This semester, Innovate@BCSW is following the experiences of four BC Social Work students who have embarked on international field education placements in Latin America, Europe, and Africa. Stay tuned during the spring for ongoing updates through student-crafted blog posts, video diaries, and photography.
Aislinn Betancourt
Dana Loatman
Ashlen Nimmo
Caitlin O'Donnell
Global concentration graduate Skylar Chew discusses the impact of international field education.
In this short video from this year’s border course, Westy Egmont outlines some of the challenges facing social workers at the point of entry of Nogales, and he explains how BCSSW helps to train MSW candidates to better understand these challenges, and begin to build solutions. Read more on the Blog »
Professor Westy Egmont takes BCSSW students to Italy, "the Texas/Arizona of Europe," to learn how to tackle the issues of immigrant integration. Read more on the Blog »
Since its founding, Boston College School of Social Work has been committed to the international dimensions of social problems and social work. Though the issues each country or community faces may be unique, the research-driven knowledge, experience-based insight, and field-tested skills required to address them are endlessly adaptable—as our graduates demonstrate throughout the world.
Our renowned MSW Global Practice concentration has taken students to five different continents where they were placed in refugee camps, child abuse centers, women's empowerment programs, and a wide range of other social service agencies.
As a Global Practice student, you might provide HIV/AIDS counseling, draft immigration policies, help develop programs for sexually exploited girls and teens, or evaluate housing for the poor.
Our international courses with a field component focus on social work issues in a variety of locations and are open to students of all concentrations. Students have had the opportunity to travel to and participate in community efforts in countries such as Chile, China, Cuba, Greece, India, Italy, Lesotho, Mexico, Nepal, Northern Ireland, Romania, Tanzania, and Thailand to observe how social work affects local cultures.
Along with the National Association of Deans and Directors of Schools of Social Work and the Council on Social Work Education, we are a patron sponsor of the annual International Social Work Conference.