Seven students who are members of a new “Methods
of Policy Practice” course designed by University
of the West Indies lecturer in Social Work, Peta-
Anne Baker, recently took part in a one-week
study tour to New York City and Hartford,
Connecticut. The group participated in the annual
Social Work at the United Nations Day, the theme
of which was “Policy Issues facing Women in
Poverty”. They heard presentations on indigenous
women issues, human trafficking and women’s
mental health by representatives of agencies
working on these issues.
The group had two other opportunities to learn
about processes used to influence public policy
at international and local level. They met with
members of an International Non Governmental
Organization (NGO) working for social justice for
women, the Women’s Environment and Development
Organization in New York City. The students also
travelled to Hartford, Connecticut where they
visited the NGO democracy works, whose focus is
on influencing public policy at the state level.
The final leg of the group’s programme involved
participating in the annual programme meeting of
the council on social work education, where they
had an opportunity to listen to academic
presentations on a wide range of topics.
The goal of the ‘Methods of Policy Practice’
course is to develop students’ skills in
influencing internal and external policy
environments. The purpose of the trip was to
provide students with exposure to the policy
process in other settings and at the
international level.