Elizabeth City, N.C. — Students from Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) stepped into a global spotlight, joining peers from across the United States and Africa to present research and solutions at a virtual international conference focused on the future of social work.
The university’s social work program co-sponsored and participated in the third annual Inter-University Student-Led Conference, held March 25-26. The virtual event, themed “Weaving Future Through Intergenerational Wisdom: Establishing Global Solidarity in Social Work,” brought together undergraduate presenters to examine the intersections of social work, diversity, justice and policy while sharing strategies for engaging individuals and communities across cultural contexts.
ECSU was one of nine universities represented by student presenters and one of only two historically Black colleges and universities participating, alongside Bowie State University. Students from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and institutions in Burundi, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa also contributed to the conference.
A total of five ECSU students submitted four presentations:
- Saniya Coston: “Equity in Action: Strengthening Rural Elementary Student Outcomes Through Contextually Grounded Field Education”
- Alicia Perry and Kaylah Jones: “Resilience as Professional Competency: Transforming Social Work Field Education”
- Kristen Priddy: “Centering Equity in Field Education: Confronting Generational Trauma in Guardian ad Litem Practice”
- Temprance Robbs: “Staying Geopolitically Aware and Data-Driven: A Comparative Analysis of U.S. Campus Mass Shootings and Global Patterns of Systemic Violence”
The conference highlighted both theoretical and practical methodologies in social work, with students demonstrating approaches to addressing complex social challenges in diverse and global settings.
Jasmine Dunnaville, a licensed clinical social worker and 2014 graduate of ECSU’s Bachelor of Social Work program, served as the keynote speaker.
Kim Downing, Ph.D., director of the ECSU social work program, said the conference provided an opportunity to highlight the depth of student scholarship.
“We are so proud of the work our students put into their presentations,” Downing said. “Their participation was top-notch and furthered the ideas, concepts and work that can be done in this field.”
ECSU’s social work program continues to prepare students to meet the evolving demands of the profession, connecting classroom learning with global conversations. “Experiences like this help our students see the bigger picture of social work and their place in it,” Downing said. “They are not just learning the work. They are stepping into it.”