Unpaid practicums create financial challenges for social work students who must balance required field hours, classes, paid employment, and living expenses. Although practicums provide hands-on experience needed to graduate and prepare for future social work careers, students are often expected to complete hundreds of hours without pay. This creates a barrier for students who need to earn money to cover housing, food, transportation, and other basic needs while completing their degrees.

Our campaign, P.A.C.E. (Paid Access to Career Experiences), focuses on addressing these challenges within Eastern Washington University's Social Work program. We believe social work students should not have to choose between financial stability and completing the field experience required for graduation. Our goal is to encourage EWU to prioritize paid social work practicum placements and work with agencies and organizations to create more opportunities for students to receive compensation or financial support.

We are asking EWU's Social Work program and university leadership to increase the percentage of paid or financially supported social work practicum placements by 5–10% each year, with the goal of reaching at least 90% within 10 years. We also want the program to actively seek paid placement opportunities, work with community agencies to explore compensation, and identify funding options for students completing their required field hours.

By signing this petition, you are supporting fairer access to social work field experience and helping reduce the financial barriers students face while pursuing their degrees. Together, we can work toward a future where social work students have the opportunity to learn, gain experience, and succeed without their financial situation holding them back.