Helping students learn to cope with anxiety experienced during and after the COVID-19 pandemic was the key takeaway from the UFT’s seventh annual Social Workers Appreciation Day event on March 10. About 300 school social workers gathered in Shanker Hall at union headquarters while another 600 participated remotely. Sessions about the Stress and Trauma Education Program, led by three experts, were held during the morning and afternoon, enabling participants to earn five continuing education credits. UFT Social Workers and Psychologists Chapter Leader Raul Garcia cited the advantages of in-person participation, but he noted that the large cohort of online attendees “displays how we can grow since” remote sessions were never considered before the pandemic. “Being able to get together and share our stories about how things are going in everyone’s particular work environment” was of great benefit, said Carlos Davila, a social worker at PS 134 in Manhattan. “We can always learn from each other, and the PD was very good.”