The Department of Social Work, MercyCollege, Palakkad organized an ice breaking session for the first-year MSWstudents on 7th August 2025 at the EVSeminar Hall. The session, titled “Meet, Mingle and Marvel”,was designed to help the freshers build connections with each other, develop asense of comfort within the department, and create a positive beginning totheir professional learning journey. The session was facilitated by thedepartment alumnae, Ms. Theertha K. R. and Ms. Rose Paul, who brought in theirexperiences and insights to guide the students.
The facilitators initiated thesession with interactive introductions and simple energizer activities to easethe students into participation. This was followed by a series of gamesand task-oriented activities that encouraged active involvement,teamwork, and creative expression. Through these activities, the students wereable to explore and identify their personal strengths, reflect on the skills to be developed during the course, andshare their expectations fromfieldwork experiences. Special focus was given to helping thestudents articulate their majormotivation factors for choosing social work as a profession.
The activities were structured in such a way thatthey combined fun with purposeful learning. Students were encouraged to workcollaboratively, communicate effectively, and think critically about theiracademic and fieldwork journey. The alumnae also shared their own professionalexperiences, which inspired the students and gave them practical insights intothe opportunities and challenges within the field of social work.
The session created a lively and inclusiveenvironment where students felt free to interact with their peers and mentors.It served as a platform for self-reflection, peer bonding, andconfidence-building. More importantly, it provided the students with clarity onthe importance of personal growth, skill development, and professionalmotivation as integral aspects of social work education. The program wascoordinated by Ms.Sruthimol K, Head of the department and Ms. Gopika U &Ms. Dilsha D first year students. Overall, the ice breakingsession “Meet, Mingle and Marvel” was a highly engaging and enrichingexperience. It successfully achieved its objective of fostering interaction,motivation, and enthusiasm among the first-year students, thereby marking apositive beginning to their academic and professional journey in social work.
