Episode 7: “Building the Pipeline: Policy Practice in Social Work Education

Host of The Conversation, Amy Skeen of the Simmons University School of Social Work, explores how social work education can better prepare students for policy and macro-level practice through practicum.

In this episode, we focus on how practicum, social work’s signature pedagogy, can be leveraged to create meaningful, hands-on policy experiences and strengthen the pipeline of future social work leaders.

We’re joined by faculty from the University of Connecticut School of Social Work, who share how they collaborate to engage students in policy practice across local, national, and international contexts.

Listen to the episode on Spotify here

Resources Recommended in This Episode

University of Connecticut Resources

The Center for International Social Work Studies

The Nancy A. Humphreys Institute for Political Social Work

Voting Is Social Work

Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute

Puerto Rican and Latine Studies Project and the Connecticut Latino Campaign School

UConn School of Social Work Policy Practice

UConn School of Social Work Community Organizing

Dr. Meg Paceley

Dr. Sukhmani Singh’s research, which is influencing a state level bill that we hope to see pass by the end of this legislative session! That work was just recognized with the UConn Provost’s Award for Excellence in Community-Engaged Scholarship.

Milagros Marrero-Johnson previously received the same award.

Article: “Understanding Climate Change Crisis Through a Post-Colonial Lens: Comparing Perspectives of Global North and Global South Youth and Young Adults”

Outside Resources

Congressional Research Institute for Social Work & Policy

NASW Advocacy

The Association for Community Organization & Social Action (ACOSA)

Dr. Suzanne Pritzker

Dr. Suzanne Pritzker’s article about ethics

Books by Dr. Shannon Lane

Political Social Work: Using Power to Create Social Change

Social Welfare Policy in a Changing World

About the Podcast

Applied Learning in Social Work Education‘s podcast, The Conversation, is created and produced by the Simmons University School of Social Work for the benefit and enrichment of the social work education community, including practicum directors and instructors and social work faculty and students. Read Applied Learning in Social Work Education here: ⁠⁠⁠https://alswe.simmons.edu/⁠⁠⁠

Host: Amy Skeen, DSW, Simmons University

Guests: Liane Lussier Smith, University of Connecticut; Rebecca L. Thomas, PhD, University of Connecticut; and Shannon Lane, PhD, University of Connecticut

Production Coordinator: Evan Rice