The CSWE 2007 Annual Program Meeting (APM) was held in San Francisco from October 27 to 30, 2007. In addition to numerous educational sessions, listed below are the Gero-Ed Track's special events.
Gero-Ed Track Kick-Off
Keynote Speaker: Marc Freedman
Marc Freedman, a leader in the field of civic engagement and older adults, was the keynote speaker to kick off the new Gero-Ed Track on Sunday, October 28. His speech on reexamining retirement and the meaning of work in later life drew a standing-room-only crowd.
With thought-provoking examples from his new book Encore: Finding Work That Matters in the Second Half of Life, Freedman highlighted how many older Americans are now finding personal satisfaction and a sense of involvement by opting to not retire but rather to start a new phase of their work life. "Encore careers," as Freedman calls them, recognize that being productive doesn't stop at a certain age, nor does the desire to be of use. By tapping into their talents and passions, older adults can help solve some of the biggest social problems we currently face. Social workers can promote this kind of productive aging by engaging older adults in community building and reform and encouraging them to find their passions in community service. Freedman's speech was followed by a lively question and answer session as well as a book signing.
The Gero-Ed Track Kick-Off was co-sponsored by the Institute for Geriatric Social Work (IGSW).
CSWE Gero-Ed Center/AGE-SW Event & Reception
The annual CSWE Gero-Ed Center/AGE-SW Event continued the civic engagement discussion with Civic Engagement: What It Means for Social Work, featuring panelists Nancy Morrow-Howell, Carmen Morano, and Jim Hinterlong. The reception was co-sponsored by AGE-SW and Anita Rosen.
Gero-Ed Film Festival
With standing-room-only crowds, the second annual Gero-Ed Film Festival was a success. Nine films were showcased, each highlighting different intergenerational and aging issues appropriate for use in the classroom. Download the Film Festival Schedule for more information.
Anita Rosen Gerontology Awards for Outstanding Student Poster
These awards were established to promote the advancement of gerontological social work education among social work students. Awarded at the CSWE Gero-Ed Center/AGE-SW Annual Reception, this honor was presented to the best intergenerational or aging-specific student poster from each academic level (BSW, MSW, and Doctoral). For names of selected students and their winning abstracts, visit our 2007 Rosen Award page.
CSWE Career Center Student Session - Finding a Job: In the Field of Gerontology
This exciting new event, sponsored by the CSWE Career Center, drew a students interested in learning more about finding academic jobs in the field of gerontology. The panelists were: Harriet Cohen, Colleen Galambos, Nancy Kropf, Colleen Reed, and moderator Sherry Cummings.