Final Project
April 17th 2026
By
Kai Hadland
Catherine Deneiko
SW 448: Practicum II
Why Create a Website For a Final Project?
I got the opportunity to create a webpage for a volunteer fair that we were planning, since April is Volunteer Appreciation Month. I chose to create a webpage because I enjoy the hands-on aspect, where you create a structure and flow, and the work is constantly changing and adapting. I enjoy learning and taking in as many experiences as I can, and I can see a connection between my social work journey and the website. In both, I feel that I am constantly changing, growing, and using what I learn to better develop myself.
Click the button if you would like to check out the webpage I had created for my practicum.
Why Social Work?
I chose social work because I wanted a career that didn’t feel like a job—something that blends work with my life—and I believed the skills I would learn would help shape me into the best person I can be. I wanted to understand people on a deeper level, challenge my own perspectives, and develop the ability to communicate and connect in meaningful ways. As I near the end of my educational journey, I believe I made the right decision. Social work isn’t just about helping others, as we have learned, but about continuously reflecting on who you are and how you can be a more effective person for both yourself and the people around you.
While I still navigate what my purpose is for this life, I am proud of the direction I’m heading and I slowly feel the rewards seeping into my life. I tend to enjoy the little things more, appreciate what I have and where I am at, mindfulness skills that social work has put a heightened importance on, but its different when you feel the benefits of your work rather than consciously being mindful. I’m grateful for everything I have learned so far as I feel like I am connecting to people on a more caring level. The most important skill social work has taught me is empathy.
Practicum I
My first practicum placement was placed with Chokecherry Studios, where I was introduced to working with at-risk youth. The agency focused on supporting individuals through planned programming that was Indigenous based, harm reduction supplies, and a place for youth to hangout in. Which gave me my first exposure to real-world social work practice.
I learnt how to be an effective listener, and how to hold space for someone. The youth were needing a safe space where they can be themselves, and I found the best way for that was to just be myself and let them slowly build trust. Which I got to experience as I began forming relationships with the youth, and from learning their stories I got a deeper understanding of the complexities that many of the youth face, especially from the systems that is supposed to help them. Such as trying to help a youth create a bank account, however the bank needed an address in order for them to get approval, but the youth was currently dealing with at home problems and was couch surfing.
During my placement at Chokecherry Studios, one of the challenges I had faced was navigating my role as a privileged white male within a space that is predominantly an Indigenous space. This brought some reflection and awareness to my social identities that I had not experienced previously. I had became more conscious of how I might be perceived, or how to engage appropriately, it taught me to step back and listen more intentionally, the key lesson I learned was I can be more effective at times just being a safe space and an open ear, rather than someone that resolves the problem quickly.
Looking back on my first practicum, and starting my practical social work journey, I was figuring out my role and navigating how to interact with my space, I feel that space provided the space to allow me to figure it out. While the practicum experience may have not taught me practical skills, it did develop myself as a social worker. I learnt how to be more grounded, I learned Indigenous teachings and applied them to my life, I learned how to more effectively use of self. The practicum experience helped me develop as a person, which in turn will make me a better social worker.
Practicum II
One of the major parts of my experience involved working in a coalition, where multiple organizations collaborate to create programs or address community barriers. Being able to participate on a variety of boards showed me how organizations bring different perspectives and ideas into the space. This requires ongoing communication, flexibility, and the ability to combine multiple perspectives into a shared goal—which can be challenging when organizations have a variety of plans and ideas, and learning to navigate that into productive work.
I began to understand that effective coalition work is much more complex than the roleplays taught in class, especially when not everyone shares the same experiences. However, effective coalition work depends on building relationships and finding common ground, even when approaches may not perfectly align.
I got the opportunity to have my placement at Grasslands Regional FCSS, in Brooks, AB. The organization provided grant funding for programs that had preventative elements as well as directly managed a few programs such as Home Cleaning and Meals-On-Wheels for senior living.
Working with FCSS gave me the chance to work at the mezzo level of social work, as I was able to expand my focus from working with individuals, which my previous practicum had focused on, to working with groups, organizations, and the surrounding community. This was a shift in how I had previously understood social work practice based on my earlier experience.
Working at this larger scale, I had to think more critically about broader systems and the community demographic, as the population has a high immigrant population, which is a different environment than Saskatoon, where I predominantly worked with Indigenous populations.
Having the opportunity to work at the mezzo level and help create programs and community events, I had to ensure that they were accessible for everyone, regardless of social location. An anti-oppressive approach was built into the events and programs to support the diverse members of the community.
I see these practicum experiences through a systems perspective: my first practicum helped me understand the micro level, while this practicum expanded my understanding of mezzo-level systems.
Having the chance to be part of boards and shadow opportunities during this practicum has been very informative and gave me a better understanding of what it takes for events to run well, including all the back-end planning involved.
I had the opportunity to play a significant role in a community event called Snowflake Festival during Kindness Week in February. I took the lead on creating craft kits, where I budgeted, gathered supplies, and planned 100 kits for children, as well as 30 kits for local businesses to help engage them in the event.
Other events included a Volunteer Fair, where I created a website and reached out to organizations to invite them to set up a booth. I also had the opportunity to shadow some of the partners we fund and see the various ways community groups support the community. For example, I attended a baby massage class for single mothers, where I was able to participate using a baby doll. I also helped serve lunch and tea for seniors in the community and saw firsthand the volunteers and support that make these events possible. I also was able to shadow a pastor for a day, where we visited a senior care home and spoke with various residents. This practicum has broadened my understanding of what it takes for programs and events to be developed and implemented, as well as the many ways individuals and organizations contribute to supporting their communities. These experiences will influence my future social work practice, as I recognize the importance of balancing direct support with an understanding of braoder systems, these teachings will be carried with me into my work moving forward.
Reflecting on my social work education and all the experiences I have got to see, I recently had a moment where I was proud of myself and noticed the growth I have had as a person during these past four years. During one of my shadow opportunities where I got to spend the day with an organization that hosts a lunch and tea for older adults, I was the youngest person there and I was in the back of the room waiting for the speaker to finish announcements to a crowd of about 94 older adults. She calls my name and explains why I’m there and makes me stand up and wave my hand to the whole room, which I did no problem. I reflected on that after and thought back to the start of my social work journey and how my anxiety was so high that I would have thrown up just at the thought of it.
It’s one of the moments that reaffirmed I am on the right path.
Here I am in 2022 at the start of my social work education, compared to 2026 at the end of my education.