This week we are highlighting the career of SOCIAL WORK! Normally, when people think about this career, they automatically think of someone working at the Department of Human Services in Child Welfare removing children from abusive homes and placing them in foster care. While that is a route a Social Worker can choose to go, there are SO MANY more options for someone who chooses a career in Social Work. 

What do Social workers even do? Social workers help individuals, families, and communities combat difficult or stressful life situations. They work in rehabilitation centers, schools, hospitals, hospices, and correctional facilities, and often cooperate with professionals in other social service programs. They may help children with behavioral disorders, families in poverty, or victims of domestic abuse. Social workers are different from counselors, although some of their roles are similar. Counselors help individuals manage a specific issue such as alcoholism, divorce, or depression. Social workers provide a wider spectrum of services to a larger and more diverse clientele. In addition to one-on-one counseling, social workers help their clients access social services like recovery programs, financial assistance, or hospice care. Social Workers can work with individuals, families, groups, and can even be in charge of different policy changes within a community. 

After graduating from high school, someone interested in pursuing a career in Social Work will need to obtain a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college in Social Work (BSW), which will take a minimum of 4 years. It is possible to become a licensed Social Worker without getting a BSW; however, it will take longer, you will miss out on learning the necessary basics early on and in the long run you will have spent more money. After obtaining a BSW (or another bachelor’s degree), the next step is to enroll in a Master’s program (MSW). This is where obtaining a BSW saves you time and money. If you successfully complete a BSW program, you can enroll in an advanced standing Master’s program, which means you can obtain your MSW in a minimum of 1 year! For someone who does not have a BSW, the time to complete an MSW program will take a minimum of 2 years. In many states, in order to practice more specific forms of Social Work, such as therapy, you need to be licensed. In the state of Pennsylvania, in order to become a Licensed Social Worker (LSW) you need to pass the state exam, and in order to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) you have to work in the field for 6 years as an MSW or beyond, complete 3,000 hours of full time experience under an LCSW and pass the state exam. There are a handful of opportunities as a BSW, but as you move up the ladder and obtain more credentials, more opportunities and money become available. 

If you are drawn to social justice, interested in feelings, behavior, and overall mental health, this may be a career to consider! Maybe you survived difficult circumstances and now want to help people in similar positions. Maybe you have insight into what motivates people, you know that people’s lives change when they are empowered, and you find the work of helping others rewarding. If so, Social work may be for you! 

Happy New Year! As we welcome students back “into” school this week please join me on a walk down memory lane to reflect on the past few months that kicked off the 2021 program year for Promise Corps. I want to keep this reflection on a happy note, but we must address the elephant in the room; COVID-19. Many of us had high hopes that this virtual start and this virtual space would’ve ended by now, but here we are. I am proud to say that we remained resilient and undefeated!  2020 turned out to very rough and challenging for many; some say a wake-up call. With the civil uprising and civil unrest, this year provided us with an opportunity to reflect on our societal values, beliefs, entitlements, and privileges. Many of us reflected and took a stand against inequalities, inequities, and injustices. We acknowledged the impact on many local communities of color, specifically black and brown individuals and families who continue to feel underprivileged, underrepresented, and oppressed.

Making the question of the year, what is your power, and how will you use it to identify what part of history will be made?

Our coaches have specifically stepped up since starting in August. Here are some highlights!

While preparing them to be outstanding College and Career Coaches, we ensured that orientation and professional development sessions were intentional and diverse. Many local leaders and professionals provided us with training in leadership, engagement, cultural competency, education reform, protective factors, active listening, and self-care. In addition, LGBTQ+ Competencies, team roles, presentations, Trauma-Informed Care, Vicarious Trauma, Civic reflection, and the goals and strategies of the MacArthur Foundation. All taught during a pandemic! I am sure that there were many aha moments. One of mine was when Brandon Brown came in to teach us about active listening and what that truly means. These sessions provide us with an opportunity to get to know one another better, from personalities to attitudes, beliefs, and perspectives; Showing us that even in a virtual space, we can still have a human connection.

 Speaking of connections, let’s talk about the dedication demonstrated by our coaches in preparing to support and connect with our HS students! The hard work put in provided Promise Corps with the opportunity to support over 640 students. Giving up was not an option, countless emails were sent to educators and students and 100’s of calls were made to connect with families. Although it has been challenging, we have provided coaching support to many students and completing over 862 one on one coaching sessions. Additionally, becoming an essential resource and support to over 20 school leaders and educators, creating a strong presence at School of the Futures, West High School, Overbrook High School and Sayre High School.

     Our coaches have grown so much in their team roles, from participating in the social media and engagement team to supporting the family engagement team. Many stepped up and took on a leadership opportunity in our newsletter committee and the community building committee. Furthermore, I liked to think we have mastered the art of being flexible and adaptable. We have done the best we can managing the many unprecedented challenges outside of our control. Through it all we have persevered and upheld our Promise Corps Values. I hope to keep that same energy this year, as we continue to connect with students and set them up for success.

Zoraida Cordero- Promise Corps Manager

For December’s professional development session, Promise Corps coaches learned about the history of racism in Philadelphia’s criminal justice system, were trained in mentoring Black youth, and ended the day with a virtual holiday party, bringing the corps’ 2020 to a close with some cheer. Though this school year has brought numerous challenges in the virtual setting, coaches have still found ample learning opportunities both in professional development and in their Zoom classrooms, and have been able to forge connections with each other and their students.  

The day began with a session by Shebani and Albert from the MacArthur Foundation, in which they discussed the school to prison pipeline and how criminal law has impacted communities of color throughout the country’s history. In Philadelphia specifically, they spoke about the racist legacy of Mayor Frank Rizzo and the firebombing of the MOVE complex in 1985.  

In the afternoon, the coaches were trained in mentoring Black youth in a session titled, “Knowing Thyself – Must Know ME to Build and Effective WE.” In this session, the coaches learned about how their own lived experiences and identities bear an impact on the way they interact with students, even if it is not always explicit. With the objective of moving from cultural competency to critical consciousness, the coaches participated in activities and a discussion that had them analyze the way their personal identities intertwine with power dynamics within their student-mentor relationships.  

As an African American woman working in education, School of the Future coach Olivia said, “[This] is a topic that is near and dear to my heart and passion behind why I became an educator in the first place. It was very informative and I believe we all took something away from it.”  

To end the day on a lighter note, Zoraida had planned a virtual holiday party that included a festive costume contest, a mystery door puzzle, and an imaginary gift-giving extravaganza led by Bethany (gifts ranged from a private island to instant college degrees). The front door challenge, in which coaches had to try to guess which door belonged to which colleague based on a single hint, posed an interesting exercise for the coaches, most of whom have never met in real life!  

“We haven’t even met in real life yet, and I can recognize everyone’s front door,” said Emma, also from Future, laughing. Emma’s observation speaks to the coaches’ ability to form connections with each other despite the challenges of COVID.  

With the calendar year coming to a close, Future coaches also took the chance to reflect on the lessons of 2020. Emma said she learned the importance of cutting herself and others more slack and being patient. 

 “Everyone is struggling because of COVID,” she said. “Maybe in different ways, but we are all struggling.” 

Olivia also highlighted how the pandemic has called for a heightened sense of patience and adaptability.  

“Because of COVID I had to change my routine and the way I do things on a daily basis,” Olivia said. “It has taught me to slow down and that I don’t always have to be busy or stick to a routine.” 

Kaitlin Junod- College and Career Coach at School of the Future

As we all know, COVID-19 has changed our daily lives for most of 2020. One of these changes for many Americans is virtual learning. This new world of virtual learning has resulted in us re-inventing how we educate our students and in turn, has adjusted how Promise Corps assists our scholars. Here is sneak peak into a typical virtual day for your Promise Corps team at School of the Future 

8:00AM – The virtual day at Future usually starts off with either a team check in or some individual prep time. Due to the sometimes confusing nature of virtual school, the coaches often use this time to get themselves and their schedule in line for the day. It’s very common for a meeting with school staff to pop up the day of, so giving ourselves time to prepare for these things is crucial! 

8:30AM – 11:07AM – During this time your Future coaches are attending their respective seminar classes! During these classes Promise Corps assists teachers in their lessons, leads presentations on college and career readiness, and provides support in any way we can. Ms. Olivia and Ms. Kaitlin work with our 10th and some of our 11th grade students on resumes, goal-setting, and job skills, to name  a few . Ms. Sierra, Ms. Emma, and Ms. Abbey work with our 12th and the rest of our 11th grade students. In those classes they’ve worked on financial aid, college applications, career exposure, and much more! 

11:30 – Most days, this is the coaches lunch period. It’s when we get a chance to regroup and relax between our busy days!

12:00PM – 2:00PM – After lunch our schedule really changes day to day. Some of us attend our remaining seminar classes, while others use this time as prep time for the rest of the week. This is also sometimes used as a time to catch up on timesheets and data tracking

2:00PM – 3:30PM– I would argue that, virtually, this is our favorite part of the day. During this time Promise Corps holds office hours which is a time where Promise Corps students, or Future students in general, can drop by and get help on whatever they need to work on. Normally office hours always start with a drop in from some of our regulars and ends the same way! This is a great time for us to build relationships with our students and accomplish a lot!

Overall, everyday virtually is different. We don’t have a classroom where students can just pop in whenever, so we have and continue to do everything possible to help our students the best we can despite these virtual barriers! 

The West Philadelphia High School Team wanted to shine a spotlight on all of the West students in this week’s blog post. As the first marking period comes to a close, students are working very hard to get all of their remaining assignments completed by the deadline! The West Philadelphia High School College and Career Coaches have been working with students the past few weeks on tutoring and assignment completion.  

Some students were struggling with specific subject areas. Ali, a 10th Grade Student at West, who said “the coaches have been a great support for my tough history project”. The ability to have extra help outside of the classroom was clutch for Ali as he later reported doing really well on the assignment.  

Other students were very excited by the opportunity to work with Promise Corps Coaches outside of the classroom setting. Jasmine, a 10th grader at West Philadelphia High School said “the extra support on these assignments at the end of the marking period helps me stay calm about my schoolwork”. Jasmine also said that she couldn’t wait till the marking period was over so that she could use the extra time with Coaches to focus more on her Promise Corps goals for the year.  

The Promise Corps Coaches are always eager to talk with students about their college, career, and life goals. Achieving strong grades each and every marking period at school is crucial to that goal! The West Philadelphia High School Coaches want to give a big shout out to all of the students for soaring to success in the first marking period Go West!  

-Harry Levant  

Over the past week, there have been several virtual college fairs made available to students with an interest in attending college after graduation. During the fairs, representatives from universities and colleges throughout the country gave a rundown on their institutions. All conducted in a virtual setting that provided presentations and allotted time for questions at the end. 

At the NACAC virtual fair, schools like Kutztown University, Drexel University, and Duquesne University hosted informational sessions for the prospective students, their families, and educators. There was a great turn out of 40-50 students for each informational session. At the end of the informational sessions, time was allotted for questions and answers. During the Q&A, the attendees were able to better understand what these universities have to offer, and the university representatives were able to delve into even more specific information about their school.

Kristopher Bartow, a PC Coach at OHS, attended the NACAC Virtual Fair and shared a few words about his experience, “Overall it was a very informative experience. This event is something I wish I could have attended back in high school. This was a great way to get a lot of information from a lot of different schools.”

In addition to the NACAC virtual fair, there was an HBCU virtual fair as well. The event was very well organized which allowed for easy understanding for the participants. There were even virtual booths for each university for easy access. In addition to the booths held, a panel with alumni from different HBCUs spoke on their experience attending an HBCU. The panelists provided great insight into the cultural aspects of an HBCU and how it allowed them to embrace their culture even more. 

Bryana Pinos-Grada, a PC Coach at OHS, attended the HBCU virtual fair and had a great experience. She highlighted a particular discussion centered around why the panelists chose an HBCU, which stood out to her. Listening to the responses from the panelists, she commented, “Although this was a very simple question, their responses were so packed with information and passion”. Attending the panel discussion allowed Bryana to reflect on her own college experience, where she attended a school with a small percentage of minorities. It showed her the importance of feeling like you are part of a community with similar cultures and experiences.

These virtual college fairs have been a great way to expose students, families, and educators to different universities from the comfort of their own homes. In this new majority virtual world, we’re living in due to COVID-19, it’s great to have these types of resources offered to students and their families.

• Arianna Coleman, College and Career Coach at Overbrook High School