ABOVE: Marion Brown
Canadian Association of Social Workers Distinguished Service Award MARION BROWN Marion knew when she was a teenager that she wanted to be a social worker. She now holds bachelor, master, and doctorate degrees in social work, and has dedicated her life to this profession and practice. For nearly three decades, she has worked as a practitioner, an advocate, an educator, and a researcher. The colleagues who nominated her for this award tell us Marion is animated by optimism and compassion, and driven by an analysis of social justice tempered with compassion and humility. Her research and community work focuses on health equity, sexualized violence, migration of social workers, experiences and trajectories of youth both in and out of child welfare care, and professional identity. She expertly connects individual experiences with systemic and structural social issues, and she sees possibility for change in each encounter.
28 Connection | Fall 2019
Marion currently teaches at the Dalhousie School of Social Work, and has a small private practice. She also facilitates program and leadership development. She has offered her effort and expertise to many organizations, including our College, but with particular focus on those that help children and youth. She is a founding member and Board Chair of the North End Opportunities Fund, a grassroots non-profit that facilitates equity and inclusion for young people to pursue their interests and talents. We are fortunate to have Marion as part of our social work community. Her award acceptance speech came was a spoken word poem, which was a delightful surprise.
