Professional Volunteerism among Social Work Students as a Response to the Pandemic Crisis Jacob Elsa Mary1,*, Jonas Richard A.2 1Assistant Professor, Bharata Mata School of Social Work, Bharata Mata College, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kochi, Kerala, India 2Associate Professor and Head, Post Graduate Department of Social Work, Kristu Jayanti College (Autonomous), Bangalore, Karnataka, India *Corresponding Author els.joe@gmail.com
Online published on 29 March, 2023. Abstract The COVID-19 crisis halted traditional field training in social work education. However, as educators of a profession with roots in philanthropy and volunteerism, the social work schools in Kerala encouraged students to take up professional volunteerism (PV) in response to the crisis as an alternative to the pre-structured field practicum activities. This study explored the various voluntary activities the social work students are involved in as budding professionals. They voluntarily dedicated their professional skills, ethics and competencies through a continuum of five domains of services such as concrete and practical services, psycho-education and psychological support, restoration and rehabilitation services, welfare administration and self-reliance and sustainability programmes. This study’s results highlight the significance of PV in social work education to socialise students with diverse needs in society and capacitate them to ethically help the individuals and community achieve well-being. Top Keywords Professional volunteerism, Social work education, Field training, COVID crisis, Community engagement. Top |