Case Western Reserve University is offering Cleveland residents working in social work fields a free chance to boost their education. 

It’s through a program called “Classroom Without Walls.” The initiative is part of the university’s Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences.

Here’s how it works: If real-world professionals from Cleveland share their experiences with current graduate students as they take social work classes together, the university will give those professionals up to nine free credits in exchange. 

Then, if interested, those community members can take those completed courses and put them towards a master’s degree of their own. Building a pipeline to boost enrollment at Case Western Reserve’s Master of Social Work is one of the program’s biggest goals. 

It isn’t the only path, though. Participating professionals can also earn a certificate of completion to take back to their current role, allowing them to apply their new learnings and provide a “higher quality of service to their clients and their communities,” Mandel School Dean Dexter Voisin said. 

“And if that’s the goal they have for themselves, we consider that a success,” he said

Case Western Reserve offers classes on nonprofit ethics, antiracism 

The general public isn’t the program target audience. The first social work professionals who completed the program earlier this year included a family support specialist from the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and a Cuyahoga Community College staffer working with students emancipated from the foster care system.  

This fall’s classes include two three-credit courses: Nonprofit Ethics and Professionalism and Operationalizing Antiracism for Everyday Impact. 

A one-credit course on connecting neuroscience to social work is also available. The program has already scheduled several additional classes for the spring 2025 semester.

Voisin said the selection of these courses is deliberate. The topics covered have broad appeal to those in the field. Plus, no prerequisites need to be completed beforehand, which “really removes barriers to participation,” Voisin said. 

“A big piece of equity is really providing access,” he said. “We know there are many talented folks in communities that are under-resourced that have just not had access.” 

Creating reciprocal relationships between Case Western Reserve, community  

This type of program is more of a reciprocal relationship. And, according to Voisin, higher education isn’t typically filled with those partnerships. 

“When you look at the relationship between institutions of higher education and communities, many of those relationships have been fraught with complexity,” Voisin said. “And, particularly in terms of private institutions, those relationships have been very complicated.” 

These types of initiatives, he said, could be one way to help build trust. 

How to enroll in Case Western Reserve’s free courses 

The program reserves about 10 seats in each class for community members to keep class sizes small. Enrollment is open now.

You can complete an interest form on the university’s website by clicking here.

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