Events
The USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work operates all of its programs and activities consistent with the University’s Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor.
Upcoming Events
Let’s Get Real! Virtual Book Club!
June 11, 2025 @7:15-8:15pm PST
Book choice for June:
“We’re Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation”
By: Eric Garcia
“This book is a message from autistic people to their parents, friends, teachers, coworkers and doctors showing what life is like on the spectrum. It’s also my love letter to autistic people. For too long, we have been forced to navigate a world where all the road signs are written in another language.”
In We’re Not Broken, Garcia uses his own life as a springboard to discuss the social and policy gaps that exist in supporting those on the spectrum. From education to healthcare, he explores how autistic people wrestle with systems that were not built with them in mind. At the same time, he shares the experiences of all types of autistic people, from those with higher support needs, to autistic people of color, to those in the LGBTQ community. In doing so, Garcia gives his community a platform to articulate their own needs, rather than having others speak for them, which has been the standard for far too long.
Register here: June Book Club Registration
Zoom link provided to those who register.
Sponsored by the Office of Organizational Culture and Well-Being
Questions: Ann Marie Yamada
Individuals with disabilities who need accommodations to attend may contact Elizabeth Gutierrez at elizabeth.g@usc.edu.
Research for Social Change Seminar Series
New Topics Every Tuesday - 12:00 - 12:45pm in MRF102 & Zoom
Resuming Fall 2025
The Research for Social Change Seminar Series is a moderated panel discussion that will be held nearly every Tuesday. This series will consist of experiential discussions of current changes to policy, advocacy, and service as they relate to the field of social work.
Past Events
Let's Get Real Book Club (Virtual)
2025:
February 2025 - "Homegoing" by Yaa Gyasi
March 2025 - "Americanized: Rebel Without a Green Card" Sara Saedi
2024:
February 2024 – “Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood” by Trevor Noah
March 2024 – “In the Country We Love: My Family Divided” by Diane Guerrero with Michelle Burford
June 2024 – “Lawn Boy” by Jonathan Evison
July 2024 – “Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories From the 21st Century” Edited by Alice Wong
September 2024 - “American Like Me: Reflections on Life Between Cultures” Edited by America Ferrera
October 2024 - “Enrique’s Journey” by Sonia Nazario
Know Your Patient's Rights
Virtual Event on Monday, 2/24 @ 5:30pm
Speaker: Monica Valencia - Attorney Manager LA LGBTQ Center
Fear of immigration enforcement causes some immigrant families to avoid necessary services. Join us to learn about patient rights, legal protections, and how health and social care professionals can support individuals facing immigration concerns.
Highlights Include:
Overview of recent executive orders impacting immigration
“Know Your Rights” information
- Gain insights into “protected areas” policies
We welcome students, clinicians, health and social care professionals!
An Evening of Conversation with Ben M. Freeman
Wednesday, November 16, 7:30pm.
Reclaiming our Story: The Pursuit of Jewish Pride is the second installment of world-renowned educator Ben M. Freeman’s seminal manifesto of the modern Jewish Pride movement that has revolutionized the Jewish world.
In this groundbreaking work, Freeman takes his readers – both Jewish and non-Jewish – on a powerful learning journey that explores the impact of Jew-hate on Jews and the long history of internalized anti-Jewishness.
About the Author:
Founder of the modern Jewish Pride movement, a Jewish leader, a Jewish thinker, and a Jewish educator, Ben M. Freeman is the author of Jewish Pride: Rebuilding a People and Reclaiming our Story: The Pursuit of Jewish Pride. Ben came to prominence during the Corbyn Labour Jew-hate crisis and quickly became one of his generation’s leading Jewish thinkers and voices against anti-Jewish racism.
The USC Institute on Inequalities in Global Health, USC Law & Global Health Collaboration and USC Keck School of Medicine Center for Gender Equity in Medicine and Science invited us to join “Addressing the Long-Term Social and Economic Impacts of Dobbs: A View from Inside USC” on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 4–5 p.m. PST.
This one-hour virtual event brought together a multidisciplinary panel of faculty from across USC to discuss the broad social and economic implications of the US Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Informed by the outcomes of the midterm elections in which abortion was a central issue, USC experts in the fields of law, medicine, social work, sociology and global health provided insight into the political landscape and the potential long-term ramifications for marginalized and vulnerable communities. This forward-looking conversation drew on the wide expertise of the panelists to consider the concept of solidarity and explore strategies for research and advocacy in a complicated time.
Click here to view additional recordings of previous events from the USC Institute of Inequalities in Global Health.
To watch, use your USC ID login at HBOmax.com. You will be able to log in under providers and select Univ of Southern California.
World Social Work Day
WEBINAR
15 March 2022, at 9am PST
Voices from the Borders: Social Work Responds to the Humanitarian Crisis in Ukraine
This webinar gave us an opportunity to hear the experiences of some social workers who are directly involved in assisting these adults and children at the border with Ukraine.
Anti-Trans Policies & Social Work Education: A National Town Hall
March 31st at 2pm PST/5pm EST.
Hosted by: the Center for LGBTQ+ Research & Advocacy and the University of Kansas SSW.
social work scholars, educators, and students joined from across the US for a virtual town hall discussion about best practices in social work education to address anti-trans policies that conflict with professional ethics and values. The town hall took place on March 31st at 2pm PST/5pm EST.
Recording of Town Hall
Volunteer Opportunities at USC
Browse USC's Volunteer Opportunities Presented by WorkWell Center.
For questions about volunteer opportunities, please contact serveon@usc.edu.