Student Leadership
The future of the geriatric social work profession depends on our current and future generations of leaders, whose vision and drive will motivate more students to join the profession and shape aging-care policy for years to come.
Participants in the HPPAE are encouraged and trained to become leaders in the field of social work education and geriatric social work practice.
- For faculty members who initiate the HPPAE program, leadership means both the ability to inspire students to pursue careers in aging care and the responsibility to build a sustainable program, from making the case for support to the school’s dean to developing a network of field instructors to mentor students.
- For deans and directors at schools that have implemented the HPPAE, leadership means being at the forefront of developing the workforce of social workers to care for America’s future and setting an example for other schools to follow in adopting this rotational, competency-based model of learning.
- For field directors charged with placing students in agencies through the HPPAE, leadership means being a key liaison between the university and the local community, helping to foster a mutually beneficial partnership that will serve academic, clinical, and public-interest goals.
- For field instructors who direct internships for HPPAE students, leadership means introducing newcomers to the rewards of caring for older adults and dispelling some of the myths and fears about geriatric professions.
- For students who complete the HPPAE curriculum, leadership means becoming ambassadors for the field of aging care, whether that takes the form of mentoring students, educating colleagues from related professions, or contributing to and influencing public policy to improve aging care. Click here to see examples of student leadership projects from the University of Pittsburgh.