The American Council for School Social Work (ACSSW) held its first National School Social Work Institute focused on the Grand Challenges for Social Work (GCSW), Jan 27–30, 2019 at Tulane University in New Orleans. The institute brought together 170 school social workers and university professors representing 20 different states and included more than 75 distinguished presenters at more than 65 workshops, many focused on Grand Challenges related issues such as financial capability, homelessness, immigration, and racial equity. University of Southern California School of Social Work professors Dr. Larry Palinkas, Dr. Marleen Wong, and Dr. Ron Avi Astor, and Loyola University School of Social Work professor Dr. Michael Kelly, provided an overview of the GCSW with an emphasis on how and why school social workers and their school colleagues are essential to the full implementation of the Grand Challenges. GCSW staff members also presented workshops to engage the school social work practice community in their role in implementing the GCSW.
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