How Group Work Camp Began
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1921/gpwk.v26i3.1038Abstract
Abstract: This paper describes the origins and evolution of Group Work Camp, an experiential training program sponsored by the International Association for Social Work with Groups (IASWG). The founder’s many experiences with camping and experiential learning had convinced her that experiential learning was essential to groupwork education, and that a camp setting was its ideal environment. Group Work Camp evolved out of a pre-symposium institute at the 2009 International Symposium for Social Work with Groups. This institute was held at George Williams College of Aurora University, a beautiful lakeside campus steeped in groupwork history. This one-time event was received so well that participants advocated for its continuation. The Board of Directors of IASWG agreed to offer the institute again as a pilot program. When it was again successful the organization began to sponsor it biennially. The model was adapted and called Group Work Camp. It has been offered three times in its current form. In 2015 the first European Group Work Camp was held in Lithuania, adapted to local needs. It was also very successful, suggesting the flexibility of the model. It is hoped that in the future there will be many adaptations in different parts of the world.Keywords: Group Work Camp; groupwork education; groupwork training; experiential learning; mentoring; camping.
References
Alcorn, S. (2007) Strong roots: A group memoir of George Williams College. Williams Bay, WI: George Williams College Press
Bergart, A. M. (2016) Group Work Camp as nondeliberative process. Social Work with Groups, 39, 02-03
Bergart, A. M. & Clements, J. A. (2015) Lighting the group work fire in a new generation. Social Work with Groups, 38, 1, 21-43
Dewey, J. (1910) How we think. Boston, MA: Heath & Company
Dewey, J. (1938) Experience and education. New York: Macmillan
Goldstein, H. (2001) Experiential learning: A foundation for social work education and practice. Alexandria, VA: Council on Social Work Education
Lang, N. C. (1979) A comparative examination of therapeutic uses of groups in social work and in the adjacent human service professions: Part II. The literature from 1969-1978. Social Work with Groups, 2, 197-220
Lang, N. C. (2016) Nondeliberative forms of practice in social work: Artful, actional, analogic. Social Work with Groups, 39, 02-03
Owen, H. (2008) Open space technology: A user’s guide (3rd ed.). Oakland, CA: Berrett-Koehler
Papell, C. P. & Rothman, B. (1980) Relating the mainstream model of social work with groups to group psychotherapy and the structured group approach, Social Work with Groups, 3, 2, 5-23
Rosenwald, M., Smith, M., Bagnoli, M., Riccelli, D., Ryan, S., Salcedo, L. & Seeland, D. (2013) Relighting the campfire: Rediscovering activity-based group work. Social Work with Groups 36, 4, 321–331
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright lies with the journal. Enquiries regarding reproduction should be sent in the first place to enquiries@whitingbirch.net
