Faculty Member Leads NASW-FL to Offer Webinars to Connect with Students

As the COVID-19 pandemic gained a foothold in the US and colleges and universities were moving online, Carol Campbell Edwards, an assistant teaching professor at the FSU College of Social Work, was inspired to develop a Spring 2020 webinar series that would promote virtual engagement for social work students who were suddenly disconnected and isolated. As most grappled with how to begin the day working from home, Edwards and Susan Mankita, the President-Elect of NASW-FL were logging in to connect with students from around the globe. In full support, Jim Akin, Executive Director of NASW-FL provided needed resources and Katrina Boone, Director of Field Education in the FSU College of Social Work, provided guidance and recommendations.

As president of the National Association of Social Workers, Florida Chapter (NASW-FL), Edwards was in a unique position to move quickly and offer at least one solution. She developed a plan to use the Zoom digital conference platform to expand the partnership with NASW-FL and social work education programs. She hoped the webinar series would create a community of learners that would be responsive to the critical situation we faced. Little did she know that it would become a transformative and vital connection for so many.

Utilizing professionals throughout the social work community, NASW-FL was able to provide twenty-five webinar sessions in March and April that offered a hands-on learning experience in a unique, virtual platform. The response from professional social workers willing to participate or facilitate a webinar was astounding as well. More than 450 students participated in these sessions, with each session attracting 125 to 150 participants. As one student remarked, “if you build it, they will come.”

Students expressed how important these webinars were to them through an outpouring of affirming messages after attending them. “Every single session was invaluable. These sessions were everything I didn’t know that I needed,” one student wrote.

They expressed how important the sessions were to their academic and emotional well-being. “Learning from all the presenters has made me feel so rooted and like there are such incredible mentors I can turn to for guidance. Like none of us are in this alone,” affirmed another student.

The webinars became a place to connect with peers and to obtain support from social work faculty and professionals. Students requested that the support continue and under Edwards’s leadership, a summer series will begin in July.

As Edwards reflects on the experience, what began as a response to meet a need, has grown into a labor of purpose and passion. In this case, the teacher has become the student, and there are 3 lessons she has learned and shares with all of us.

• Lesson 1: Students are grateful for the opportunity to continue learning and they appreciate the expertise and wisdom of experienced professionals.
• Lesson 2: Virtual classrooms can become communities of support and affirmation. In virtual chats, students demonstrated compassion and humanity, which is contrary to the cancel culture we see in our society.
• Lesson 3: When we work together, we demonstrate the value of collective responsibility.                     

This is a time of great change. Let’s stay supportive and connected. Visit https://naswfl.org for additional resources.