ABOUT UPP
Mission Statement for the UPP
The mission of the UPP is to develop creative child welfare leaders, policy makers, managers, and direct service practitioners who have the capacity for critical thinking and to promote best practice and highest quality service to children, families, and communities. The UPP accomplishes this through the coordinated and integrated provision of quality social work education and training.
Course Requirements
The University of Akron, University Partnership Program assists students in gaining prepatory skills needed for the child welfare profession. Students are required to take (2) specialized child welfare courses that substitute the core training needed during the first year of employment at a child welfare agency.
Students are also required to attend a bi-weekly seminar, in addition to the field seminar class, with the UPP Campus Coordinator while they are in the program. Juniors will attend (4) consecutive semesters and seniors will attend (2) consecutive semesters of the bi-weekly seminar. The bi-weekly seminar offers students additional information regarding the child welfare professional such as: self care, secondary trauma and counter-transference, safety, specific interviewing skills for child welfare, and also how to create a professional portfolio.
College Tuition Reimbursement
Once students have graduated from The University of Akron and completed the UPP program, they are required to work in a public child welfare agency. Juniors in the UPP must work for a minimum of (2) years and seniors a minimum of (1) year. Juniors can receive up to a $10,000 stipend and seniors up to $5,000 for participating in the UPP. UPP students must secure employment within 180 days of graduation to receive the reimbursement. A letter of certification will then be sent to the PCSAO Director once students have completed the program to secure the reimbursement.
Students interested in applying for the UPP program must fill out the 2008-2009 UPP Application, interview with the UPP and sign a UPP Contract to be eligible for the program. There is a maximum of 11 and a minimum of 7 students that can participate in UPP per academic year.
