AGESW's beginnings trace back to 1981 when a small, informal group of gerontological social work educators (who felt as though there wasn't enough focus on gerontology by the Council on Social Work Education) decided to form an independent gerontology organization. That organization was called the National Committee for Gerontology in Social Work Education (NCGSWE) and was dedicated to to promoting gerontology in the programs of the members' schools. The organization's name was changed in 1995 to the current name to reflect international members and to create a more manageable acronym. (For a much more detailed history of AGESW, please see the article "A 20 Year Retro-History of AGE-SW", by Robert L. Schneider, Founding President of AGESW in the Spring 2001 AGEnda.)
Today, AGESW maintains an international membership of hundreds of educators who teach, conduct research, and promote gerontology at all levels of programs of social work education.
Download a copy of the current AGESW bylaws here. (PDF, 673KB)
The world is aging and people are living longer. People born today can expect to live past their 75th year. At the beginning of the 21st century, one in eight Americans was older than 65 years of age. By 2030, one in five will be 65 years or older.
The demand for professional social workers with knowledge and expertise in providing services to older persons is increasing every year. An astonishing 62% of NASW (National Association of Social Workers) members state that gerontological knowledge is required to care for clients and their families.
President
Sherry Cummings, Ph.D.
The University of Tennessee
College of Social Work
193 Polk Ave., Suite E
Nashville, TN 37210
scumming@utk.edu
Membership Information
Maureen Corely
agesocialwork@gmail.com
Webmaster
Ken Wagner
kwagner@utk.edu