Grand Challenges Roundtable: Up!Ahead: Progress and Plans for the Grand Challenges

At the 2016 Society for Social Work Research Conference, the American Academy for Social Work and Social Welfare launched the Grand Challenges for Social Work as a ten-year, groundbreaking initiative to champion social progress powered by science. The initiative was a call to harness social work’s science and knowledge base; collaborate individuals, community-based organizations, and professionals from all fields and disciplines; and to work together to tackle some of our toughest social problems.

At its midway mark, the GCSW initiative has accomplished a considerable amount while also recognizing the long road ahead for the field and the need to check in about the next five years. Through partnerships with the leading social work organizations (i.e. NASW, SSWR, CSWE, and others), and over 40 universities and colleges, the initiative has gained awareness and engagement from a diverse range of faculty, students and stakeholders committed to improving the communities in which we live. The impetus of our success thus far can help to carry us through the next five years to make even bigger strides against the greatest challenges of our society.

With a renewed emphasis on addressing the racial, ethnic, and gender disparities that exist within each of the Grand Challenges, and society as a whole, the initiative is building momentum. This session will showcase a newly released impact report that identifies progress to-date and new outcome goals to accomplish in the remaining five years.