2016 Annual Conference on Social Work in the Global Environment
- Call for Proposals The 5th Annual Conference on Social
Work in the Global Environment will
be held Friday November 11, 2016
from 8:00AM to 4:00PM at
Multipurpose Room 218 in McFarland
Student Union, Kutztown University
Conference Overview
The Conference on Social Work in the Global Environment aims to contribute to the local-global
perspective in social work, utilizing the strategy: Thinking globally and acting locally. The theme
of this year’s conference is “Environmental and Ecological Justice, Human Rights and
Socio-Economic Justice: Local and Global Response.” Presentation topics can include, but are
not limited to the following sub-themes:
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Globalization, industrialization, and global consumption patterns
Man-made disasters and human role in the modification of environment
Disaster: an event or a process? The political-economic progression of vulnerability
Social workers' role in global environmental crisis and humanitarian response
Disasters and humanitarian response
Disaster capitalism
The role of media in disasters and media savvy social work
Governmental and non-governmental responses to enhance or restore human
wellbeing
Citizen participation in the protection of environment, disaster prevention, response
and recovery
Environmental injustice and environmental racism
Environmental injustice and judicial recourse
Community organizing and grassroots environmentalism
Green social work
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Food insecurity
Sustainability and social work
Vegetarianism and veganism
Creating green spaces in urban settings: Parks and community gardens as tools for
healthy communities
Corporations and environmental concerns
Vulnerability of the oppressed populations
Peace and conflict resolution
Global conflicts, displacement and health
Environmental and political crises and mental health: Local-global response
Building ecological and environmental literacy and civic capacity
Animal-assisted therapy
Selection Process
Proposals submitted by the deadline of October 10th, 2016 will be reviewed by the review
board members using the following criteria: clarity of goals and objectives of the proposal,
significance of the study to social work profession, clarity of the writing, and compliance with
the guidelines. Please read the full “Call for Proposals” before completing your submission
online (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SWKIM).
Types of Presentations
There are three different types of presentation sessions. Please indicate on the proposal the
type of your submission.
1. Oral Paper Presentation: Accepted presenters will present for 20 minutes, followed by a
discussion with audience members.
2. Poster Presentation: This presentation provides an opportunity to the presenter and
audience to discuss and receive feedback on a large poster board. Poster sessions are
50 minutes in duration.
3. Panel: This is a type of presentation that allows more than two presenters to discuss and
share their work. The duration of panel presentation is 30 minutes plus 10 minutes for
Q&A.
Submission Instructions
Proposals should be submitted in a structured format and should include the following sections:
▪ Title of the Proposal: 15 words
▪ Overview: 50 words
Brief overview of the proposal stating the significance of the problem and study findings
▪ Learning Objectives: All proposal submissions must include three learning objectives.
For example:
o At the completion of this presentation, participants will state how findings may
influence practice.
o At the completion of this presentation, participants will be able to identify protective
and risk factors.
▪ Proposal Text: 300 words
o Background and Purpose: Description of the problem, study objectives, and/or
research question(s)
o Methods: Explanations of conceptual/theoretical perspective; policy/program
analysis framework; and/or research methodology (e.g., qualitative or quantitative
study design)
o Results: Interpretation of specific findings and discussion of what each result implies
o Conclusion and Implications: Description of main outcome(s) of the study and
implications for practice, policy, education, or further research
▪ References: Please list all references in the APA style.
Submission Deadline: Monday October 10, 2016
Please note that all proposals are to be submitted to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SWKIM
(or visit our department webpage). As part of the submission process, you are required to
provide author information (e.g., affiliation, address, and email of primary presenter and copresenter) and indicate your preference for oral, poster, or panel presentation. Please feel free
to contact Conference Chair, Dr. Barth Yeboah (Email: yeboah@kutztown.edu) if you have any
questions regarding proposal submission. Proposal submitters will be notified via email of
acceptance decision within two weeks from the deadline of proposal submission.
We look forward to seeing you in Kutztown!