Homelessness: A Service Learning Course

Authors

  • Mona Wasow Clinical Professor, School of Social Work, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin

Abstract

A group of homeless people, largely alcohol and drug abusers, had settled into living in and around our lower campus area. The situation upset university people for a variety of reasons: feelings of insecurity as they left buildings after dark; anxiety and guilty consciences about poverty in our rich nation; and not knowing how to respond to panhandling. In response to removing the heating grates and the student protests that followed, the Chancellor formed a "Committee on Lower Campus" to come up with a humane solution to the problem. Part of this solution was to develop a course on homelessness which had afield component to it. Twenty-five undergraduates were placed in agencies that worked with people who are homeless. This article describes the course, which was wonderful for students, exciting for the teacher and agency supervisors, and, we think and hope, helped some homeless individuals.

 

 

 

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How to Cite

Wasow, M. (2014). Homelessness: A Service Learning Course. Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping, 5(2), 52–58. Retrieved from https://reflectionsnarrativesofprofessionalhelping.org/index.php/Reflections/article/view/612

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General Submissions