Strategic Plan 2019 & Beyond: Deepen Community Engagement
Summary: Deepen Community Engagement
As a core focus of the 2019 & Beyond Strategic Plan, we committed to strengthening and increasing community partnerships, outreach and engagement efforts in the state of Kansas and beyond.
The KU School of Social Welfare has extended its reach through practicum education, continuing education for practicing social workers, research partnerships, public scholarship, alumni engagement, and expanding access to educational programs in rural Kansas and online.
Alumni and friends of the School of Social Welfare support scholarships, emergency funds and program funds that help our students complete their degrees.
Featured Updates
Professional Continuing Education
The School of Social Welfare partners with agencies to provide updated training required for social workers to maintain professional licensure. A calendar of in-person and virtual continuing education events builds social work capacity in communities across Kansas.
Center for Community Engagement & Collaboration
CCEC promotes public scholarship from the School of Social Welfare, expanding the reach for important research. CCEC also represents the school in community-university alliances, bringing social work values and skills to this community-engaged work.
Student Emergency Fund
The Emergency Fund helps students navigate unplanned expenses or emergencies, such as eviction, food insecurity, medical care or transportation costs. From AY2022-AY2027, the fund supported 220 students, with a 95% retention rate for students receiving funds.
Programs & Events
Expanded Access to Social Work Education
KU trains future social workers to serve the communities they live in. Efforts since 2019 include expanded regional MSW programs, the online MSW and DSW, and new practicum agency partnerships.
Sharing Social Work Research
Researchers in the School of Social Welfare share their knowledge through free continuing education events, research and policy briefs, legislative testimony, and national service.
Serving Kansas Communities
KU social work students contribute thousands of service hours each year through practicum, a for-credit internship that places students in agencies, nonprofits, hospitals, schools, and other settings. In 2024-2025, students contributed over 156,000 service hours through practicum.
Programs & Events
Alumni Connections
The School has worked to strengthen alumni connections by hosting alumni events, sharing a monthly Dean's Update newsletter, and providing continuing education programs. A re-established Alumni Advisory Board provides guidance on workforce needs.
One Day One KU
In the past nine years, donors have contributed more than $188,000 to the School of Social Welfare through One Day One KU. These donations support student scholarships, the Emergency Fund, the Practicum Student Support Fund, and the Toni Johnson Scholars program.
Practicum Student Support Fund
Donations to the Practicum Student Support Fund provide scholarships that help offset the unseen costs of practicum, such as gas and car repairs. Since the fund started in 2024-2025, 43 students have received $1,000 scholarships.
Progress
- Expanded free and low-cost continuing education for social workers and community partners through a mix of virtual and in-person programs.
- Used regional MSW programs, online education, and new practicum partnerships to reach students and agencies throughout Kansas and beyond.
- Supported researchers in developing and sustaining community-engaged projects and in translating findings for practitioners, policymakers, and the public.
- Strengthened alumni connections through a re-established Alumni Advisory Board, regional events, professional learning, and an emphasis on workforce development.
- Strengthened reciprocal relationships with agencies, schools, health systems, nonprofits, tribal communities, state partners, and other universities.
- Increased scholarship and emergency support through donor partnerships and record-setting One Day One KU participation.
By the Numbers: Deepen Community Engagement
1,661
CCEC and the Practicum Education Office hosted over 1,600 attendees at continuing education events in 2024-2025. Virtual sessions regularly draw 150+ people per event.
95%
Donations to the Student Emergency Fund have supported 220 students in the past five years. Of the students who received funding, 95% either stayed in school or graduated.
$2.35M
The economic impact of student service through practicum in 2024-2025 was $2,350,150. In Kansas, students contributed service valued at over $1.6 million.
Related Stories
2026 One Day One KU raises over $42,800 for School of Social Welfare
Donations from One Day One KU will provide funds to students through scholarships, the Student Emergency Fund, and the Practicum Student Support Fund.
How KU social work students benefit from practicum education
Students gain real-world experience and receive one-to-one mentoring during their social work practicum placement. Current MSW students share what they've learned in practicum.
Seminar to prevent sexual violence on campus earns national recognition
More than 7,000 KU students have completed the Prevention is Possible Seminar since 2018. The program - a partnership between the KU Sexual Assault Prevention & Education Center and the KU School of Social Welfare - earned a 2025 NASPA Innovative Program Award.
Professional to present on trauma management in K-12 schools
“Integrating trauma-informed practices in school can help foster an environment where all students have the opportunity to heal, grow, and reach their full potential,” said Roslyn Christopher, associate professor of the practice, of her Aug. 7 presentation.