School of Social Work Study Abroad Program Emphasizes DEIA
The School of Social Work took students to Germany for its first ever MSW Study Abroad Program, which focused on human rights and discrimination. The students were thrilled to learn from social workers working in the community in Germany. In one instance, they were taken to an Islamic child center, where students heard first-hand the importance of encouraging and teaching DEIA principles to young children and young adults. Here are a few testimonials from some of our MSW program students on this incredible trip:
"Studying Social Work while in Germany was an eye-opening experience; adapting to the new language, eating delicious foods, and having an open discussion with German students about their policies and presenting them ours. There was a lot of room for applied learning. There is no better teacher than going to a new country and experiencing the culture yourself. Overall, with one last year left, studying abroad gave me hope for my future as a social worker and everlasting memories." (Daisy Cruz, 3yr MSW Student)
“It was so profound getting to hear from the social workers that work in the community. We visited an Islamic child care center where the children are taught tolerance and acceptance. They are taught they have more similarities than differences from one another. I got so emotional listening to that specific group because they emphasized how they encourage the children to speak in their mother tongue, because when I was in high school, I was scolded for speaking Spanish, which is my first language. I was also in awe of how the people there treat food insecurity – that it’s a basic human right – they really do a great job of taking care of their citizens and from a social work perspective, I was challenged to think outside the box. It gave me a whole new perspective to where it made me think I could work in different settings -- even in a global setting as a social worker. I fell in love with Berlin and Hamburg and I learned a lot of lessons that I was able to take back into my own job working for the Cal State Fullerton Upward Bound Program, which helps first-generation, low income students navigate college. I am so grateful for this study abroad experience.” (Angela Dominguez, MSW Candidate)
