Posted by Josh Klapperick
posted on April 12, 2024
You’re nearly there! You’ll soon be done for the academic year, and we at the Metro DC Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers couldn’t be prouder of you and your hard work. Congratulations!
ORDER YOUR GRADUATION HONOR CORD
If you are graduating, be sure to order your special teal honor cord to wear as you walk the stage. This identifies you as a proud social work graduate and NASW member! The cord is FREE to NASW student members—just $5 covers shipping.
Order quickly to ensure it gets to you in time—note that you must first sign into the website as an NASW member to access the honor cord in the online store. You will not see the cord on the online store unless signed in.
EXTEND YOUR STUDENT NASW MEMBERSHIP TO SAVE MONEY
Please don’t forget to renew your student NASW membership BEFORE you walk the stage to enjoy one more year of ultra-discounted student dues. If you miss that chance, please renew at the discounted transitional rate, which you can learn about here.
NETWORK WITH SOCIAL WORK STUDENTS AT NASW’S FREE STUDENT WEBINAR
All student members of any class are invited to attend a free student webinar, “What to Know Before You Go: Social Work Scholarship After Graduation” Thursday, April 18 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. You’ll hear from librarians about how to apply research skills you developed in your programs to the real world. You’ll also learn about resources and tools that will support your practice as a lifelong learner and social worker. Again, it’s free, but you need to register.
Missed the previous NASW student webinars? Watch recordings of past career- and advocacy-focused student webinars from 2023 here.
ENJOY VIRTUAL NETWORKING AND BETTER STUDENT LOAN MANAGEMENT
Students often don’t realize how many benefits NASW offers to them. Check out the ones below to save money, build your professional network, find a job, and get answers to your social work questions.
- Tap into MyNASW online community. You have access to 110,000-plus social work members in different settings nationwide, and many are engaged in the MyNASW virtual community. Read and engage with their shared advice, insider info on internships and job openings, answers to social work case and licensing questions, and discussion about important social work issues. Check out the energetic Student Community section of this welcoming forum to gain greater value from your NASW membership!
- One of the most-valued NASW benefits by students and new graduates is NASW’s partnership with SAVI, a student loan management firm that will analyze your student debt and recommend how you can best reduce monthly payments, pay off debt faster, and/or position your loans for potential federal loan forgiveness. Learn more about SAVI, saving money, and getting out of student loan debt here.
PARTICIPATE IN THE NASW VIRGINIA AND METRO DC VIRTUAL CONFERENCE
As part of your NASW student benefits, I invite you to attend the 2024 NASW Metro DC and Virginia Joint Virtual Annual Conference April 18-20 at a heavily discounted rate. You can pick from 36 live-virtual sessions, plus keynotes relevant to all social work specialties: ethics, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, racial and social justice, school social work, trauma, child and adolescent welfare, ecotherapy, new treatments and research, mental health, and more.
Stay in your PJs while engaging in the live chat and Q&A!
We had a number of students at the in-person conference of 180 social workers in March, and student feedback has been positive and enthusiastic. As a virtual student attendee, you also get our best available registration rates:
- $200, live-virtual for three partial days
- $300, live-virtual (April 18-20), plus convenient, on-demand access to recorded sessions for nearly two months, April 24-June 22
- $350, on-demand-only from April 24 to June 22
- $135 live-virtual, one day only
WE ARE HERE TO HELP YOU
Again, if you’re soon paying back student loans, please check out NASW’s student loan page and SAVI for the latest financial aid news and dedicated help for social work school borrowers.
NASW Metro DC Chapter is here for you! If you ever want to talk about social work licensing, career development, ethics, or any other social work topic, please reach out to me at driggs.naswva@socialworkers.org (VA) or driggs.naswdc@socialworkers.org (DC).
Thank you for your membership in NASW—I hope to see you at the Virtual Annual Conference, and I wish you the best of luck on your final exams and projects.