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Over 35 social work students and several faculty members from the department of sociology, social work, and criminal justice from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania joined practicing social workers, social work students and social work faculty from around the state on April 12 to participate in Social Work Legislative Advocacy Day at the Capitol in Harrisburg.

Advocacy Day is sponsored annually by the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and focused this year on advocating for practice protection level licensure for social workers in Pennsylvania. The day began with discussions on advocacy strategies led by PA-NASW staff and was followed by opportunities for students to participate in legislative visits and attend committee meetings. The day concluded with a rally on the steps of the Capitol rotunda with speeches from social work leaders from around Pennsylvania and several members of the General Assembly including Sen. John Blake, who serves as ESU’s Legislative Fellow and the sponsor of SB 1078 related to practice protection.

“Taking part in Advocacy Day provided students the opportunity to observe the legislative process and engage in advocacy efforts geared toward practice protection. It also afforded students with networking opportunities as they met with social workers from around the state,” said John Kraybill-Greggo, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of sociology, social work, and criminal justice. ESU social work students began their preparation for the day in March with an on-campus meeting led by Johanna Byrd, Executive Director of the PA Chapter of NASW highlighting the legislative issue. This was followed by another preparation meeting facilitated by social work program faculty.

Students found the experience to be one that contributed to their professional development. “As a future social worker, attending Advocacy Day is an empowering experience,” Katherine J. Moore, a senior majoring in social work from East Stroudsburg, Pa., said. “The atmosphere in conjunction with lobbying for change brings forth a sense of self-efficacy.”

This is the second consecutive year that ESU social work students have participated in this event and Dr. Kraybill-Greggo said they plan to continue to take part every spring. 

“Participating in Advocacy Day is a social worker’s contribution toward change.  To be present in the experience of that change, as it is in motion, is extremely humbling,” said Annie Craige, a senior majoring in social work from Dingmans Ferry, Pa.