4th Western Consortium for the Grand Challenges for Social Work

We are thrilled to announce the 4th Western Consortium for the Grand Challenges for Social Work on March 1st, 2024, from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm PST via Zoom!

Over the past three consortiums, groups of deans, community partners, directors, chairs, and faculty have convened and explored ideas for curriculum development, the use of internships and community service initiatives, research-to-practice networks, and other mechanisms for forwarding the work of the Grand Challenges. Building on the work of the 3rd Western Consortium on university-community collaborations, we will continue conversations around models and structures for: 1) partnered collaboration, 2) best practices for creating and engaging community coalitions, and 3) partnered action to elevate and address the Grand Challenges. We look forward to community and academic partners from the West joining us in this collaboration!

We look forward to hosting four panels of community and academic speakers for this event and engaging in a community workshop to discuss where we go from here with the Grand Challenges to tackle these complex social issues. We hope that through this event, we can collectively envision how to better inform equitable and inclusive future academic-community partnerships. You are encouraged to extend this invitation to faculty and community partners to join you, with the expectation that attendees would become active in implementing ideas from this meeting. Continuing Education Units will be available following the event. Please RSVP using this link by February 21st, 2024.  (Zoom spatial priority will be for those affiliated with Western community and academic partnerships).

Learn more about how the Western Consortium was conceptualized, read biography information for all our academic and community panelists, and see the event agenda overview. A more detailed agenda will be provided following RSVP, and closer to the event date. For additional questions, please contact Sofie Aaron at gcsocialwork@uw.edu

The 4th Western Consortium Planning Committee

Michael S. Spencer, Ph.D., M.S.S.W.                        Felicia M. Mitchell, Ph.D., M.S.W.

Sofie Hana Aaron, M.S.W.                                          Buddy Myers B.A.H.

Carlton D. Craig, Ph.D., L.C.S.W.                              Philip Osteen, Ph.D.

Benjamin Henwood, Ph.D., L.C.S.W.                        Audrey M. Shillington, Ph.D., M.S.W., M.P.E.

Ronald Manderscheid, Ph.D.                                      James Herbert Williams, Ph.D., M.S.W.

Sophia Meshinchi B.A., M.S.W. Candidate

Helpful Materials and Links

GCSW Western Consortium History

GCSW Agenda Outline 2024

GCSW Panelist and Community Organizations 2024

Registration Link

Grand Challenges for Social Work Invites You to Go•Grander!