Celebrating School Social Workers: Champions of Student Success
Every first week of March is School Social Work Week. This week is dedicated to honoring the essential work that school social workers do in our various schools. School social workers primarily work in primary and secondary schools, offering academic and classroom support, assisting in the development of education policies, and identifying and reporting child abuse and neglect.
The theme for National School Social Work Week 2025 is “Unite to Ignite: Celebrating our Impact.” It emphasizes school social workers’ role in building relationships and promoting equity, social, and emotional development within the school community.
A Brief History of School Social Work Week
School Social Work started due to the activities of different religious groups. The church, with the support of the Roman Empire, set up burial societies, poorhouses, homes for the elderly, orphanages, hospitals, and shelters throughout the cities of ancient Rome. These continued until the 17th century, when they took over to provide relief and charitable activities because the European governments at the time were unable to do so. The Industrial Revolution transferred this responsibility from the church and family to the state, leading to the establishment of social welfare services, but it was mainly associated with charity work. It was in the 20th century that social work adopted a more professional outlook.
School social work started in the US between 1907 and 1908 with visiting instructors to improve student attendance. However, due to increasing juvenile crimes, the government included school social workers in the American Education Act in 1994, and 64 school social workers from across the United States formed the School Social Work Association of America.
Why Social Work Week Is Important
- It recognizes the value of school social workers: This week is celebrated to recognize the importance of school social workers whose activities go beyond the classrooms to attend to students’ needs and proffer solutions to help address those issues.
- Social workers are essential to students: School social workers look at the underlying causes of a student’s behavioral and academic issues, identify the causes, and ways to address them.
- Social workers ensure students’ academic and overall well-being: School social workers assist children with emotional, behavioral, and developmental issues, such as learning impairments, traumatic experiences, and substance abuse. They communicate with parents and the school to evaluate these students’ conditions and offer needed support for their well-being.
School social workers bring positive change in the lives of students and the school community as they ensure that every student succeeds academically, socially, and emotionally.
