Social Work News

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A new branch of the social work tree

 |  Matt Jardin  |  ,

Visitors to the Loussac Library in midtown Anchorage are immediately greeted by a quote adorning the lobby wall from Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling: "When in doubt, go to the library." It's sound advice that Rebecca Barker hopes everyone takes to heart."People come to the library with all kinds of questions. Some of those questions are, 'How do I build a log cabin?' or, 'How do I find out what my grandfather did for a living?' And some of them are more like, 'Where am I going to live next week?' or, 'How do I start treatment?' Those are way beyond the scope of your average library staff," explains Barker.

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Gov. Walker signs new foster care reform bill at annual Foster Youth Education Conference

 |  Matt Jardin  | 

Last Thursday in UAA's Bragaw Office Complex, located just a mile northeast from the main campus, Gov. Bill Walker signed into law a new bill ushered by outgoing Rep. Les Gara (D-Anchorage) to reform Alaska's foster care system. House Bill 151, referred to as the Children Deserve a Loving Home Act, establishes new caseworker standards in the state's Office of Children's Services (OCS).

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A career in community service: School of Social Work professor Tracey Burke tackles food security in Anchorage

 |  Catalina Myers  | 

In Alaska, 102,670 residents, or 1 in 7 people, struggle with hunger. Of the 102,670, about 20 percent of those struggling to obtain a healthy meal each day are children, according to data collected from a 2016 Feeding America, Map the Meal Gap Report. Tracey Burke, a professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Alaska Anchorage, has collaborated with Food Bank of Alaska and its partners for more than 10 years.

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Life is a highway

 |  Joey  | 

Think your commute is rough? Meet the Truesdells, Pat and Patti. For years, Pat drove from Soldotna to UAA. Patti earned her education degree at Kenai Peninsula College (KPC), but now teaches 98 miles away at Hope School. It hasn't been easy. But neither would change a thing.

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Seawolves rebound queen heads for graduation

 |  Joey  |  ,

For Sierra Afoa, school and sports have always been intertwined. Her coach/referee father Stan and her mom, Sarah - a two-sport athlete for the Seawolves, with two UAA education degrees - stressed that balance early. On Sunday afternoons, while Sarah graded homework in her classroom at Gladys Wood Elementary, the Afoa kids shot hoops in the school gym. Academics and athletics have been interconnected from the start.