The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is a professional organization for social workers that also creates and maintains professional standards. The NASW has a total of 55 chapters, one in each state plus an additional chapter in New York City and chapters in Washington DC, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and Guam. Here in Brevard County, our local Unit is NASW Space Coast.
As a student, membership fees are discounted for the time you are in school. Following graduation, student members will be able to switch to the transitional membership fee for a set period of time before having to switch to the regular membership fee amount. My first year of membership will be expiring at the end of the month and I have been debating whether I should renew or not.
There are pros and cons to holding a membership as a student. From my year of being a member, there are many opportunities for in-person learning and networking with local social workers in the community. This is a great way to find mentors, supervisors, internships, and job opportunities, as well as get conference tickets at the discounted student member rate. This is also a great way to build rapport and feel involved while being an online student. From everyone I’ve met, seasoned social workers are always excited to meet students beginning their social work journeys.
The biggest con is the membership fee. Even though students get a discounted rate, it can still be a big purchase for the month you register. The networking benefits can also depend on your schedule and how many events you’re able to make it out to. For example, someone who is relatively outgoing, comfortable with attending events by themselves, and has a more flexible schedule may get more out of being a member than someone who has limited free time and is more introverted or prefers to attend events where they already know some people.
In my opinion, especially if you’re like me–an online student who is switching from a different career field–becoming an NASW member as a student and attending some local events can give you a platform to build your professional network. Even membership for just one year can help make connections that you can continue to foster outside of NASW. Hopefully, this article has given you a better idea of questions to consider before registering.
In my year as a student member, I attended a local workshop on domestic violence facilitated by a local LCSW (which was free for student members). I met lots of local social workers at the annual Social Work Month Celebration dinner, virtually participated in the online NASW student forum, and attended my first NASW-FL LEAD event. The best part was most of these experiences were free or at a reduced cost for me as a student member. I plan to renew my membership for one more year and attend the NASW-FL Conference in June 2024. If you’re planning on going too, I’d love it if you said hi!