The North American Network of Field Educators and Directors (NANFED), covering the United States and Canada, was founded to promote the interests of field education within the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and its Annual Program Meeting (APM).


So rich were the papers presented in the 1987 and 1988 Symposia that several were collected in a volume entitled Field Education in Social Work: Contemporary Issues and Trends edited by the organizers and published in 1991. That volume was followed in 1995 by Social Work Field Education: Views and Visions edited by Gayla Rogers and had special emphasis on papers from the first Canadian Field Work Symposium in 1994.


NANFED has a steering committee of approximately twelve field educators from across the United States and Canada. These are individuals who have volunteered to formally and informally promote NANFED's purpose and work.

Prospective members representing field educators from various regions are identified by the Steering Committee and invited to participate. The current members are: Urania Glassman, Ginger Robbins, Co-Chairs, Patti Aldredge, Diane Frankel, Bart Grossman, Patricia Kolar, Sandra Posada, Claudette Lee, Bill Fisher, Chuck Floyd, Gayla Rogers, Helle Thorning. The membership is being expanded to include a representative from each field consortium.


NANFED's advocacy on behalf of Field Education spurred CSWE to establish a Field Commission. The CSWE structure adopted in 2003 includes a Field Council made up of 12 members appointed by the President of CSWE. The Field Council has the following responsibilities as charged by the CSWE Board of Directors:

• Enhancing the quality of field programs.
• Recognition and support of field educators and directors.
• Knowledge generation and dissemination in field education.
• Collaboration with the professional community

Field educators can join NANFED as individuals or through school sponsored membership. Dues are $50 per year due January 30 and made payable to Field Works, Inc.

NANFED was formed in 1987 to give field educators a voice at the Council on Social Work Education/Annual Program Meeting. That year, over 200 field educators participated in the first major Field Work Symposium organized by Dean Schneck, Bart Grossman and Urania Glassman at the CSWE/APM held in St. Louis.

NANFED is part of Field Works, Inc. a non-profit incorporated in Wisconsin by the three original organizers who still serve as its officers. Through this incorporation NANFED is able to collect dues from individuals and schools to fund the receptions and to give the Heart of Social Work Awards that are described in the section below titled "Ongoing Work."

• Support of the Field Symposium at CSWE/APM.
• Encouraging the submission of abstracts related to field education.
• Identifying issues to be addressed at APM.
• Supporting the development of local field consortia.
• Mentoring new field directors.
• Feeding field concerns into the other councils or commissions of CSWE.
• Hosting and funding the annual reception for field educators at CSWE/APM.
• Conducting the business meeting for field educators at CSWE/APM.
• Hosting and funding the annual Heart of Social Work Award.

Field Directors Consortia are formed regionally to promote cooperation among schools and agencies, to enhance the quality of field placements and field instructor training, and to expand joint efforts of schools and agencies. The number of field directors Consortia has doubled since the inception of NANFED to the present 19

• Access to North American network of Field Educators
• Nomination of outstanding field instructors for Heart of Social Work Award
• Pre- CSWE/APM notification of Field Education related papers and events
• Attendance at the NANFED reception at CSWE/APM