Change often begins at a crossroads—when awareness meets action, and when courage meets responsibility. At the 2026 SSWAA National Conference , Gateway to Change challenges school social workers to consider how they can move beyond reaction and toward prevention, collaboration, and long-term impact. Few voices speak to this charge more powerfully than this year’s keynote speaker, Michele Gay , Founder and Director of Safe and Sound Schools . Michele Gay’s journey into schoo

No matter if you are a micro, mezzo, or macro practicing Social worker. This concept and practice of “Strategic Planning” keeps re-entering the chat. You are grappling with burnout, disappointment in finding a job or wanting to dive into a new niche. And you keep getting halted! As social workers, we are trained to assess, plan, intervene, and evaluate—for our clients, our schools, and our systems. Yet when it comes to us and our careers, we often move in survival mode rat

Practical Tools You Can Use Immediately One of the most powerful moments at any conference is when learning moves from theory to action—when you find yourself thinking, “I can use this with my students tomorrow.” That is exactly what attendees can expect from this year’s keynote by Dr. Cynthia Franklin, LCSW-S, LMFT , at the 2026 SSWAA National Conference . Aligned with the conference theme, Gateway to Change , this keynote invites school social workers to step through a ga

Hello SSWAA Community, I’m honored to introduce myself as Anidra Ragin, the newest Advocacy Associate with the School Social Work Association of America (SSWAA). It is truly a privilege to step into this role and to serve alongside an organization that has long stood as a national voice for school social workers, student well-being, and equitable systems of support. My journey to this work has been shaped by a deep commitment to children, families, and the systems that surrou

A PURPOSEFUL PAUSE January always brings a sense of possibility. A new calendar. A fresh start. And often, a quiet question in the back of our minds: What do I want this year to be about? For school social workers, a new year doesn’t mean starting from scratch. We don’t leave our experiences, challenges, or lessons behind on December 31. Instead, we begin again—with more wisdom, more context, and a deeper understanding of why this work matters. We are resolute to our purpos

As the holiday season arrives — with its lights, gatherings, and moments of reflection — many of us find ourselves thinking about what matters most: connections, belonging, support, and care. For school social workers, this time of year can heighten both our appreciation for the relationships we build and the weight of needs we hold in our hearts. This year, staff at SSWAA have been reading The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor, and we’ve found its message particularly mean