Share, Explore, Engage, Discover (SEED) Mini-course

Only incoming MSW students enroll in this mini course. Mini-course Description: This mini-course was designed to strengthen connection and community at the School of Social Work, explore PODS, and learn foundation-level social work skills. Students will work in small consulting teams (4 to 5 students) to partner with a local community social service organization to assist with articulation, measurement, and reporting of program impact. The Center for Independent Living (service to individuals with disabilities) has agreed to participate as our community-based client. At the beginning of the mini-course, the client agency staff will introduce the students to their organization, program theories of change, evaluation capacity and challenges pertaining to measuring program impact. A feasible work plan will be co-created between the agency and the class. The instructor will provide one hour mini-lectures followed by two hour work sessions to apply concepts and skills to complete the work plan. Course material will include, but not be limited to these concepts/skills: program theory, outcome measurement with persons with disabilities, evaluation capacity, national scan, searching for tools and measures, and the most significant change collection method. At the end of the mini-course, student consulting teams will present their results to the community client using data visualization principles. The mini-course format is experiential with high levels of interaction planned for students, resulting in an increased sense of school community, an opportunity to apply PODS concepts, and develop consulting skills in the areas of community entre, engagement and evaluation practice.