NPS Celebrates Social Work Month 2026 - Honors School Social Workers

The Norwalk Board of Education proudly recognizes March as Social Work Month. During the first week of the month, Norwalk Public Schools also celebrated School Social Workers Week, honoring our dedicated team of school social workers who support students in achieving academic success and navigating mental and behavioral health challenges.

School social workers are uniquely trained to support students who face barriers to academic success, including disability, poverty, discrimination, abuse, neglect, mental illness, homelessness, bullying, family stressors, and other challenges to learning.

The need for school social workers continues to grow as more students experience mental and behavioral health challenges. Access to community-based mental health services is often limited or difficult for many children and families, making school-based support critical for early identification, prevention, and intervention.

In addition, school social workers bring specialized knowledge of school culture and climate, which is essential for effective school safety planning and comprehensive student support. Their work contributes to improved educational outcomes by reducing absenteeism, dropout rates, and disciplinary referrals, while supporting academic achievement.

School social workers are vital members of school communities, strengthening partnerships among students, families, educators, and community organizations to promote student success.

The 2026 Social Work Month theme is “Social Workers: Uplift. Defend. Transform.” This theme honors the prime mission of the Social Work profession to transform lives while bringing hope, healing, and justice to the communities they serve, especially in times of profound change and challenges.

The Norwalk Board of Education proudly recognizes and thanks our school social workers for the essential role they play in supporting students and strengthening our schools across the district.