National School Social Work Week 2023, “We Rise," will be celebrated March 5-11, 2023. National School Social Work Week is sponsored by the School Social Work Association of America (SSWAA) to highlight the role of School Social Workers in addressing the whole child, collaborating with other professionals, linking students and families with needed services, and advocacy for the profession.

Help promote this week and celebrate colleagues by accessing SSWAA's promotional materials and resources. Be sure to use #WeRise2023 and #SSWWeek2023 for social media communication. 

National School Social Work Week is a great time to recognize the important role of school social workers as a collaborative partner in the design and delivery of Comprehensive School Counseling Programs, helping to link home, school and community by providing direct and indirect services to students, families and school personnel to promote and support students' academic success, social-emotional learning and well-being.

​Here are some ideas on ways to celebrate this week:

• Send a personal thank you note/card – consider mentioning specific examples that exemplify what makes you grateful for them
• Make an announcement over the intercom or through email to all staff 
• Promote thank you/appreciation notes or emails from teachers to School Social Workers
• Get resources for sharing with others the work of school social workers: Role of SSWs, Who are SSWs, and National SSW Model.
• Encourage cards/drawings or virtual messages from students (individually or as a classroom group)
• “This year you taught me…”
• “Thank you for…”
• Provide a stack of notecards and envelopes in the front office where students or parents can pick up a card and write a note to their School Social Worker. Or, put an online form on the school’s website where students can write a note that can be delivered to the School Social Worker through email.
• Use daily announcements to remind students to show appreciation to their School Social Worker in a variety of ways
• Give a small gift, favorite drink, favorite candy (one day or each day of the week)
• Provide a virtual school social work lunch/celebration from the supervisor for all district School Social Workers, or at the building level, provide donuts in the staff lounge in honor of the School Social Worker
• Ask staff to wear the School Social Worker’s favorite color on a specific day or during School Social Work Week to honor him/herAdd a form to your school website and encourage parents and other website visitors to share appreciation for the School Social Worker (make it easy and convenient for people to say, “Thank you”)
• Create a spotlight page on your school website, as well as your social media, to highlight your School Social Worker during the week
• Hang posters throughout the community publicizing School Social Work Week
• Submit information about School Social Work Week on a school calendar or community calendar
• Write an article for your Communications Department to spotlight the contributions of a particular school social worker or the work of social workers in general
• Districts can send an email to administrators reminding them of the dates of School Social Work Appreciation Week
• Superintendents or School Boards can make an official proclamation recognizing School Social Workers