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Social Welfare wins prestigious partner award

The School of Social Welfare has received the Scholastic Partner Award from the Child Abuse Prevention Association at the group's annual board meeting and symposium in Kansas City, Mo.

Jean Peterson, director of field education since 1999, represented the school at the event, along with Ann Elizabeth Lundberg and Julie Solomon, assistant directors of field education at the school. Mary Ellen Kondrat is dean of the School.

"We are committed to providing educationally sound practicums for our students which prepare them to work in programs that address a broad range of social issues," Peterson said. "This award recognizes the hard and excellent work of the field staff in partnering with CAPA to prepare future social work practitioners in the critical area of child abuse and prevention."

Peterson said that for years the school has routinely placed several of its students in bachelor's and master's degree programs at CAPA for practicum experiences. This year, eight KU students are there in clinical, administrative, advocacy and basic social work roles.

In recognizing KU's field education opportunities for its social work students, CAPA noted, "Your commitment toward providing your students with some of the best learning placement possible melds with our goal of helping the most vulnerable young children who have experienced abuse or neglect."

The mission of CAPA, a not-for-profit organization in Independence, Mo., is to prevent and treat all forms of child abuse by creating changes in individuals, families and society that strengthen relationships and promote healing. It was founded in 1975 by the Junior Service League of Independence, Mo., as a crisis and information hotline. Jeannette Issa, director and CEO of CAPA, received a master's degree in public administration from KU in spring 1986, and Karen Costa, CAPA clinical director, received a master's degree in social work from KU in spring 1997.

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Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and Lawrence Mayor Michael Dever recently proclaimed April 14-20 Elizabeth Sherbon Week in honor of the centennial celebration of her birth. Sherbon, a longtime Lawrence resident and 1930 KU grad, was a member of the Martha Graham and Jean Erdman dance companies in New York City and was Graham's teaching assistant before directing the KU dance program from 1961 to 1975. The city of Lawrence awarded Sherbon the Cultural Enhancement Award in 1993 for her contributions to the city's artistic and cultural life.