School of Social Work

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Make a gift online in support of the School of Social Work.

Current Priorities for the School of Social Work

The University of Washington School of Social Work is ranked # 3 among graduate schools in the nation and for good reason. The School of Social Work is training undergraduate and graduate students to meet the complex social challenges of the 21st century. Our students, graduates, and faculty serve every day, doing all they can to help people do better for themselves and their families. We're not going to solve all the problems in the world. But we are determined to leave it in better shape than we found it. The UW School of Social Work is at the forefront of changes in social work theory and practice. We lead the way in innovative research and with methodologies that yield real results-transforming lives and communities. To continue its tradition of excellence in teaching, research, and service, the UW School of Social Work must invest in the future and its people. The future is now. Let's meet it together.

Faculty Support

Gifted and inspiring teachers are the secret to any great school. The School of Social Work has been fortunate in attracting outstanding professors to our classrooms, research centers, and institutes. We'd like to build on our good fortune by seeking private gifts to establish:

• Endowed Chair
• Endowed Professorships

Student Support

A good education is expensive. The high cost of higher education remains a concern for almost every student. Scholarships and fellowships allow us to provide an outstanding education to promising men and women who will take the benefits of what they learn to communities around the state and everywhere they go. To accomplish this, the School seeks support for:

• Undergraduate Scholarships
• Graduate Fellowships

Program Support

Our research and community service are often carried out through the school's Institutes of Excellence and through special projects and programs developed to address specific opportunities and needs. The School of Social Work makes a considerable investment of time and resources in community collaborations and in university programs and projects, such as:

• Community Service Learning, which supports paid community-based internships for undergraduates who are exploring social work in the context of local community engagement;
• Partnership for Youth, a collaborative partnership between the school, homeless youth agencies, local businesses and homeless youth to improve the coordination of services for homeless youth in the University District;
• The Spitzer Peace Exchange, a faculty and student exchange program between the School of Social Work and Ben Gurion University, in Israel, established to address the effects of globalization, poverty, migration, and civil and international conflict.

Annual Support

The School of Social Work's community of alumni and friends plays a critical role our students' success. Through your involvement, we are able to focus on our priorities:

Providing need-based scholarships to both undergraduate and graduate students so that they receive the highest-quality education and training we can offer. By designating your gift to the School of Social Work Students First Fund, you help future social workers who will serve our communities in the future.

• Encouraging public engagement through opportunities such as the School's Practicum program. Our BASW and MSW students contribute to our communities by annually giving 176,080 hours of their time to over 217 area human, health, and social service entities as part of their Practicum.
• Further developing a place where a world class, highly diverse community of students, staff, and faculty can flourish by making enhancements in community empowerment, access to school, and excellence in academic programs.

The School of Social Work's BASW and MSW students make a significant contribution to our communities by annually giving over 176,000 hours of their time to over 217 area human, health, and social service entities annually as part of their Practicum. Many of these agencies simply could not otherwise afford that help without our Practicum students, and your contribution supports those students who serve our communities. Scholarships make a real difference in our students' education and all of our lives.

• E. Shayne Kraemer, Advanced Standing MSW student and recipient of the 2007-08 Premiere Social Work Scholar Award, hopes to work with government leaders to help create public policies that reflect social justice and build upon the strengths inherent in all communities. Through understanding and partnering with community stakeholders, Shayne believes that positive change can be created that addresses the overall needs of that community, especially with respect to marginalized or disenfranchised community members.
• Ashley Tierra Sutton, second year MSW student and the recipient of the 2007-08 Marjorie M. Jones Endowed Social Work Scholarship, hopes to work with underserved African-American communities, empowering and mobilizing all generations to become catalysts for change. Through advocacy and the sharing of their experiences and social realities, Ashley hopes to impact policies and programs and build alliances with other constituents and enable these communities to do the same.
• Todd A. Evensen, Advanced Standing MSW student from Seattle and the recipient of Ludwig and Edith Lobe Scholarship in Social Work, not only did his Practicum at VA Puget Sound Hospital, Deployment Health Clinic/Psychiatric Emergency Services, but he also hopes to continue to work with veterans while using a recovery model that is culturally competent and ethnically sensitive. This will include partnering with the community to ensure a positive outcome for each veteran.

You can help make more success stories like these possible. Gifts to the Social Work Development Fund provide critical funds for the School to use where they are most needed. For additional funds to support, click here. Your gift, large or small, will have a profound impact on the lives of students and teachers, rewarding them for their accomplishments and helping them realize their aspirations.

Recognition Levels

The President's Club ($2,000+)
Dean's Club ($500+)

Additional Information

the road to the future

Contact Information

For more information about helping the School of Social Work achieve its goals, please contact:

Kim Isaac
Director of Development
School of Social Work
University of Washington
Box 354900
Seattle, WA 98105-4900
206.616.9504

For more information on the School of Social Work, visit our web site at http://www.ssw.washington.edu/