Social Work students have countless opportunities (beyond University-wide experiences) that are available through the Department including service, leadership opportunities, expanded education and fun.
- Social Work Student Association (SWSA)
- Phi Alpha Zeta Xi Chapter
- Community Events
- Social Work Day on the Hill
- This annual event, sponsored by the National Association of Social Workers, brings practitioners, educators and students from all over the state together at Legislative Plaza to discuss policy responses to the issues that impact our profession and clients. In addition to presenting knowledgeable speakers and legislators, the event serves as a call to action and links the practice community to social welfare policy.
- Belmont's Literacy Day
- Each spring, Belmont hosts a Literacy Day for the neighborhood children. Students gather on the lawn, sitting on blankets, and read to the students.
- Graduate School Preparation
- Atlanta and New Orleans for social work education conferences. Students met with graduate school representatives from across the country.
- Memphis to learn more about the MSW program at University of Memphis and stop a the National Civil Rights Museum and St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
- New York City to visit Columbia University and New York University.
- Washington D.C. which included stops at Howard University, the Holocaust Museum and a meeting with a lobbyist to learn about policy practice in social work.
- Chicago with visits to Loyola University, University of Chicago and University of Illinois at Chicago. Students also visited Hull House, the historic settlement house founded by Jane Addams, the “mother” of the social work profession.
SWSA is an active group of social work majors and minors who work together to bring in guest speakers, arrange social events, take trips, establish a student mentoring program (match Junior/Senior majors with Freshmen/Sophomore majors) and to volunteer their time to area agencies. This is definitely one aspect of the Social Work Department that you won't want to miss!
The Social Work Student Association is lead by a Leadership Council and will work with the council members to plan and implement activities, events, and community service projects that support our social work students, the Belmont community, and the greater Nashville area.
2021-2022 Social Work Club Officers
Co-leaders: Lizzie Bowen and Danielle Fite Leadership
Council members: Miranda Atkinson, Laura Balan, Julie Hanse, Skyler Levine, Grace Mersino, Grace Officer, Jacob Shelton, Natalie Schilling, Cora Williams, and Savannah Wood
In the Spring 1997 Semester, the Social Work Club presented materials to Phi Alpha, the national honor society in Social Work, for Belmont to have a chapter. This was approved and Belmont's chapter, Zeta Xi became a reality with seven students in the first listing of chapter membership.
2021 Members: Mackenzie Bailey, Laura Balan, Zackary Bostic, Lizzy Bowen, Elia Despradel, Katherine Dow, Allene Fields, Danielle Fite, Laurel Flaherty, Lexie Land, Garrett Lee, Skyler Levine, Olivia Love, McKenzie Martin, Grace Mersino, Gabrielle Mitchell, Carmen Morrissey, Vianney Muniz, Molly Porter, Francis Renwick, Grace Starzynski, Cora Thomas, Fatima Whaley, Alison Wine
Our students get engaged in the community day one!
With the majority of students going on to grad school, Social Work provides significant prep for this next step. The Social Work program plans an educational trip for students to visit a graduate program and visit historical landmarks in the area that relate to social work issues.
Recent trips have included: