EAST ST. LOUIS – March 6-12, 2022, is National School Social Work Week, an opportunity for schools, communities, and partners to acknowledge and recognize the impactful work social workers do to support students, families, and their communities.
School social workers focus on the whole child, link families to community resources, and serve as a valuable voice as part of a school’s multi-disciplinary team. “School social workers are powerful. Not because they have magic wands, but because they deeply care and support our youth,” said School District 189 Executive Director of Communications Sydney Kaufman, MSW.
Kaufman, herself a social worker, noted that the East St. Louis School District has multiple school social workers at each campus that assist with advice, support, and resources for students and their families. “They help solve problems that may negatively impact student learning, equip students with social-emotional learning skills, and foster a positive culture and climate within each school campus.”
The theme for National School Social Work Week 2022 is “Time to Shine.” The School Social Work Association of America (SSWAA) believes that School Social Workers shine brightly for their students, families, and school communities. Shining hope. Shining understanding. Shining respect.
“School Social Workers are humble professionals,” said Rebecca Oliver, LMSW, SSWAA Executive Director, “who often are the voice for students and families but do not always voice the value they add to the school community. School Social Workers shine a light on the need for mental health services, offering hope for students and families who face various challenges, and lighting the way for marginalized youth.”
Kaufman added, “We are deeply grateful for our quality, caring, school social workers. They lead small groups, individual counseling sessions, provide home visits, and more. Social workers make a difference for our students every day.”
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East St. Louis School District 189 is focused on providing rigorous, high quality education and exceptional educational experiences to the approximately 5,000 students within the community. Our vision is for students to be supported physically, socially, and emotionally in a safe and nurturing environment to achieve academic successthat prepares them for college, the workforce, and citizenship in the 21st century. For more information, visit www.estl189.com. Follow more great stories @estl189 on Facebook and Twitter.
About the School Social Work Association of America (SSWAA): SSWAA is a membership organization with the mission to empower school social workers and promote the profession to enhance the social and emotional growth and academic outcomes of all students nationally and globally. For more information about SSWAA, please visit sswaa.org.
