THE GO PROJECT SOCIAL WORK STAFF PUSH INTO PUBLIC SCHOOLS
The GO Project is actively expanding our network of masters student social work interns from the Silver School of Social Work at NYU to push into our partner public schools. The goal is to provide social and emotional support to GO Project students who would benefit the most from additional attention, and to maintain the support through more regular contact throughout the week.
The GO Project currently has seven interns who each work closely with the school’s administrators to target the students’ areas of concern. Public schools are selected to receive social work intern placement based on the number of their students that attend the GO Project and the amount of benefit to the students. The interns work with students either individually or in small groups.
Having social work interns placed inside our partner schools creates a link between Saturdays to help the GO Project staff understand and address issues that may come up during the week that may affect performance in class on Saturdays.
“The kids we work with are often too young to know why they are struggling in school, either with their confidence or their ability to focus, for instance. When we are able to provide them more attention in their school, we can get a sense of what might be holding them back and can help them work on it,” GO Project intern, Chrisitna Hunkins, said.
Rachel Kolodin, another intern, also feels strongly that intervention during the week is vital to provide consistency for the students. She does play therapy, as well as family and parent counseling, at PS 64.
“Having GO Project social work interns in the school is so important for the children, parents, and school staff. In the school we are given a much greater ability to address the children's issues on a more regular basis and focus on the problems at hand holistically. In the school environment, we are given the opportunity to see their interaction with other children and their teachers, and can handle issues as they arise,” Kolodin explained.
The goal is to both provide comprehensive support to the students who need it most, and to create lasting relationships with schools. Stronger partnerships with individual schools will ultimately allow the GO Project to be the go-to resource for children who are both academically underperforming and who may not have access to other services due to their family’s financial situation.
The response from partner schools has been very positive so far. At PS 64, Kolodin notes that “the principal is very grateful that we are in the school, and the guidance counselor has been a wonderful source of help.”
Additionally, the interns gain valuable firsthand experience and guidance from the GO Project’s Director of Social Services, Diana Gasperoni, who meets with each intern weekly to discuss strategies to work with their students.
“The GO Project is an ideal placement for a social work intern because of the combination of clinical practice, referral skills and a broader sense of the community that it provides. It allows me to apply directly what I’m learning in my classes. The GO Project provides a much more well-rounded experience than many other agencies can offer their interns,” says Hunkins.