Social Work inspires students at orientation with hand-crafted keys

Orientation is a time of inspiration, excitement, anticipation and motivation where new students arrive with great expectations for their upcoming academic semester. This year, thanks to a collaborative project with the Calgary Drop-In (DI) and Rehab Centre Woodwork Shop, the Faculty of Social Work will inspire incoming students to embrace social work values from day one.

The project, titled Social Work Keys, was developed by the faculty as a way to welcome new students by focusing on some of the values of social work during orientation.

“We wanted to give new students something that would show them how much they mean to us,” says Jackie Sieppert, dean, Faculty of Social Work. “We hope to make orientation more personal and memorable while connecting new students to our community.”

Over the past few weeks, University of Calgary social work students across the province have been presented with beautifully carved wooden keys engraved with the word "hope," all made from donated wood given to the DI. 

Keys project deepens partnership between faculty and DI

The keys themselves were made by students at the DI Woodwork Shop, a place where vulnerable youth can learn life skills and become talented woodworkers. This kind of knowledge and training often helps them to land careers in cabinet-making. The program aligns with social work values, and has has deepened the partnership between the two organizations.

“[This project] is hugely connected to the woodwork shop. Our program helps at-risk youth to have hope for the future,” says Tom Loszchuk, manager of the DI Woodwork Shop. “It was a long process. Just when the students thought they were done the keys, there was something more to do. That’s just like life — just when you think you’re over the hump, there’s something else to do. Without hope, you won’t get through that.”

This program at the DI Woodwork Shop, managed and instructed by Loszchuk and his staff, has helped individuals facing adversity to turn their lives completely around. Some former DI residents are now successful journeymen cabinetmakers, which is just as inspiring as it is evidence that the program is effective and transformative.

Students encouraged to give away keys as messages of hope

The Social Work Keys project represents how social workers can help unlock hope and potential, and are often the key to making a world of difference in someone’s life. Just as students at the DI Woodwork Shop have been inspired to make a change, the social workers of tomorrow will pass on a message of hope to the individuals, families and communities they work with.

The idea behind the project is that when a student finds someone who needs hope more than they do, they will give the key to them as a gift. The student may also suggest that the new keyholder do the same when they are ready. In this way, the message of hope is constantly passed onto whoever needs it most.