SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION CELEBRATES 100 YEARS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO

October 29th- What an amazing night! I attended the opening of the Special Exhibit at the Royal Ontario Museum entitled " Classroom to Community: A Century of Social Work in Toronto." Entering through the new doors on Bloor Street, a stringed Quartet was playing music to set the mood. Food stations, wine and conversation were the hit of the evening. Speeches of course thanking and acknowledging generations of Social Workers. Cheryl Regher once Dean of the Faculty is now the Provost for the University. Honouring the work accomplished in the city by Social Workers is written  in a book given to everyone who attended. Lots of historical pictures and text. The Faculty is now called- Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work due to a large donation by Factor-Inwentash to promote research and excellence in social work practice. Masters, Doctorate and post doctorate courses are the norm. There are combined degrees of Social Work and Law as well as Social Work and a MBA. Being with a room full of Social Workers was rewarding. Being asked by very young students- are you still working was challenging. They were younger than my daughters!! The fun of being downtown with the ambiance and lights, travelling home by subway to be picked up at the Finch station by my husband reminded me of my young days as a student. Hard to believe it will be 40 years in the spring since I graduated from the Faculty. I plan to take my granddaughter for a ROM visit and to see the exhibit to show her what her Nana did in her youth. Reflection of an education is always a good thing!!