Stacy Moreno, a Paradise Valley Community College Social Work Adjunct Faculty, published an article earlier this year featured in the Council of International Fellowship (CIF) World News, an annual collaboration among social work professionals engaged in professional exchange through the larger CIF network.
The article, titled Global Peer Partners: How We Brought the World Together Through Virtual Exchange in the Social Work Classroom, highlights the transformative impact of international exchange programs on social work education, particularly for social work students. The majority of opportunities offered through the CIF network is targeted for professional social workers only. Moreno, a CIF alumna, describes how her own experience abroad inspired her to create meaningful virtual exchange opportunities for her students at PVCC.
Moreno explained that through the Global Peer Partners Project, PVCC social work students engage in a six-week virtual exchange with peers from different countries, fostering cross-cultural understanding and enhancing their social work skills. The project, facilitated through platforms like WhatsApp, allows students to explore various social issues and cultural themes while building meaningful connections with their international counterparts, as well as build on those social work skills that they are learning through the course.
In the article, one of PVCC’s social work students Will Zhou shared his experience participating in the project, emphasizing its value in broadening his global awareness and preparing him for the field of social work. He highlighted the importance of virtual exchanges in breaking down barriers and fostering empathy across borders. To read the full article, scroll to page 32 here. To learn more about PVCC’s Social Work program, contact Moreno at stacy.moreno@paradisevalley.edu.