PowerUs is an international network of teachers and researchers from schools of social work and representatives from different service user organizations. PowerUs develops methods of mutual learning in order to change social work practice to be more effective in supporting the empowerment of marginalized and discriminated groups in society. Acknowledging direct experience as a valuable source of knowledge and involving service-users in education & research, provides social work-students with an understanding of the social issues that goes beyond the purely theoretical. It also empowers the service users too see that their experience-based knowledge is valued. PowerUs consists of partners from Denmark, Germany, Norway, Sweden, the UK, the Netherlands, France, Belgium, South Africa, Canada, Poland, Austria and Switzerland.