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School hosting new program for high school juniors about the social work profession

By Ashley McMillan, Assistant Director of Recruitment, Admissions & Financial Aid

The UNC School of Social Work is pleased to announce our first Social Work Introduction for the Next Generation (SWING) program. This two-day on-campus event will be held at UNC on June 13-14, 2014. This event is co-sponsored by the UNC School of Social Work and the Health Affairs Pipeline Partnership Initiative, a UNC collaboration aimed at increasing the recruitment and retention of underrepresented minority students in health careers.

We believe it is essential to encourage students to plan early for careers and be exposed to various disciplines. The aim of the SWING program is to stimulate students’ interest in social work by allowing them to meet and learn first-hand about the work of social workers and opportunities in the field. Social work is a profession committed to the development of the full potential of individuals, groups and communities. The profession recognizes that there are personal and structural barriers that create and maintain distress, injustice and inequality and prevent the achievement of full potential. Social work confronts disadvantage and distress by striving to enable individuals, groups and communities to achieve power over resources, information, relationships and decision-making. Social work practice is the action taken by professional social workers in pursuit of the goal of empowerment.

We invite you to share this with academically competitive high school juniors from diverse and/or underrepresented backgrounds who are interested in learning more about social work. The application deadline is May 1. Space is limited, so applying early is recommended. Students must complete the application online and upload a recommendation letter from a principal, teacher, counselor, or adviser to be considered. Students selected to participate will be notified by May 9, 2014. Students must meet the following criteria to apply:

  • Interests that are congruent with the social work profession (ie: advocacy, counseling, service, leadership, desire to help others, etc.)
  • Current high school Junior
  • Minimum 3.0 GPA (4.0 scale)
  • Planning to attend college

The students will learn about career opportunities in the social work field as well as engage in hands-on experience volunteering in a local community non-profit. We hope that students will leave with a greater interest in pursuing a career in social work. Students will have the opportunity to stay on campus, learn tips for applying to college, complete a Strengths Quest assessment to identify their five most prominent personality traits, and much more.

All participants will receive on-campus lodging, all meals, t-shirt, SAT study book and a certificate of completion for attending.