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Developing Whole Leaders for the whole World

20120321_social_work_trip_capitol

ORU social work students attend event at state Capitol

By Sara Rozalina Krstevski ('12)

Oklahoma CapitolOral Roberts University's Social Work students had the opportunity to attend the National Association of Social Workers Legislative Day at the state Capitol recently. Lanny Endicott, ORU associate professor of Social Work, sponsored the students from his Social Welfare Policy class. About 21 students had the privilege to attend and meet other social work students from around the state.

"This is an annual event sponsored by National Association of Social Workers designed to expose students to the Capitol and the work that goes on there," Endicott said. "The goal is ultimately to tie social workers more into the political process and its effects on clients that social workers serve."

The students had a chance to tour the Capitol, sit in on state Senate and state House deliberations, talk to Legislators, and even visit the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum.

"This adds to the students' breadth and depth of understanding the political process," Endicott said. "Students must be involved to be effective social workers and advocates for human rights, social justice, and providing vital resources for Oklahoma's disadvantaged. This process provides a field trip to see in action the things we talk about in class. A key goal in social work education is teaching students to be advocates promote humane causes, programs, and help for those who don't have a voice."

Endicott believes that this will benefit ORU by increasing involvement in the community.

"I believe this process is an important goal for college education in general and ORU's focus on educating the whole person in specific," Endicott. "We want graduates of the ORU Social Work program to not only be competent working with clients they serve, but advocates for change of the various systems that affects these very clients."

 

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