By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Missouri Western State University has taken advantage of a new state program to help train the next social workers.
The program is called “Grow Your Own.”
Missouri Western Social Work Associate Professor Jana Frye says this program goes directly to social work students.
“It all goes back to our students. So, this money comes in to Missouri Western and then we push it back out to our students,” Frye says. “We literally had students walk out of Missouri Western with their master’s last year, but also our senior bachelor’s of social work. That money goes toward paying their tuition and fees.”
Frye says that grant goes straight to the students. She says there are other student loan programs as well.
“That all kinds of providers in our community have tapped into that help pay those student loans that our students have for whatever amount of time that they’ve been in school. And there are some great programs out there right now that help social workers pay those back, because we recognize that we need social workers in the field,” Frye says. “And This is just one way to give them that help and support.”
Frye says Missouri Western has 19 social work students who have received money from the “Grow Your Own” program.
The Social Work program at Missouri Western wants to give students learning experiencing off campus as well. A walk for the homeless takes place in downtown St. Joseph November 1st. The Missouri Western Social Work Department will participate in the walk to help raise awareness of homelessness in the community.
Social Work Program Director Pam Clary says the event gives students a chance to understand the program in a way they can’t learn in the classroom.
“We feel in social work, we got to break down barriers,” Clary says. “So, you can’t get a job if you don’t have ID or you don’t have a birth certificate. And so, this is one way our program feels like we can give back to the homeless population.”
The Walk for the Homeless takes place November 1st, beginning at 4:30 in the afternoon.
Money raised during the walk will help the homeless obtain identification cards, birth certificates, and transportation, all needed to land a job and pay for housing.
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