GSSWSR: Forging CONNECTions

In 2020, as Bryn Mawr’s Graduate  School of Social Work and Social Research grappled with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the school began to search for a way to combat the disconnection and isolation students were going through. The CONNECT program was born. CONNECT, which pairs first-year master’s students with Ph.D. candidates in small cohorts to provide community and consultation, supports emerging social workers as they develop community connections and form the building blocks of their developing identity.

Sessions focus on specific topics, which vary from year to year depending on what is going on in the program and society. Topics might include community building, self- and community care, campus resources, ethics and values, or social justice. CONNECT provides an opportunity to delve into topics and discussions that are important, but do not necessarily fit into the academic curriculum. In each session, the Ph.D. candidate, using the topic chosen, works collaboratively to facilitate genuine and meaningful interactions with the first-year cohort that address real-life issues. They help share information, skills, and resources relevant to practice and education in the social work field.

The CONNECT program serves many purposes for first-year students, including professional development through increased spaces for the promotion of self- and community care. This could involve a cohort member sharing something they are struggling with or asking for support or self-care resources from their peers. CONNECT sessions facilitate peer support, normalize support-seeking, and promote community building.  CONNECT has expanded and improved since its early days, and it is still evolving. Many alterations to the program since its launch have stemmed from the results of the CONNECT Feedback Survey completed by participants at the end of the year. The survey highlighted the facilitator-cohort relationship as the foundation of students’ experience in the program.

Just as our students’ needs grow and change, the program has moved into a more experiential facilitation model designed to be adjustable to what is needed by each cohort in the moment. Following goals and overall themes/topics rather than a strict curriculum allows for the facilitator to help mold the experience to the needs of the cohort. This model also allows participants to take the lead in shaping the conversation’s direction.

The CONNECT program is a unique feature of the GSSWSR and has been presented at national conferences.

“CONNECT helped me to meet new people when I was coming into the program,” says Eliza Hancock ’25, M.S.S. ’26.  “I tend to get nervous in new crowds, and the CONNECT program made my experience so much easier. I became such good friends with the people in my cohort and have thoroughly enjoyed my conversations and everything I have learned from my peers, and my friends.”

In CONNECT sessions, students and facilitators alike enter a space where each individual’s voice is heard and invites participants to stretch out of their comfort zone and show up with vulnerability, honesty, and curiosity.