More than 50 students have gained valuable experiences through a collaboration between the Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and the University of Guam (UOG). The UH/UOG Master of Social Work (MSW) Partnership Pacific Pathways & Workforce Development Initiatives aims to address the pressing demand for social workers in Guam and the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). Through the advanced standing distance education program, graduates with a bachelor of social work (BSW) degree from UOG have the opportunity to pursue a MSW.
It is heartening to see the impact this program has had producing the next generation of social work leaders serving in our island communities.
—Anita Borja Enriquez, UOG president
“I am very grateful for this partnership with UH Mānoa, which has provided a way for our BSW graduates in Guam and Micronesia to pursue an MSW in a format that is tailored to meet their needs as current social workers,” said Anita Borja Enriquez, UOG president. “It is heartening to see the impact this program has had producing the next generation of social work leaders serving in our island communities.”
Theresa Kreif, director of UH/UOG MSW Partnership Pacific Pathways & Workforce Development Initiatives, acknowledges the partnership’s success in providing MSW pathways for students from the geographic region of Micronesia.
“It has been my honor to partner over the past 10 years with the University of Guam’s exemplary BSW program to provide pathways to MSW degrees,” she said. “This pathway creates the option for students connected to the geographic region of Micronesia to choose to stay in their home communities to learn and complete their internships. The students bring a rich array of expertise and experiences as they join their cohort colleagues who are based in Hawaiʻi.”
Tressa P. Diaz, chair of the UOG Division of Social Work, said “Our established partnership with the Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health is critical to the continued growth of social work in the region, especially as we share an emphasis on understanding the historical and cultural contexts of serving Pacific Island populations.”
Read more about the program graduates who are making a difference in their home communities.
—By Maria Pou and Theresa Kreif
