Brown School

Photo by Kevin LowderThe School of Social Work held its annual International Festival April 22 in Brown Hall; the theme was “Crossroads: Celebrating One World.”

This year’s theme is “Crossroads: Celebrating One World”; the event will begin with an international banquet and art exhibition.

Photo by Bill StoverA powwow featuring an expanded drum circle and a special stomp dance exhibit was the final event of American Indian Awareness Week.

From traditional foods to lively entertainment, international students at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work will offer a taste of their homelands at the 11th annual International Festival 5-9:30 p.m. April 22 in Brown Hall. The event will begin with an international banquet and art exhibition from 5-7:30 p.m. in Brown Hall Lounge. This year’s theme is “Crossroads: Celebrating One World.” The entertainment, which includes dance, song and poetry from numerous countries, will start at 7:30 p.m. in Brown Hall Room 100. All events are free and open to the public.

Instead of solely fostering high schoolers’ self-esteem to curb African-American dropout rates, school social workers and educators should focus on the students’ academic self-beliefs, says a school social work expert. “There is little evidence showing a link between feeling good about oneself and academic achievement, particularly with African-American youths,” says Melissa Jonson-Reid, Ph.D., associate professor at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. “School social workers need to focus on programs that promote a student’s belief in their academic abilities and the importance of education, such as study skills training and mentoring.”

Washington University’s George Warren Brown School of Social Work and Kathryn M. Buder Center for American Indian Studies are hosting the 15th annual powwow, in conjunction with American Indian Awareness Week and the celebration of the Buder Center’s 15th anniversary. The powwow, which is free and open to the public, will run noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, April 9 at the University’s Athletic Center near the intersection of Forsyth Boulevard and Olympian Way. Arts & crafts booths will be open at 10 a.m. This year’s anniversary powwow features American Indian arts, crafts, music, food, a stomp dance exhibit and an expanded dance contest, which is expected to draw tribal dancers from throughout the Midwest. Grand entries of dancers will be showcased at 1 and 7 p.m.

An American Indian powwow, traditional cuisine, storytelling, music and crafts will be among the highlights.

Dancer at the 2004 PowwowAn American Indian powwow, traditional cuisine, storytelling, music and crafts will be among the highlights of the University’s American Indian Awareness Week April 4-9. “Although the Kathryn M. Buder Center has been hosting American Indian Awareness Week for the last 14 years, this year is the most significant in our history, as it is a celebration honoring our 15 year anniversary,” says Dana Klar, interim director of the Kathryn M. Buder Center for American Indian Studies at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work. The annual powwow and awareness week allow the University’s American Indian students to share their unique cultures with the rest of the campus and the St. Louis community. All events are free and open to the public.

The Center for Social Development (CSD) at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis recently announced the 2005 grant recipients of its Civic Service Small Research Grants and Fellows Program. This program is part of the Global Service Institute (GSI) research initiative funded by the Ford Foundation.

The conference will explore the many barriers to economic prosperity and well-being for America’s working poor.