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Why Social Work?

There’s never been a more critical time for passionate people to advocate for the historically underinvested and to be agents of change through the evidence and practice-based profession of social work. A career choice that makes a difference.

The world needs you.

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Here at Illinois, our principals are guided by the Grand Challenges of Social Work, a national initiative by the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare to champion social progress powered by science.

It’s a call to action for social work researchers and practitioners to:

  • Harness social work’s science and knowledge base;
  • Collaborate with individuals, community-based organizations, and professionals from all fields and disciplines; and
  • Work together to tackle some of our toughest social problems.

The Grand Challenges for Social Work define a far-reaching social agenda, promoting:

  • Individual and family well-being,
  • A stronger social fabric, and
  • A just society that fights exclusion and marginalization, creates a sense of belonging, promotes trust, and offers pathways for social and economic progress.

Why Social Work?

Our society faces serious, interrelated, and large-scale challenges—violence, substance abuse, environmental degradation, injustice, isolation, and inequality. We need social workers’ unique blend of scientific knowledge and caring practice more than ever.

The world needs more social workers. The world needs you.

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