“My role as a school social worker centers around serving our students and families in need and breaking down those barriers that are preventing a child from being successful in school,” described Kelsey Lather Britten, a school social worker with Florida’s Lee County School District. The district has more than 95,000 students in grades K-12 in 120 schools.
Daniel Vila, a double-major in commercial music and social work, always wanted to travel more, and thanks to earning a Gilman Scholarship his wish has come true. The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program is run by the U.S. Department of State and gives students with limited financial means the opportunity to study or intern in foreign countries.
— Researchers at the Institute for Justice Research and Development (IJRD) at the Florida State University College of Social Work are expanding their work with the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office and the John E.
The Center for the Study and Promotion of Communities, Families, and Children (CFC Center) at the FSU College of Social Work is helping families prepare for natural disasters in Calhoun County, Florida. During three events this summer, the center joined community organizations to deliver three emergency preparation rallies, or “prep rallies” at local libraries and schools.
Florida State University Panama City faculty member Denise Montford, ACSW, LCSW, has been named the 2022 Social Work Educator of the Year by the Florida Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW-FL).
Growing up in his native Haiti, Nelson Jean Francois knew he enjoyed helping others and contributing to his community. At the State University of Haiti majoring in social work seemed a natural choice. He worked with children during his internship, but also wished to continue his education in social work. Without an option for a master’s degree in social work, he began graduate studies in the area of development science working to empower people and improve engagement and participation in community-building and projects.
The Center for the Study and Promotion of Communities, Families and Children at the FSU College of Social Work has teamed up with the Community Foundation for Palm Beach Counties and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County to tackle pandemic-related mental health challenges for local children and adolescents.
This spring the Northeast Unit of the National Association of Social Workers, Florida Chapter celebrated its local social workers and their contributions to the profession and community. Shamara D.
Online MSW student Ariana Giampietro was recently featured as a finalist for FSU’s 2022 Graduate Student Excellence in Visual Arts Award. Her painting “Psychedelic Newts (For Aaron),” inspired by Florida’s Big Shoals State Park, was featured in an exhibit of participating students’ work in the Honors, Scholars and Fellows House at Florida State University’s main campus.
This spring the FSU Alumni Association held an event to commemorate the latest recipients of the Grads Made Good Awards, co-presented by the Alumni Association and the Seminole Circle of Florida State University’s Omicron Delta Kappa, a national leadership honor society.
