Published on : May 22, 2020
Graduates of social work programs across the country this year are united by more than the usual accomplishments, sharing an environment in which the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected all our lives. Forced to forego the traditional gatherings to celebrate graduation, graduates, educators, and programs have found ways to bring special meaning to commencement events through technology and social networks.
To support those efforts, CSWE has created a dedicated space for students, faculty members, social workers, allied health-care providers, and others to leave thoughts, messages, videos, and photos for the Class of 2020.
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“On behalf of the staff of CSWE and over 800 programs of social work education, I want to say congratulations to the Class of 2020. It's something that you can be incredibly proud of, even though the current pandemic has created another whole layer of emotions for this particular time,” said CSWE President and CEO Darla Spence Coffey, PhD, MSW.
CSWE hopes this platform will provide support for the entire social work community in this uncertain time. “In addition to the bittersweet happiness and sadness felt around graduations, we've also felt fear, uncertainty, and maybe even anger about not being able to celebrate with the typical amount of pomp and circumstance,” Coffey said. “We encourage and welcome anyone to share their experiences, thoughts, or feelings in our Spark community.”
Head to the Class of 2020 community today. It is free and easy to register for a Spark account and connect with this community and others.