National School Social Work Week

Many schools desperately need caring professionals like guidance counselors and social workers to ensure students’ emotional, social and educational needs are met. But proposals to arm teachers are irresponsible and dangerous. The role of educators is to teach and nurture our children, not to be armed guards.

Randi Weingarten

National School Social Work Week is an opportunity to learn about the unique contribution of school social workers within U.S. school systems. National School Social Work Week highlights the impact school social workers can have in helping students achieve school success.

If you’re unsure what school social workers do to help their communities out and want an opportunity to give them thanks, then this is the holiday dedicated to that cause.

History of National School Social Work Week

For many social workers, school isn’t about just learning your primary education. While learning is an essential factor, social workers focus on the needs of the children in these school districts, such as hunger, homelessness, domestic violence, and mental health issues.

These factors can be barriers in learning, and social workers don’t only focus on serious matters, they can also provide help throughout the school districts to keep the students learning and active in their community. Social workers can teach students life skills and lessons on emotional intelligence, including coping skills on how to handle their home life and interact with the people around them.

However, many times this kind of social work can be underappreciated for what they do. The School Social Work Association of America thus created the holiday back in 2009 through the news reports showing how essential and vital social works can be in a school setting.

Since then, the SSWAA encourages people to celebrate this holiday as a way to say thank you to those social workers that help students get through their school years and be able to function in society as active members.

Throughout the first week of March, social workers talk about what they do to help the students in their community and give students and parents an opportunity to thank these social workers for what they do.

How to celebrate National School Social Work Week

If you want to support your local school social worker, then the SSWAA has many opportunities for ideas that you can do to say thank you. If you’re a student at your local school and a social worker has helped you get through rough times. You can request your school newspaper to do an interview with them to talk about their experiences helping students out.

You can advertise the holiday by posting posters throughout the school to let your friends know what day it is.