The University of Iowa School of Social Work

Creative Writing for Social Workers

 

 

22nd Annual Creative Writing Seminar for Helping Professionals

July 19-22, 2013

332 North Hall

Iowa City, IA

319-335-3750

 

 

 

Valerie Hardy/Woman Writing on Porch

With permission from the artist

www.valeriehardy.com

 

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Hotels & accommodations list

Day by day course agenda

 

 

Annual National Poetry Contest for Social Workers

The University of Iowa School of Social Work in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, announces the winners of the first annual National Poetry Contest for Social Workers.  Sixty-nine poems were submitted by students and alumni from 20 states across the country. The purpose of the contest was to acknowledge the creative talent of social workers and to draw attention to social work as a profession. The required format was a 7 line poem. The judges of the contest were; Ellen Szabo, M.Ed., founder and director of Write Now, www.writenow.bz , a veteran writer, writing coach,instructor, and facilitator of creative writing workshops. She teaches the annual Creative Writing Seminar for Helping Professionals, at the University of Iowa School of Social Work each summer; Sara Deniz Akant graduated with an MFA in Poetry from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop in May 2012 and Marcia Bollinger, public art coordinator for the city of Iowa City, including the Poetry in Public project.

The top three submissions were awarded cash prizes. The first place winner also receives half price admission to the annual Creative Writing Seminar for Helping Professionals. To view the poems that met the requirements, click here.

Additional poems submitted can be seen here.

First Place-Anna Forbes, MSS 1992, Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA

An advocate, organizer, and writer, Anna Forbes has worked in HIV/AIDS since 1985 and on women's health and rights since 1977.  Now an independent consultant with an international client base, her work centers around women, HIV, gender, health, and rights.

Second Place-Sara Staggs, LICSW, MSW, MPH received her MSW in 2003, at the University of Houston, Houston, TX. Sara is currently a Senior Trauma Therapist for the DC Rape Crisis Center in Washington DC.

Third Place-Mary Ann Getse, MSW, 1979, George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University, St. Louis, MO. Mary Ann retired two years ago following a 30 year career in social work primarily in the School District of Waukesha in Wisconsin. Currently she works part-time for the District running support groups for children.

Honorable Mention-Mignonette Al-Malik, currently an MSW student at the University of Indiana, at the Indianapolis campus. She is a skills instructor at Gallahue Mental Health Center in Indianapolis.

2014 Poetry Contest

The University of Iowa School of Social Work, announces the 2014 Annual National Poetry Contest for Social Workers.  Any social work student, faculty member, or alumnus from a social work program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education- may participate in the contest. Participants are invited to submit a 7 line poem. The deadline for submission is January 1, 2014. Poems should speak to hopes, dreams, fears, and experiences related to social work.

The purpose of the contest is to acknowledge the creative talent of social workers and to draw attention to social work as a profession. “Hosting the national poetry contest here in Iowa City is a natural extension of what the School of Social Work has been doing for decades," says faculty member Mercedes Bern-Klug, a founder of the poetry contest. "We have a 22 year track record of offering a Creative Writing Seminar for social workers and the University of Iowa is known as the 'writing university'. Iowa City is a UNESCO City of Literature. Writing is in the air."

There is no cost to enter the contest. One submission per social worker is allowed. Entries will be judged by a panel of social workers, writers, and poets. The top three submissions will be awarded cash prizes and all submissions that meet the requirements will be published in a chapbook and on the UI School of Social Work website.

Rules for submission

  1. Only students, faculty or alumni from United States CSWE accredited social work programs may participate in the contest.
  2. There is no cost to enter.
  3. Only one submission is allowed per person.
  4. All entries will be judged by a panel consisting of social workers, writers, and poets.
  5. The deadline for submissions is January 1st, 2014 by 5:00 pm.
  6. The poem must be exactly 7 lines (not including the title) and can be either an existing work or new.
  7. An excerpt from a longer poem will be considered if it can stand alone.
  8. Poems will be judged on quality of writing but also for accessibility and suitability for public display before a general audience.
  9. If reprint permissions are required, please get permission prior to submitting your work.
  10. Copies of submitted poems will not be returned.

The top three submissions will be awarded cash prizes and framed copies of the winning poems will be given to the winners and copies sent to the social work program from which the poets graduated or are attending. All of the submissions that meet the contest criteria will be published in a booklet as well as posted on The University of Iowa School of Social Work website.

First Prize- $300 and half price admission to the Creative Writing Seminar in Iowa City
Second Prize- $100
Third Prize- $50
Questions? Write to jefri-palermo@uiowa.edu or call 319-335-3750
online submission