment and use of the homeless population. The garden will also serve to honor late faculty member Wendy P. Crook, a passionate advocate for the homeless in Florida.      
   • Diversity Forum, March 25, 12:00-2:30 pm, Miller Hall (3rd Floor) University Center C, Florida State University, 296 Champions Way, Tallahassee, FL 32306. Students from across campus will hear from speakers Jane McPherson and Gabriela Marquina as they discuss "Human Trafficking and Social Justice."
4. Fontbonne University (St. Louis, MO) faculty members and students of the BSW program will attend the National Association of Social Workers Missouri Chapter Symposium on March 14-16 at Lake of the Ozarks, MO. Students volunteer time as symposium attendants and participate in professional education sessions.  
5. Jacksonville State University (Jacksonville, FL) will hold its 33rd Annual Social Work Day on March 14, 2014.
6. Luther College (Decorah, IA) will hold its annual Don Kemp Event to honor the memory of a deceased professor on April 2, 2014. Students, faculty members, and practitioners are invited. Social work scholarships will be awarded, Phi Alpha members will be inducted, and a recent grad (4-5 years out) will be the keynote speaker and will share practice wisdom.
7. The MacMurray College Social Work Program (Jacksonville, Ill) is raising awareness and promoting dialogue about suicide. Throughout the month of March, social work students will utilize social media, signs, posters, and ribbons to increase knowledge and responsiveness regarding suicide. Social work students are also implementing a Suicide Awareness Day on March 26, 2014, to stimulate bold advocacy for suicide through campus students wearing all black and marking their wrists with the words “love” and the symbol “;”. These activities provide the opportunity to talk about a stigmatized subject that creates suffering in silence for all those affected by suicide. MacMurray College social work students plan to use these activities in March to highlight the importance of ALL people—those lost to death and those that are left behind.
8. Miami University of Ohio (Miami, OH) will hold a week-long event on March 10–14, 2014.
9. North Carolina State University (Raleigh, NC)will hold the symposium "A World Where All People Matter" that focuses on transformative approaches to working with older adults, discussing trends and transitions in older adults, and exploring practice models with diverse groups. 
10. Northeastern Illinois University (Chicago, Ill) will hold its first annual social work film festival on March 11, 2014, dedicated to the memory of Nelson Mandela and his aspiring legacy of social justice.
11. Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff, AZ) kicked off Social Work Month with a day of service at Summitt High School on March 8, 2014.  
12. St. Olaf College of Social Work's (Northfield, MN) Social Work Month Events:
    • Debunking Myths of Marginalized Populations - March 2–8
    • Empathic Responses - March 10
    • Career Night - March 11
    • Movie: Oranges and Sunshine - March 13
    • Sophomore Social Work Dinner - March 18
    • A Day at the Capitol - April 7 
13. Tulane University School of Social Work's Social Work Office of Global Programs (New Orleans, LA) will host the following globally focused presentations: 
    • “Recent Conferences in Israel and Japan: Lessons We Can Use Here,” March 11, 2014 - In his third annual lecture for the Office of Global Programs, Charles Figley (associate dean of research, professor, and Paul Henry Kurzweg distinguished chair in Disaster Mental Health) will provide highlights from his recent experiences and insights from conferences in Israel and Japan. Dr. Figley will also share critical strategies learned from these countries to improve communication and coordination of human services in disaster and trauma situations and with vulnerable populations in the New Orleans area.
    • “Human Rights Discourse in the Context of International Social Work Training,” March 25, 2014 - Orit Nuttman-Shwartz (PhD, MSW, and group analyst) is an associate professor, founder, and former head of the School of Social Work at Sapir College in Israel. Her research focuses on personal and social trauma, group work and therapy, as well as on life transitions, occupational crises, and social work education (including international social work). Working near the Israeli border, she has also been engaging in research dealing with the effects of ongoing exposure to threats to individuals, communities, and organizations and with the impact of a shared-trauma environment on students, supervisors, and social workers.
14. University at Buffalo School of Social Work (Buffalo, NY) will hold the following activities for Social Work Month: 
    • Ken Herrmann will talk about the state of social work in Vietnam and share some thoughts about the legacy of the Vietnam War.
    • The International Film Series will show two films: Lives for Sale: Human Trafficking and What I've Been Through Is Not Who I Am
15. The University of Central Missouri (Warrensburg, MO) is sponsoring a social work conference free of charge with 6 CEHs on March 4, 2014. The speaker, Dr. Trevor Manthey, will present an overview of Motivational Interviewing in the morning session and address the limits, ethics and adaptation of Motivational Interviewing with special populations. Registered for the conference are 175 participants.
16. The University of Kansas is marking the 25th anniversary of a seminal publication touting the Strengths Perspective, a revolutionary way of approaching social work. The university will mark the anniversary with speakers and presentations at its annual Social Work Day event April 11.
17. University of Michigan School of Social Work's (Ann Arbor, MI) Social Work Month events:
    • MSW/PhD Prospective Student Session - March 4, 2014  
    • MSW Prospective Student Session and Career Service Alumni Reception - Washington, DC - March 6, 2014  
    • LGBTQ Foster & Adoptive Parents: Strengthening the Welfare of Children - March 12, 2014  
    • Talk on Family Poly-Victimization With Dr. Edward Chan - March 13, 2014  
    • We the Parents Documentary Screening - March 13, 2014  
    • Doctoral Recruitment Weekend - March 14–15, 2014  
    • Community Action Social Change Community Dialogue - March 16, 2014  
    • 2014 Student Awards Ceremony - March 18, 2014  
    • MSW Welcoming Evening for Juniors -  March 20, 2014  
    • NASW MSW Graduate Licensure Informational Session -  March 21, 2014  
    • NASW Student of the Year Celebration - March 25, 2014  
    • Evaluation Lunch 'n Learn Series: Developing and Testing Measurement Scales - March 25, 2014  
    • Gerontology Learning Community/Sigma Phi Omega Film and Panel Discussion - March 25–26, 2014  
    • MSW Virtual Open House - March 28, 2014  
    • Social Justice Art Festival - March 29, 2014  
    • Queer Social Work Alliance Luncheon Series, Mondays: March 10, 24, 31, 2014  
    • Career Services Alumni Lunch Series, Mondays: March 17, 24, 31, 2014  
18. University of Tennessee Knoxville (Knoxville, TN)
    • March 25, 2014 - The School of Social Work will present the 2014 Senator Douglas Henry Award for Service to Children and Families at Risk to Jim Henry, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Children's Services, and his wife, Pat Henry. The award is presented annually to a person or agency which exemplifies the values and dedication of Senator Douglas Henry who has been called the “patron saint of children and social workers” for his long and dedicated service to the children and families of Tennessee.
    • March 26, 2014 - The College will be participating in the Annual Social Work Day on the Hill in Nashville.
    • BSSW students will make policy poster presentations
    • Students will participate in meet with your legislator opportunities.
    • The UT College of Social Work (CSW) Phi Alpha group will receive the Master's Student Organization of the Year award from the Tennessee Chapter of the National Association of Social Work (NASW) honoring the group's involvements and accomplishments.
    • UT CSW alumna Alyce Benson will receive the Tennessee Social Worker of the Year award from the Tennessee Chapter of NASW.
    • UT CSW student Annie Farris will receive the Tennessee Master of Social Work Student of the Year award from the Tennessee Chapter of NASW.
    • UT CSW endowed faculty member Terri Combs-Orme will receive the Social Work Lifetime Achievement award from the Tennessee Chapter of NASW.
19. University of Wyoming (Laramie, WY)
    • The BSW program at the Casper campus is holding an open house on March 4. Invited are University of Wyoming–Casper alumni, social workers in the community, representatives from social service agencies, field instructors, and current social work students.
    • The Division of Social Work at the Laramie campus is hosting a panel of helping professionals on March 7 to discuss “How Practitioners Utilize Religion and Spirituality in Practice.”
    • The Division of Social Work is hosting a Showcase Reception on March 8 for alumni, donors, students, community partners, and other members of the University of Wyoming campus. The purpose of this event is to raise awareness of the great work done by students and faculty members and to better promote the social work profession. 
20. Valparaiso University will host its annual Professional Development Day on April 1. The theme of the day is “All People Matter: Diversity in Practice.” Social work students and faculty will participate in a training to increase equity and inclusion on campus and in the community. Additionally, eligible members of the Social Work Department will be inducted into the Phi Alpha Honor Society, including this year’s honorary inductee Professor Barbara Dahl.
21. Walden University (Online University)
    • Has created a new webpage on their website that provides interesting facts, history, and some inspirational quotes.
    • Sent out emails to our social work students in our master’s and doctoral programs thanking them for the work they’ve already done and their commitment in the social work field.
    • Scheduled social media posts to go out promoting Social Work Month as well as banner ads that will be running on Social Work Today’s website.
    • Will offer up to six scholarships – the Barbara Solomon Scholarships for Social Work – worth over $115,000 for students in the MSW, PhD SW, and DSW online degree programs. http://www.waldenu.edu/financial-aid/types/scholarships/social-work-solomon. Application deadline is May 16th
22. West Chester University (West Chester, PA) will present: "Unfolding the Adoption Experience: Exploring Racial Identity" featuring speakers Joseph Crumbley and Susan Harris O'Connor. - March 24, 2014
23. Yeshiva University (New York, NY) will have a group of 10 students and two faculty members attend Lobby Day in Albany on March 4, lobbying members of the state assembly and state senators on the very timely issue of loan forgiveness. Also scheduled are educational seminars on global issues in social work with an innovative agency, Global Potential, and a presentation to students by a UN representative.