The Students Helping Students Program: Improving Academic and Social-Emotional Skills in Bachelor of Social Work Students*

Abstract

Baccalaureate social work educators continue to confront the task of educating numerous underprepared students seeking BSW degrees. To meet the increasing need for qualified social work professionals, it is important to find evidence-based methods to help academically struggling social work students. Students Helping Students is a pilot program designed to increase academic and social-emotional skills of undergraduate social work students. MSW student interns delivered 12-week curricula to social work majors to improve study skills, writing skills, and reading fluency and decrease perceived stress. Pre- and posttest results were analyzed using single subject design and dependent samples t-tests. Study participants significantly improved on three of the four measures: study skills (t=−2.23, p=.046), writing skills (t=−3.15, p=.007), and stress (t=5.17, p=.001). Study participants improved, but not significantly, on reading fluency (t=−.95, p=.361).