Inspiring and Training Students for Social Action: Renewing a Needed Tradition

Abstract

In social work, it is believed that certain knowledge and skills are learned more effectively through experience than through didactic classroom content. Members of the faculty of a school of social work have developed a Social Action Day to reinforce curriculum and translate into practice material about advocacy and ethical responsibilities for social action; show the breadth of social work practice; and enhance the school's sense of community. The authors share their experience to inspire other social work faculty, so that they are better able to foster student interest and passion for political action that may generate social change.

Keywords:

• social action
• advocacy
• social justice
• experiential learning
• community
• social work education

Notes

¹For a list of examples of inventive student advocacy, see the Influencing State Policy website at http://www.statepolicy.org/.