University of North Carolina Greensboro

Through the University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s BEL project, BSW students in the Introduction to Social Work course completed 5 hours of face-to-face time with an older adult as part of their 25 hours of required service learning. In addition, students were asked to reflect on their experiences in a volunteer learning log. The logs documented their assessment of values and biases and outlined plans for how to address them in relation to social work ethics.

Courses that Included Experiential Activity:

• Introduction to Social Work

Gero Practice Behaviors:

• Assess and address values and biases regarding aging.
• Respect diversity among older adult clients, families, and professionals (e.g., class, race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation).
• Address the cultural, spiritual, and ethnic values and beliefs of older adults and families.