Close to 2,000 faculty from schools of social work, research staff in public and private agencies, and masters and doctoral students will head to New Orleans to hear the latest research methodologies and learn about cutting-edge topics vital to contemporary social work research.

Association: Society for Social Work and Research

Conference: SSWR 21st Annual Conference

Venue: New Orleans Marriott

Following a day of special sessions, workshops, and exhibit hall hours, the SSWR Annual Conference will kick off with an evening reception and opening plenary session. The latter will feature a dialogue between young people and researchers about the core issues that researchers should consider when engaging youth in scholarly inquiry. Also on the agenda:

Lunch buddies. During the “Meet the Scientist” luncheon, early-career scholars and doctoral students will have the chance to talk and interact with leaders in social work research and SSWR. They can ask the pros questions about career development, challenges in the field, research initiatives, and the future of the industry.

Bite-sized wisdom. In the inaugural Brief and Brilliant session, leading social work scholars will engage the audience through TedX-style talks using images, storytelling, and media. Each speaker will complete the statement “I dream a world …” to share the most important ideas facing social work research and practice.

Free registration. Students can “earn” their registration fee by volunteering for eight hours at the conference. Volunteers will assist with registration, monitor sessions, help presenters with AV needs, and provide directions to attendees.

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