The Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Foundation along with the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Big Bend Chapter celebrated National Philanthropy Day on Thursday, February 22nd at the FSU University Club.

Each year, Philanthropy Day pays tribute to the generous contributions philanthropists and those active in the charitable sector have made in the Big Bend area and their communities.

This year, the National Association of Social Worker’s (NASW) theme for Social Work Month (March 2019) is “Elevate Social Work.” NASW explains that Social Work Month is an opportunity for social workers around the nation and world, along with their supporters, to educate the public about the invaluable contributions of the profession.

My friend and fellow MSW Student Savannah Pierce was at a doctor’s appointment when her nurse started talking about her family in Bay County lost everything during Hurricane Michael and were feeling the cold now that the temperature was dropping in the area. 

She texted me about it and we realized we had not even considered how the winter weather would affect those impacted by the storm that hit the Gulf Coast in October 2018. We decided to do something about it. 

Poverty may be the most troubling and complex social problems we face. According to the World Bank, more than 768.5 billion people were experiencing poverty around the world in 2017. Despite being one of the richest countries in the world, the United States is home to around 40 million people in poverty. 

The Florida State University College of Social Work will host a daylong conference that examines the challenges of poverty and ways that they can be addressed.

Three teams led by Florida State University faculty members have received funding from the university to propel their pioneering research from the lab to the marketplace.

The National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision at Mississippi State University named Sylvia Stinson-Perez as the new director of the Older Individuals who are Blind Technical Assistance Center.

Stinson-Perez has more than 20 years of experience in the field of vision rehabilitation and five years in higher education. She received her MSW (1993) and BSW (1991) along with a Master's degree (2010) in education witha specialization on visual disabilities at Florida State University. She assumes her new leadership role Monday, Jan. 7.

Assistant Professor John Mathias has a unique approach to social work. At the FSU College of Social Work, he uses research approaches from both anthropology and social work to address his research areas of interest.  Dr. Mathias earned his doctoral degree from the University of Michigan where he was able to combine these two passions.

The Florida Center for Reading Research at Florida State University along with the FSU College of Social Work is partnering with Florida’s Agency for Persons with Disabilities to evaluate and improve their assessment tool for people with developmental disabilities.

The Questionnaire for Situational Information (QSI), administered by the agency, provides a way to determine the level of need for the individuals they serve.

Pay FSU tuition, and use your summer financial aid for this experience of a lifetime!

SOW 4935 - Global Perspective on Health and Welfare - 6 elective credits

This course provides knowledge and understanding of global situations related to health and welfare. Elements included in the course: UN Sustainable Development Goals in relation to health and welfare, cultural aspects, complexity and impact of social determinants of health in different countries, International Classification on Functioning Disability and Health.

Dr. Vishanthie Sewpaul will visit Florida State University as a guest of the College of Social Work to speak across campus and the university during her visit from January 22 through January 30.