Amid an urgent need for more support personnel in K-12 schools, Augsburg University is piloting a new program to train the next generation of school social workers and school-based therapists. Lots of social work students want to work in education, says Associate Professor Erin Sugrue, who chairs Augsburg’s social work department. But the requirement to complete at least one year-long internship in a school setting creates a structural hurdle for students who can’t afford to spend a year or more in an unpaid position. As a result, many internship placements in public schools go unfilled each year.
Tulane University has been selected to be a member of the FirstGen Forward Network, a group of higher education institutions dedicated to strengthening the experiences and success of first-generation students in education and future career opportunities.