Calvin University Sociology & Social Work Department

We are excited to share our experience from last week with our inaugural 600-level MSW course, SOWK 620: Anti-racist, Anti-oppressive Social Work Practice!

This course is the first course that our advanced standing students take within the Calvin MSW program and is the start of the second-year courses taken by our regular standing students. SOWK 620 officially started during our Summer 1 term in an online format, but also requires students to participate in a hybrid intensive residency week, and wow, the learning has been powerful. Having a solid foundation and in depth understanding of anti-racist and anti-oppressive social work practice is imperative to setting up our students to be successful MSW social workers.

In addition to focused learning, our students also enjoyed an array of delicious cuisine for lunches during the week. Shout out to these local minority-owned restaurants for providing amazing service and food for our group – Load a Spud Potato Bar, Big Ed’s BBQ GR, and El Granjero Mexican Grill!

Congratulations to Professor Elisha Marr on her recent research publication "Pronatalism in Adoption Seeking: Characteristics of Contemporary Women in the US" in Adoption Quarterly! Check it out below.
https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/PHJMNKIWKVMRXMSZ6MTK/full?target=10.1080%2F10926755.2026.2686667&fbclid=IwY2xjawSfuNVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe0L0aDoOTjntmoDxBvwzkUAo8ZDVflxNLfuiLuGUJ-dfajCQRN-99OtUKTsg_aem_bQhSkyOyqjv0i9MMJ0S_tQ

Pronatalism in Adoption Seeking: Characteristics of Contemporary Women in the US In a pronatalist society such as the US, motherhood is often framed as the expected next step in a series of normative milestones after marriage and financial stability. Adoption is one of the area...

Are you interested in working with those impacted by human trafficking and expanding your skills in trauma-responsive care? Check out this upcoming free training hosted by the West Michigan Human Trafficking Coalition and Safe Haven Ministries, scheduled for Thursday, May 28th from 1-4pm. This training will be hosted at the Seidman Center on Grand Valley’s downtown Grand rapids campus.

This 3-hour training (approved for 3 CEs) will cover elements of the who, what, where, why, and how of human trafficking, as well as share practical examples of how to implement trauma-responsive care and person-centered services and support within anti-trafficking agencies. This training will cover best practices information about survivor engagement within the anti-trafficking movement, as well as facilitated discussion between attendees about current challenges that they are facing in the work. The goal of this training is to provide attendees with tools and tips to help create a shared understanding amongst anti-trafficking survivors and providers, as well as create a space for brainstorming and collaborative engagement. Sign up here: https://host.nxt.blackbaud.com/registration-form/?formId=d8d05785-3877-452c-ab50-7c9fa6d70ec7&envId=p-afKibBqnjkG2R-cnhwOgeQ&zone=usa

Social Work and Sociology ... keeping it in the family 🤩
Something fun and unique about this 25-26 academic year, is we had four of our own faculty students enrolled at Calvin, all majors within our own department. Naturally we had to document it 📷

Pictured below:
-Professor Hennie Schoon and Karis Schoon, Class of 2026 majoring in Social Work, Psychology, and English with a minor in Ministry Leadership
-Professor Stacia Hoeksema and Seth Hoeksema, Class of 2026, majoring in Social Work and Geography
-Professor Jon Hill and Kayla Hill, Class of 2029, majoring in Social Work
-Professor Mark Mulder and Case Mulder, Class of 2028, majoring in Sociology

What a wonderful weekend celebrating our Class of 2026 graduates! We are incredibly proud of our department graduates, including Sociology, Social Work, and Criminology majors and minors and Urban Studies and Gender Studies minors. Congratulations to you all!😍🎓🙌

Thankful for a yummy off-campus brunch this week with some of our senior Sociology, Criminology, Urban Studies, and Gender Studies students. This was a well deserved break from final exams and papers to enjoy time together 🥰 Best of luck to all of our department seniors on their next steps post graduation! 🙌🎓

Gearing up to celebrate our Class of 2026 Social Work students at our annual BSW Commissioning Celebration! Join us this Friday May 8th at 7:30pm at the Calvin Chapel or virtually via the livestream on Calvin University's YouTube channel here: https://youtube.com/live/CtofL4_5voc?feature=share
We are excited to celebrate these amazing grads!❤️💛🎉🎓

Please join in heartily congratulating Professor Meredith Mockabee, adjunct Social Work professor for many years, on her 2026 Calvin Faculty Teaching Award! Meredith was deservingly awarded the 'Teaching Excellence Award for Adjunct Instructors'. We are so proud!😍🙌

We are so excited to highlight four students from our inaugural cohort of MSW students! These student have completed their first 400-hour practicum placements during the 2025-2026 academic year. A huge congratulations on this big accomplishment! Join us in supporting their next steps through the educational journey to receive their MSW, which will include their clinical or macro advanced focused practicum and course work. Let's go year two! 🙌

Job Alert! 📣
Our partners at Uganda Studies Program at Uganda Christian University is hiring a Program Coordinator and Field Instructor based in Uganda! Position starts July 2026. Learn more below.

We’re Hiring!
Are you passionate about student mentorship and global learning?
We’re looking for a Program Coordinator and Field Instructor to support students throughout their semester in Uganda. See more information above, and visit the “Alumni & Careers” link in our bio to learn more about this position and submit your application!