This webinar critically explores the persistence of racism within social work education and the ways it continues to shape curriculum, pedagogy, institutional culture, and professional gatekeeping. Drawing on critical race theory, anti-oppressive practice, and contemporary examples from higher education, participants will examine how racism is often normalized, minimized, or insufficiently challenged within academic spaces that simultaneously profess commitments to equity and justice. The session invites participants to engage in critical reflection about the tensions, contradictions, and responsibilities facing social work education while considering pathways toward greater institutional accountability, anti-racist practice, and transformative change.

Learning Objectives
1. Analyze how structural and interpersonal racism operate within social work education through curriculum, classroom practices, institutional policies, and professional socialization.

2. Critically assess how whiteness, power, and institutional culture shape teaching, curriculum development, student experiences, and professional expectations within social work education.

3. Identify strategies for fostering anti-racist, culturally sustaining, and accountable approaches to teaching, mentorship, and institutional leadership in social work education.

A combination of geopolitical and climate change factors are forcing displacement of millions of people around the world. There is a professional imperative for social workers to become familiar with the adverse impacts that forced uprooting has on vulnerable and marginalized communities locally and globally,and to advocate for social, economic, and environmental justice for these communities. Environmental justice is now one of the social justice priorities of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). The profession is only recently infusing content on environmental justice into the curricula. The panelists of this webinar will make the case for why social work practitioners should broaden our focus on social justice to include the various environmental injustices arising from the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, global warming and climate change. The panelists will utilize key constructs from environmental social work, including displacement and uprooting induced by climate change.

Learning Objectives:

1. Analyze how geopolitical forces, global warming, and climate change contribute to displacement and disproportionately impact vulnerable and marginalized communities locally and globally.

2. Demonstrate understanding of environmental justice as a core social work priority, including its relevance to NASW ethics and emerging social work curricula.

3. Apply theory-informed frameworks on environmental social work and climate-induced displacement to advocate effectively for social, economic, and environmental justice in social work practice.

This webinar explores practical approaches for educating social work students to interact professionally with client spirituality and religion across diverse practice settings. Spirituality and religion are central aspects of identity and meaning for many clients, yet social work students often report limited preparation for engaging these dimensions ethically and competently in practice. To assist educators in addressing this concern, this presentation discusses key content areas that might incorporated into curricula along with pedagogical strategies to help create inclusive classrooms where diverse voices are respected and valued.

After this webinar participants will be able to:

1. Describe the role of spirituality and religion in client identity, coping, and meaning-making within social work practice, consistent with CSWE Competency 2: Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice.

2. Identify and evaluate spiritual assessment approaches, including their strengths, limitations, and appropriate use with diverse populations, consistent with CSWE Competency 7: Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities.

3. Apply principles of spiritual humility and cultural responsiveness when engaging clients’ spiritual and religious beliefs in practice and teaching contexts, aligned with CSWE Competency 2: Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice and Competency 1: Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior.

In this webinar, we hope to explore curiosity as an approach to relationships and professional practice that aligns with social work ethics and values. Together, we will consider how integrating curiosity into conversations can encourage deeper understanding across dimensions of difference. Our aim is to prepare students not only to lead, but to listen—to engage in dialogue that builds bridges, sustains meaningful exchange, and cultivates collaborative solutions in complex environments. Participants will help answer whether curiosity can be integrated as a practice model that honors individual dignity and worth, clarifies values, and acknowledges areas vulnerability and risks for those involved.

In this webinar participants will:
1. Define “curious” conversations.
2. Explain how curiosity supports ethical, competent social work practice across multiple dimensions of difference.
3. Apply curiosity-based strategies at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels that integrates dignity and worth of the person, social justice, and professional competence to engage disagreement without dismissing accountability or equity.

In this webinar, we hope to explore curiosity as an approach to relationships and professional practice that aligns with social work ethics and values. Together, we will consider how integrating curiosity into conversations can encourage deeper understanding across dimensions of difference. Our aim is to prepare students not only to lead, but to listen—to engage in dialogue that builds bridges, sustains meaningful exchange, and cultivates collaborative solutions in complex environments. Participants will help answer whether curiosity can be integrated as a practice model that honors individual dignity and worth, clarifies values, and acknowledges areas vulnerability and risks for those involved.

In this webinar participants will:
1. Define “curious” conversations.
2. Explain how curiosity supports ethical, competent social work practice across multiple dimensions of difference.
3. Apply curiosity-based strategies at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels that integrates dignity and worth of the person, social justice, and professional competence to engage disagreement without dismissing accountability or equity.

This webinar is a part of the Center for Diversity and Economic and Social Justice webinar series. 

This webinar examines artificial intelligence and its implications for social work education, ethics, cultural humility, and social justice. It is a space for an exchange of ideas on AI literacy and technology integration. Shared will be the ongoing journey—strategies and struggles— we, at Hawaii Pacific University, contend with as we weave AI tools into our program.

In this webinar participants will:
1. Examine the implications of generative AI for social work education and practice through critical lenses of culture, ethical mandate, and community context.
2. Identify strategies for adapting curriculum and assessment to develop AI-literate practitioners who can use technology in culturally respectful, contextually relevant, and ethically grounded ways.
3. Formulate a proactive framework for AI integration in social work programs that centers professional values, Indigenous knowledge, and community well-being.