Community of Practice
Welcome to the 2023-2024 Community of Practice (CoP) summary page!
This year, our inaugural cohort of 13 WSW students and their field instructors participated in a comprehensive 20-session virtual learning community, culminating in a 2-day in-person retreat to complete the program requirements. The CoP focused on systems-level models and innovative interventions in school social work practice.
To explore the detailed findings and results, please view the CoP Evaluation’s Executive Summary provided below.
The wave of [WSW] graduates coming into public schools will inherently shift the way that public schools view school social workers and the work they are capable of. Social Work in schools will improve over the next several years. As [WSW] students graduate with very specific and firm approaches to the work, public school administration will need to adapt to those firmly held beliefs that graduates will come with.
Called the Workforce for Student Well-being Initiative or WSW, over five years, 100 aspiring school social workers will receive conditional scholarships based on their financial need so the cost of getting an education is not a barrier to their getting an advanced degree and then committing to working in a high-need public or tribal school.
WSW social workers will:
– Receive pre-service training, including a 30-hour community of practice with peers and experts focused on effective, comprehensive culturally responsive school mental health
– Attend a professional networking retreat with mentors
– Receive their Educational Staff Associate (ESA) certificate
– Receive career placement support to take a leadership role in a high-need public school after graduation
