Our Momentum project for the Social Work Student Assistance Scholarship has had twenty-seven donors. We have also won both the social media challenge and the raffle. Once the money from the raffle is transferred, we will be at 86% of our goal. In other words, we need just $559 to achieve our fundraising goal.

100% of the money donated to this fund goes to help students who are in their final semester before graduation and experiencing significant financial crisis.

Please spread the word and help us get those final donations: https://momentum.memphis.edu/project/8056

Donors,

There are only eight days until Social Work Day on the Hill (SWDOTH), and we are getting excited! Yesterday, student and faculty leaders had a preliminary meeting to plan for our trip next week. Please see the message from them in the picture below.

Thanks to your donations, we have paid the SWDOTH registration fees and chartered a bus to take 56 students. The bus is almost full and we have several students driving up on their own.

Stay tuned for more updates next week! 

Sincerely,

Susan Neely-Barnes

We are excited that we made our project goal! These students are looking forward to the next Social Work Day on the Hill on March 22, 2017. No need to stop here. We have two days left. All money raised will go to support our participation in Social Work Day on the Hill either in 2017 or 2018. Thank you so much for supporting our students!

The date is set for SWDOTH 2017! It will be March 22, 2017. Here's one student's reflection on her experience last year: 

When I went to Social Work Day on the Hill 2016 I was not sure what to expect. I am passionate about Social Work and jumped at any opportunity to learn more about it. When it came time to head to Nashville, I got all ready in my black suit and white shirt (University of Memphis tradition) and got on my way. When I arrived, I was greeted by students in the bachelors, masters, and doctorate level, alumni, and faculty from school across Tennessee. There were venders from many schools and job locations recruiting for their place. The capitol was the building to be at that day. As the first presenter came up to talk about a social justice issue that would help us lobby our senators later that day, my excitement and compassion for policy advocacy grew. After many presenters went, we headed to different hearings, lobbied our senators and helped to impact not only our quality of life but everyone else around us. I left that day excited for the master’s program I was beginning in the fall. Now that I am here, I feel strongly towards bettering our state and our country.

Social Work Day on the Hill is such an important event for social work students, especially for those from our corner of the state! Many of the students in our department are first generation college students, the first from their families to explore the institutions that impact the quality of life of our communities. Through personal and classroom experiences, our students are well-acquainted with the social justice, economic inequality, and policy issues affecting Memphis families. Through local volunteering and internships, our students get hands-on experience in addressing these issues in direct service. However, given our distance from the state capitol, it is difficult to provide our students with equivalent hands-on practice in policy advocacy. Please help us send students to this event.

Social Work Day on the Hill fills this gap. It is the perfect opportunity to acquaint students with the state legislature and build their confidence to engage in meaningful policy practice. We have bright, passionate, well-spoken students; with support they can and will address the issues that impact our quality of life. Please give today!