Spark SSW

Spring 2026

We are once again responding to critical needs at the University of Maryland School of Social Work and across our community through a Spark SSW Crowdfunding Campaign. This effort recognizes that during this season of giving, many in our community are facing significant uncertainty and unprecedented pressures. Spark SSW offers a meaningful way to support our students, their education, and the communities we serve.

Your gift of any size directly supports some of the University of Maryland School of Social Work’s highest priorities: Preparing future social workers and leaders, and supporting our community in Baltimore and across Maryland.

The Positive Schools Center (PSC) at the University of Maryland School of Social Work works to ensure that every student learns in a safe, supportive, and inclusive school environment. As PSC celebrates its 10th anniversary, the Center continues to expand its impact across Maryland and beyond by helping schools implement evidence-based approaches to school climate, restorative practices, and student well-being.

Through partnerships with school districts, educators, and communities, PSC provides training, technical assistance, and research that help schools move away from punitive discipline models and toward approaches that strengthen relationships, improve student engagement, and support behavioral health.

At the same time, PSC creates valuable learning opportunities for social work students who gain hands-on experience supporting schools, educators, and young people facing complex challenges.

Philanthropic support allows the Center to deepen its partnerships with schools, expand training opportunities, support student learning experiences, and advance research that improves educational outcomes for children and youth.

By investing in the Positive Schools Center, donors help build stronger school communities and create learning environments where every student can feel safe, supported, and ready to succeed.

This fund helps support:

• Expanded training opportunities for K-12 teachers, administrators and professionals
• Student Learning Experiences
• Research that Improves Educational Outcomes for Children and Youth

Practicum education is the signature pedagogy of the MSW program at the University of Maryland School of Social Work. Through their practicum placements, students work directly with individuals, families, and communities in hospitals, schools, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations across Maryland.

These placements provide essential hands-on training where students apply classroom learning in real-world settings and develop the professional skills needed to address complex social challenges across the social work practice continuum. However, participation in practicum education often comes with significant out-of-pocket costs that can create financial strain for students. Expenses such as transportation, parking, required screenings and background checks, and other placement-related costs can present real barriers, particularly for students already balancing work, caregiving, and academic responsibilities.

The Practicum Education Fund helps reduce these barriers by providing flexible support to MSW students participating in practicum placements. 

By supporting the Practicum Education Fund, donors invest directly in the preparation of future social workers while strengthening the communities they serve.

This fund helps support:

• Transportation to and from practicum sites
• Parking fees
• Required health or safety screenings
• Background checks

The Social Work Early Scholars Research Fund supports the next generation of social work researchers and scholars at the University of Maryland School of Social Work.

This fund provides flexible support for MSW students, doctoral students, postdoctoral fellows, and early-career faculty engaged in mentored research that advances social justice, health and behavioral health, social and economic well-being of individuals, families and communities. Research supported through this fund address a wide range of social challenges, including but not limited to, improving access to health and social services, improvising child and family outcomes, advancing healthy aging, promoting well-being, addressing poverty and economic mobility, reducing violence and trauma, and strengthening community systems and public policies.

Gifts help create paid research opportunities for students working alongside faculty mentors, providing hands-on experience in applied research, program evaluation, implementation science, and community-engaged scholarship. These experiences prepare emerging scholars to translate research into practice and policy solutions that address complex social problems.

Support from this fund may also provide resources for emerging scholars to present their work at academic conferences, publish open-access research, and participate in mentored research collaborations that strengthen their academic and professional development.

By investing in early scholars, donors help remove financial barriers to research participation while expanding the School’s capacity to generate knowledge that improves the lives of individuals, families, and communities.

Your support empowers the next generation of social work scholars while advancing innovative research that drives meaningful change in Maryland and beyond.

This fund helps support:

• Paid Research Opportunities for Students
• Hands on Experience in Applied Research
• Student Participation at Academic Conferences