Taking the class to the community with service-learning: gerontological macro social work practice

Area of Science:

• Social Work Education
• Gerontology
• Community Partnerships

Background:

• Integrating gerontological content into Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) curricula is crucial for preparing students to serve an aging population.
• Traditional BSW programs may lack sufficient focus on the complexities of aging and geriatric care.
• Community partnerships offer a viable avenue for experiential learning in gerontology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development and implementation of community-based, service-learning assignments for a macro social work practice class.
• To infuse gerontological content throughout the BSW curriculum via practical, out-of-class experiences.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of interagency collaboration in social work education.

Main Methods:

• Developed community partnerships with agencies serving older adults.
• Designed "out-of-class" service-learning assignments for a macro social work practice course.
• Utilized Polvika's Conceptual Model for Community Interagency Collaboration to guide development and implementation.

Main Results:

• Successful integration of gerontological content through practical application in community settings.
• Demonstrated benefits to community agencies through student engagement and services provided.
• High levels of satisfaction reported by participating agencies, students, and faculty regarding the pedagogical method.

Conclusions:

• Community partnerships and service-learning are effective pedagogical methods for gerontological social work education.
• Interagency collaboration models can successfully guide the implementation of experiential learning in social work.
• This approach enhances student learning and provides valuable services to older adults and their communities.