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The Campaign School for Social Workers will be Friday and Saturday, February 27 and 28, 2026 at the University of Connecticut School of Law in Hartford, Connecticut.

Registration will open in December 2025. Schools or others who wish to register groups can email ssw.ce@uconn.edu.  For all other questions, email PoliticalInstitute@uconn.edu.

Politics shapes everything we do as social workers and citizens. Political decisions made at the federal, state, and local levels determine what kind of world we live in and touch every aspect of our daily lives, including education, health care, criminal justice, mental health services, environment, trash – everything.

Yet, it can also feel overwhelming and intimidating.  The Campaign School for Social Workers is a two-day workshop for anyone who wants to be more politically knowledgeable and active as a candidate, staff member, nonprofit leader, volunteer, and/or advocate for social change. Attendees learn from political social workers and national experts why we all belong in politics, how to use the NASW Code of Ethics as a guide, and how supporting a more inclusive democracy is central to social work's mission, impact, and a more just society.

Now in its 30th year, the Campaign School for Social Workers has a strong network of over 3,000 alumni from across the country and world, many of whom have gone on to serve as elected officials, leaders, advocates, and organizers.

The Campaign School is held annually at the UConn School of Social Work in Hartford, Connecticut. Schools of Social Work and NASW Chapters across the country have also brought the Campaign School to their communities.

Travel information

The Campaign School for Social Workers will be held this year at the University of Connecticut School of Law in Hartford, Connecticut, which is just 20 minutes away from Bradley International Airport and less than 10 minutes from Amtrak. We will have group hotel rates available in Hartford and West Hartford. More links and information will be available on our travel page.

"UConn was my top school because of the Nancy A. Humphreys Institute for Political Social Work. I was an MSW student at the University of New England. By chance I learned about their Campaign School through an independent study I was doing. I attended as part of my independent study and it was completely life-changing. That was the first time I was taught about the importance of social workers and their clients being involved in political decisions. That really changed my career path."

—Dr. Jenna Powers, former UConn SSW Ph.D. student