# data[].attributes.body
This photo shows the end result of a fabulous strengths-based exercise designed by 2 students. The exercise built everyone's confidence and helped them feel part of a growing community of practice.

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.6cSwQfl8
Watching students develop their knowledge, practice skills and social work identity over the 4 years of the degree always makes me feel proud. 

# data[].attributes.body
This anniversary reminded me of the promotional photo taken for the 20th year celebrations, back when I was a third year student at the Bendigo campus. My younger self would not have predicted that I would be a staff member and postgraduate research student by the next anniversary event, but I think that journey speaks to the enduring culture of mentoring, support and empowerment within the Social Work program in Bendigo.

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.6cSwQfl8
Working in preventative mental health for children in rural towns was a special way to start my career. I feel hopeful knowing that there is great work happening to support children to understand their emotions better and reduce the stigma of mental illness in rural communities.

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.I3lO-atE
Regional Social Work education means that we can open doors for a range of people who may not have studied Social Work if it meant that they would have to leave their communities. Having local knowledge and connections can make a big difference!

# data[].attributes.body
I could never have imagined the impact that studying social work in Bendigo would have on my life. This picture of me on my final placement in Nepal represents just one of the many extraordinary experiences I had while studying or the opportunities that have followed because I chose social work.

It has led to me having the opportunity to do work in a variety of contexts that I find incredibly meaningful and rewarding. However, the most important part of my La Trobe social work journey has been the relationships I made along the way. Their passion, wisdom and generosity fostered a deep sense of belonging to the profession and continues to inspire me to be the best social worker I can be!

# data[].attributes.body
Something incredible about my connection with La Trobe has been witnessing the quiet transformation that happens when students take their learning into the world. In international field education, I have seen students move from uncertainty to confidence, not because everything becomes easy, but because they begin to trust their capacity to sit with complexity, listen with humility and practise with courage. Those moments of growth have stayed with me and continue to shape why this work feels so meaningful.

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.6cSwQfl8
My proudest impact in social work is the work I have been part of in international field education. I am proud of the relationships built between students, universities and community organisations in Nepal. These relationships have created learning that is respectful, reciprocal and connected to real community priorities. Over time, I have seen students grow in confidence while also contributing to the work of local organisations. I have also seen NGOs share knowledge, strengthen practice and shape students’ understanding of social work in powerful ways. It is this exchange, and the ripple effect it creates, that feels most meaningful to me.

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.I3lO-atE
Regional social work education reminds me that social work always begins in place. It begins with local communities, local relationships and the everyday realities that shape people’s lives. At the same time, those local experiences are connected to much wider global questions of inequality, culture, migration, care and justice. For me, the connection between regional and international social work education is powerful because it shows students that practice is both deeply local and deeply connected to the world beyond us.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Annie Townsend Social Worker, Enjoying trekking the Annapurna Ranges in Nepal(1)

# data[].attributes.headline
Launching our Field Education textbook in 2018 with Centre for Non-Violence

# data[].attributes.subject
Launching our Field Education textbook in 2018 with Centre for Non-Violence

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.6cSwQfl8
A particular highlight has been the opportunity to write a book on social work field education with colleagues Natasha Long, Fiona Gardner and Helen Hickson. It was an incredibly rewarding experience to collaborate on a project that reflects our shared commitment to preparing future social workers for practice. Seeing our collective knowledge, values, and passion translated into a resource that will support students, educators, and practitioners has been a real joy and something I'll always be proud of.

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.A1hgs3U0
Senior Lecturer, La Trobe University Bendigo

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.I3lO-atE
One of the things I've most enjoyed about working in the Social Work program at Bendigo La Trobe has been the people. It's been a privilege to work alongside such a supportive, knowledgeable, and committed group of colleagues who genuinely care about their students and each other.

I've also really appreciated the opportunity to teach and learn with students who bring such diverse experiences, perspectives, and passion for social justice. Watching their confidence and professional identity develop over the course of the program has been one of the most rewarding aspects of the role.

The Bendigo campus has a strong sense of community that makes it a welcoming and collaborative place to work. I've valued the willingness of colleagues to share ideas, support one another, and continually look for ways to improve the student experience.

It's been a privilege to contribute to a program that prepares future social workers to make a meaningful difference in the lives of individuals, families, and communities. I'll always be grateful for the relationships, opportunities, and shared commitment to social work values that have made my time in the Bendigo Social Work program so fulfilling.

# data[].attributes.body
I am really grateful for the opportunities that social work has and continues to provide me. Since graduating, I have moved to the Northern Territory and had the privilege to learn, share, grow and work in over nine First Nations Communities spanning over 162,000 square kilometres. Since then, I have worked in the international humanitarian space in the Pacific and later in the year I will be supporting social work students as a supervisor and field educator for their social work placement in Nepal. Over the last two years I have co-authored a journal article and a book chapter which has been another wonderful learning opportunity!

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.I3lO-atE
I think it is a real privilege to call myself a social worker and remind myself constantly of this. It is a privilege to hold hope, for when others may not be able to at the time. A privilege to give but actually receive more, learn more and share more.
Social work presents so many career opportunities, and opportunities that can take you to all different spaces and places.

# data[].attributes.body
My passion for Social Work has grown in the years I have worked alongside young people who have faced challenges far greater than anyone their age should have to endure. Throughout my career in education, I have met students who have experienced trauma, family breakdown, mental health challenges, disadvantage, and social isolation. While every story is different, one thing has remained constant—the incredible difference that one trusted adult can make in a young person's life.

I have always believed that education is about far more than academic achievement. Before a young person can learn, they need to feel safe, valued, connected, and understood. Some of the most meaningful moments in my career have not been measured by grades or attendance data, but by seeing a student smile for the first time in weeks, watching their confidence slowly return, or hearing them say they finally feel like someone believes in them.

Working in student engagement has shown me that behind every attendance issue, behavioural concern, or disengaged student is a story that deserves compassion rather than judgement. I have learned that meaningful change happens through building genuine relationships, listening without assumptions, advocating fiercely, and helping young people recognise strengths they often cannot yet see in themselves. These experiences have shaped not only the way I work but also the person I strive to be. Supporting young people to discover their strengths, build resilience, and become the best versions of themselves is not simply the career I have chosen—it is the purpose that continues to inspire me every day.

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.6cSwQfl8
I see Social Work not just as a qualification, but as an opportunity to expand the impact I can have on the lives of young people. It is a chance to continue advocating, empowering, and walking alongside students as they navigate life's challenges, helping them build futures filled with hope, confidence, and possibility. There is no work I would find more meaningful.

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.A1hgs3U0
Student Engagement Support Officer, Department of Education

# data[].attributes.body
How wonderful to be celebrating Social Work at LaTrobe, Bendigo. I am so grateful for the day I walked into a social work elective (from my behavioural neuroscience degree) and left it ready to jump ship because I'd found my fit.

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.6cSwQfl8
Whilst there's been lots of big moments across my work in the child and family services and mental health sectors and the university, it's the little things that I'm most proud of - things that would be easy to miss without that social work skin...seeing a parent and child connect in play, sitting with someone as they find compassion and understanding for the ways they've survived, parents feeling less alone after coming to a group, an educator unlearning 'naughty', a supervisee or student claiming their power. So, the relational stuff for me - always!

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.I3lO-atE
What regional SW education means to me is best explained by having to consider the options in the drop down box asking about my connection to La Trobe Bendigo and choosing 'Other' as the best fit. Over the years, I've been a student (BHS/MSW), sessional facilitator, placement supervisor and now, a PhD student, exploring relational use of self. To have held these various roles has been such a rich journey of learning, unlearning, connection and growth for me, and forms a huge part of my identity. There is nothing I love more than being part of something that matters, with people that make matttering matter!

# data[].attributes.body
How lovely to be able to mark 30 years of social work teaching at la Trobe Bendigo! I remember my years of being on the teaching team with great fondness, but more importantly, is the contribution of the team to professional expertise in the region and beyond. I have had the pleasure of serendipitous meetings with graduates who are now making their own special contributions and some have contributed my health and wellbeing in recent times. What a pleasure to recognise someone I taught and renew our acquaintance.

Best wishes to the social work team, all our students and graduates, and may the strengths of having a course in Bendigo continue.

Jennifer Lehmann

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.6cSwQfl8
Seeing our graduates continuing the professional expertise that means so much to our regional communities

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.A1hgs3U0
Retired Social Worker/Honorary Academic staff

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.I3lO-atE
So important to maintain accessible education in the region

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.A1hgs3U0
Independent Community Mental Health Worker 

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.I3lO-atE
I have been studying Social Work part time for the past 8.5 years and will finish this year. This course has become part of my life in that time. The ‘becoming’  of a Social Worker has been a gradual process where I can now confidently advocate, empower and bring other professionals together to ensure folks have the opportunity for best outcomes. This transcends not only in my professional capacity but has nurtured my personal development too as a mother, partner and friend within my community. I feel proud but also ‘happy’ that this course was 100% what I was meant to do ! 

# data[].attributes.body
Left to Right: Kerryn B, Rachel L, Natasha L, Jacqui T

# data[].attributes.body
A huge congratulations to our 'big sister' social work team. How wonderful to be celebrating 30 years of social work at La Trobe Bendigo. Your staff and students have always been passionate and dedicated - 2 important qualities of any social worker - and a huge inspiration and support to us here at the Albury/Wodonga campus. Enjoy the celebrations this week and be proud of the many wonderful social workers you have 'grown and nurtured' and sent out into the world.

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.6cSwQfl8
I feel honoured to share the learning journey with social work students and am grateful to have be supported by the wonderful Bendigo academics over the years.

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.I3lO-atE
It is so important that people who live and breathe the regions are able to study and then work in the regions.  Social work in particular!

# data[].attributes.body
Social work has taught me that knowledge is never finished. Every person we meet, every conversation we have and every community we walk alongside has something to teach us. The greatest gift of this profession is that it asks us to remain lifelong learners, balancing evidence with curiosity, compassion with courage, and hope with action. It is a privilege to be part of a profession that believes people are never defined by where they begin, but by the possibilities that emerge when they are truly seen, supported and empowered.

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.6cSwQfl8
My proudest achievement has been demonstrating that social work can evolve while remaining grounded in its core values. Through Flash Farm I have developed a practice that integrates evidence-informed social work with animals, nature and meaningful occupation, creating new opportunities for engagement, healing and growth for children, young people and families. Knowing that this work may also contribute to future research and inspire other practitioners to think differently about what social work can be is something I am incredibly proud of.

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.A1hgs3U0
Founder, Principal Social Worker
Flash Farm / Fostering Love and Sharing Hope Australia Inc

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Social Change agents - Robyn Trainor (left) and Margaret Augerinos (right) at the CSW 2019

# data[].attributes.headline
Celebrating 30 Years of Social Work in Bendigo

# data[].attributes.subject
Celebrating 30 Years of Social Work in Bendigo

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.6cSwQfl8
My proudest impact in social work is continuing to influence social change across practice, research, education and policy. Throughout my career, I have worked across multiple fields of practice, bringing together lived experience, evidence and advocacy to advance equality and social justice.
A significant part of this impact has been supporting and developing the next generation of social workers through field education, university teaching, collaboration and mentoring. I am deeply committed to the social work principle that the personal is political, and I strive to embed this understanding in all aspects of my work. Through this lens, I promote equality, challenge systemic inequities and advocate for the rights and inclusion of those whose voices are often marginalised.
My practice is grounded in an intersectional approach, which has enabled me to bring important insights into the strengths, challenges and systemic barriers experienced by diverse communities, particularly women, children and those affected by gendered violence. This perspective has shaped my commitment to ensuring that policy and service responses are informed by lived experience and focused on creating meaningful and lasting change.
Studying and working across the Loddon region has reinforced the importance of place-based practice. I understand that regional communities have unique strengths, assets and ways of working, and that effective policy and practice must reflect local contexts rather than metropolitan assumptions. Ensuring rural and regional perspectives are represented in decision-making processes remains a central focus of my work.
I have been privileged to represent these perspectives on national and international stages, including attending and presenting at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW63). These opportunities have enabled me to amplify the voices of women, children and diverse communities, ensuring their experiences and aspirations are visible in conversations that shape policy and social change.
Working across policy, research and practice has strengthened my ability to translate women's lived experiences into evidence, and to connect that evidence to policy and action. This has allowed me to contribute to reforms that are grounded in community knowledge and informed by the realities of people's lives.
Ultimately, my proudest impact is creating connections between communities, research, practice and policy, while championing equality, strengthening rural and regional representation, and supporting others to become agents of social change in their own right.

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.A1hgs3U0
Head of Strategy and Impact - Centre for Non Violence

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.I3lO-atE
Regional social work, to me, is about walking alongside individuals, families and communities to create opportunities for inclusion, dignity and self-determination. It is both a profession and a commitment to social justice, grounded in relationships, advocacy and community connection.

# data[].attributes.body
A needs analysis was undertaken by Fiona Gardner in 1995 - the first recommendation was "La Trobe Bendigo in cooperation with La Trobe Bundoora establish social work training based in Bendigo as a matter of priority. There is clearly a demand for and interest in this being provided locally".

The rest is history!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Where it all began - needs analysis 1995

# data[].attributes.headline
A very early (1995) collaboration agreement between Schools at La Trobe University to deliver the social work program in Bendigo.

# data[].attributes.subject
A very early (1995) collaboration agreement between Schools at La Trobe University to deliver the social work program in Bendigo.

# data[].attributes.body
The delivery of social work education at La Trobe was possible because of collaboration between Schools in the University. Collaboration between Schools continues today.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Cross school collaboration for delivery of social work in Bendigo - 1995

# data[].attributes.body
The Bachelor of Social Work commenced as a two-year degree (plus prior field experience). This is a picture from 1997 of the first cohort of students to graduate plus staff including Fiona Gardner, Di Cox, Garth Phillips, and Jim Young.

# data[].attributes.headline
Hard copy Undergraduate Social Work Handbook 2003 - old school (pre internet)

# data[].attributes.subject
Hard copy Undergraduate Social Work Handbook 2003 - old school (pre internet)

# data[].attributes.body
This is how we did things before the internet!

# data[].attributes.body
Students and staff (Natasha Long, Grace Bronw, Robyn Trainor, Fiona Gardner) at graduation in 2008.

# data[].attributes.body
Students and staff member Jan Pascal (red gown) at graduation in 2007

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.6cSwQfl8
Above is a photo of "social work hats" from my PhD research. Since completing my PhD (at La Trobe) I have incorporated an activity using the metaphor of the social work hat to explore social work professional identity into my teaching. Students reflect on who they are as a social worker and how they express their social work identity. And they have an opportunity to envisage what their social work hat would look like if we could see it! These are the moments I love - when it seems to all come together for students. I feel very privileged to be part of students' social work education and their professional identity development. 

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.A1hgs3U0
Senior Lecturer, La Trobe University Bendigo

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.I3lO-atE
Regional social work education provides opportunities for people to study where they live - or at least close to where they live. This means that they can still maintain connections to their local communities and hopefully also encourages them to work in their local areas when they graduate. I think this also provides opportunities for people to connect with peers and staff and fosters as sense of belonging in higher education and to the social work profession.

# data[].attributes.body
Thank you to the social work team at La Trobe University, for your passion, commitment, and ethical approach to regional and rural education. It has been a privilege to be an alumni and staff member over the years. I have learnt so much from colleagues and students. Grateful!

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.6cSwQfl8
Course design and development; team work; graduates and postgraduates. 

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.I3lO-atE
As a former student and staff member, I have experienced the importance of rural and regional education in terms of access to professional development, and workforce development. This has shaped my own employment in rural and regional Queensland and the UK. Paying it forward to the next generation of social work students, and postgraduates, and staff, has directly grown from my experience at La Trobe University.