Gero-Ed Center General FAQs

The mission of the Council on Social Work Education’s Gero-Ed Center (National Center for Gerontological Social Work Education), funded since 2004 by the John A. Hartford Foundation, is to promote gerontological competencies in baccalaureate and master’s level social work programs nationwide to prepare students to enhance the health and well-being of older adults and their families.

The CSWE Gero-Ed Center achieves our mission through the following programs:

• BSW Experiential Learning (BEL) Program
• Curriculum Development Institute (CDI) Program
• Specialized Gerontology (Spec Gero) Program
• Master's Advanced Curriculum (MAC) Project
• Educational Policy Programs

Yes, all our teaching and program resources on our website are free. You are welcome to modify them for use in your teaching. If you use them for any purposes other than your own teaching, please give attribution to the program that developed them.

If you would like your resource to be considered for our website, e-mail it to gero-edcenter@cswe.org. We will review your resource to ensure it meets our criteria for overall content and gero infusion. If approved, we will e-mail you our curricular resources and permissions form, which outlines the Center’s dissemination policy. Attribution will be granted to the individual and program from which the resource was sent.

We have an entire Web page dedicated to Textbook Infusion with a wealth of resources, including:

• Checklist for Gerontology Infusion in Textbooks
• A Model of Textbook Gero Infusion
• Print and Electronic Resources on Aging and Gerontological Social Work
• Suggested Readings on Use of Language about Older Adults
• Executive Summary of 2004 & 2009 Textbook Reviews

Case studies and other types of in-class exercises under Teaching Resources may also be helpful to you.

If you need assistance, we encourage you to contact the CSWE Gero-Ed Center. Our staff can provide you with guidance and relevant gero resources to embed in your textbooks.

We have an entire Web page dedicated to resources for Admissions Personnel. Admissions staff are in a key position to encourage students to consider course work, field placements, or careers in gerontological social work. The positive influence of Admissions personnel is vital since so many applicants have negative attitudes or misconceptions about work with older adults and their families. We have several resources online including:

• Why Recruit Students to Gerontological Social Work
• How to Respond to Student Stereotypes
• Facts on Aging
• Experience: Careers in Aging

We also have limited hardcopies of a Careers in Aging bookmark for students that we can distribute upon request.

Please contact the CSWE Gero-Ed Center if you have specific questions about how you can be part of this national gero social work movement. The Center would be pleased to mail you packet(s) of information developed specifically for use in Admissions Offices or provide you with one-on-one consultation.

While we do not have a Web page dedicated to Career Counselors, our Admissions Personnel Web page has a wealth of resources that are relevant for Career Counselors, including:

• Why Recruit Students to Gerontological Social Work
• How to Respond to Student Stereotypes
• Facts on Aging
• Experience: Careers in Aging

Our Learn More about Gero Social Work Web page also contains important resources for students, including:

• Facts on Aging
• Rethinking Aging Stereotypes: "But I Don't Want to Work With Older Adults!"
• Why Should I Consider a Career in Gero Social Work?

Our Careers in Gero Social Work Web page includes resources on finding jobs in gero social work as well as a listing of national organizations with a focus on aging issues.

The CSWE Gero-Ed Center Fund allows you to help further our mission. Your contribution helps support student and faculty awards, travel stipends, and special conference events.

If you would like to contribute, check the Gero-Ed Fund box when you renew your CSWE membership or e-mail the Gero-Ed Center for more information on how to give at any time during the year. Your contribution, no matter its size, will over time help ensure sustainability of select Gero-Ed Center activities after Hartford funding ends.