Motivation to Teach Social Action:
As a social work educator with over 25 years in the field, I've seen the gap between classroom learning and real-world practice. Students can master theories and competencies, but few courses give them the skills to actually mobilize communities and create change—which is at the heart of what social workers do.
What draws me to this Institute is the opportunity to teach social action the way social work should be taught: by doing. I've seen this work at Benedict College through student-driven initiatives like the Tiger Den and BC ROAR program, where students identified community needs and built sustainable responses. But these emerged organically—I want to learn how to structure this as intentional pedagogy.
At an HBCU serving students who have firsthand experience with the very inequities we study, a social action course would be transformative. Our students don't need to be convinced that change is needed—they need the organizing tools, campaign strategies, and confidence to lead it.
I'm committed to implementing this model within 18 months and believe it will strengthen how we prepare BSW students for genuine community practice and advocacy work.
Course Description:
A hands-on workshop series where students identify a community issue and develop a social action campaign to address it. Through facilitated workshops, students learn organizing strategies, power analysis, coalition building, and campaign design while working in teams to create real change.
This experiential approach builds core social work competencies in advocacy, policy practice, and community organizing. Students leave with practical tools for mobilizing communities and leading campaigns that advance social justice.
Taught By:
Eunika Simons
Department Chair/Asst. Professor
Social Work
Benedict College
Read profile here.