BEL Participating Programs

Cycle 1 BSW Experiential Learning (BEL) Program

The Cycle 1 BEL Program has been enthusiastically welcomed by BSW educators, an indicator of the growing interest in gerontology among the BSW education community nationwide.

20 programs were funded, with the number of quality proposals far exceeding the funding available. Each application was reviewed by two BSW educators who were selected from the Gero-Ed Center National Advisory Board, Cycle 1 CDI Mentors and Faculty Participants, and the BPD Gerontology Committee. Due to the highly competitive nature of the program, the Center Co-PI and Co-Director served as a third reviewer in instances of reviewer discrepancy or where concerns had been raised.

The BEL program applicants were distributed nationally, ranging from large to small institutions in urban and rural locations, as illustrated by the data below.

• Small: 45% of applicants have 4 or less full-time faculty.
• Rural: 20% of applicants serve rural populations, with 57% serving mixed urban/rural geographic areas.
• Culturally Diverse Student Body: 7% of applicants are Historically Black Colleges or Universities, with an additional 10% designated as Hispanic Serving Institutions.
• States with Older Adult Population Greater than National Average: 47% of applicants are from these states, as indicated by Administration on Aging statistics.
• Florida and New Mexico: 25% (1 of 4) of New Mexico social work programs and 8% (1 of 12) of Florida programs applied.

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Questions?

E-mail gero-edcenter@cswe.org