STUDY AWAY EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE
Not all classrooms have four walls
ALOHA!
Join us as we journey to Hawai'i in 2024 to learn
about the unique social work practice in Hawai'i.
Social Work Policy and Practice in Hawai'i
Through the Social Work Abroad Program (SWAP) and a partnership with Cal State University, LA
The purpose of this course is to provide students with exposure to social work practice in Hawai'i. This course will provide an overview of various areas of social work practice such as child welfare, homelessness, and corrections, including respecting the host culture and working with Native Hawaiians, who continue to be over-represented in these areas. Students will attend lectures to learn about historical and cultural trauma and decolonizing social work practice. Students will also have an opportunity to engage in action and service, thereby putting what they learn into practice through a culminating service-based project with a local social service agency.
HAWAI'I
Hawai'i has a rich history dating back to the first millennium when the islands were first settled by Polynesians. The islands and their inhabitants were isolated for 500 years, developing a unique culture with a sacred connection to the land. Contact with Europeans and the annexation of the islands as part of the United States led to many changes that negatively impacted the Native Hawaiian population.
Currently, Hawai'i has a substantial Native Hawaiian population—but one that is disproportionately represented when it comes to involvement in systems such as foster care, juvenile justice, and incarceration. This study away program offers the opportunity to interact with social workers from a different culture. Students will learn about both the challenges related to the consequence of historical trauma and also the power of resiliency among people and communities, as the Hawaiian culture and its people continue to demonstrate.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
During the three week study away program students will be able to:
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Describe the issues of social justice and human rights for children, youth, adults, and families in Hawaiʿi in the areas of child welfare, juvenile justice, and corrections;
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Describe how social workers use a trauma-informed approach to practice, with consideration of cultural and historical trauma;
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Engage, honor, and respect Native Hawaiian culture, towards decolonized professional practice;
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Describe the difference between cultural humility and cultural competency in micro, mezzo, and macro level social work practice;
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Understand how social work programs and services operate in public and private organizations through field visits; and
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Engage in action and service through a culminating service-based project with a local social service agency.
"I could not turn back the time for political change, but there is still time to save our heritage. You must remember never to cease to act because you fear you may fail."
~Queen Liliuokalani (last Reigning Monarch) to her adopted daughter| January 1917
GET MORE INFO
Social Work Abroad Program (SWAP)
Attention: Carla Bykowski, MSW
Founding Member
Thank you to Samantha Gunther
Ms. Gunther generously gave of her time to help us with the creation of this website. We are so appreciative of her amazing talent as it helped create what we think is a beautiful website that reflects the beauty of Hawai'i.
