The University of Manitoba's Northern Social Work Program was celebrated in Thompson on March 5 with a luncheon and guest speaker Michael Hart talking about aboriginal social work in Canada.
The event was part of Social Work Week. Colin Bonnycastle, associate professor and director of the Northern Social Work Program, says the week has been celebrated in Manitoba for years, but it's the first time it's been recognized in Thompson in a big way.
"We had about 40 people come for lunch so that was good - lots of our past graduates and people from the community, and some students," he explains. "Then there was a guest speaker, Michael Hart. He's a faculty member from our main campus in Winnipeg, and he used to be faculty here in Thompson. He's also the author of two books on aboriginal people in social work."
Bonnycastle says the lunch and the following event was a good way for people who are always busy helping others to have time for themselves and boost the morale of social workers throughout the community. The school is also in its recruiting period and Bonnycastle says the event provided a great opportunity to spread the word about the program.
The program itself is a four-year accredited program by the Canadian Association of Schools of Social Work, which is also affiliated with the American counterpart - meaning, Bonnycastle says, students could find work anywhere in North America once they graduate from the program.
"If you're interested in helping people and working for social justice in your community, then social work might be an excellent option," he says.
According to Bonnycastle, more and more students have been applying for the program every year.
"In the past few years we have received about 30 applications per year, of which we accept about 25 students. Because of affordable housing shortages and day care issues in the last couple of years, some of those students who were accepted have not been able to enter the program in September," he explains. "This year the applications seem to have increased. Though the closing date was March 1, we are still waiting on a couple of late applications. From this year's process we are expecting about 35 to 40 applications and will likely fill about 30 spots."
Bonnycastle says if people are interested in applying to take the program, they should drop by the Northern Social Work Program office on 3 Station Road at the North Centre Mall.
