Social Work Students Exemplify the Value of Service during COVID
Service remains one of the six core values of the social work profession and true to that value graduate and undergraduate social work students found new and unique ways to be of service to the University of Wyoming and the larger community. The Office of the Dean of Students created a program to reach out to students who were quarantined and isolated and over 15 social work students volunteered to check in with these students on a regular basis to insure their emotional and physical well-being. Each student volunteered several hours per week reaching out. Another outreach program through the Wyoming Center on Aging (WyCOA) was designed to give caregivers a break during the isolation caused by COVID. Katie Sloan, a social work student who volunteered for the program, wrote about her experience with the program. “Overall, I believe that during that hour, the caregiver was able to take a break (although they had to trouble shoot once or twice) and the client enjoyed the experience of using the technology, still getting social interaction, and being able to do an activity they enjoyed. It really was a unique experience and we do not know the next time a pandemic will cause us to have to isolate again. It was a wonderful learning experience about how we can still connect through digital means and give hope to people feeling isolated.” The Association of Students of Social Work on both the Laramie and Casper campuses, the Association of Graduate Students, along with members of Phi Alpha Social Work
Grace Peterson, at right in the foreground, and Alexa Becerra, directly behind her, assist an Albany County Library employee with Earth Day cleanup. Both Grace and Alexa are seniors who graduated from the BSW program. Alexa will be starting the MSW program in fall of 2021. Alexa was representing the Association of Students of Social Work (ASSW) and Grace was doing community service for the Phi Alpha Honor Society.
Honor Society were very active in the community finding new and creative ways to provide service. Activities included lawn cleanup for local nonprofits to celebrate Earth Day and writing letters of gratitude to frontline workers including teachers, postal workers, and custodians. During a spring snowstorm, a group of students built snow people outside the windows of nursing home residents to bring smiles to these folks who were also isolated by the pandemic. A literacy project was developed to provide audio books for preschoolers. The books were accessed with a computer link with social work students reading favorite children’s books. A mask donation project was conducted for a local elementary school. The University of Wyoming Social Work students were able to provide fun and service to make a difference in the lives of others as well as viewing them as productive learning experiences. 9
