I’ve been spending all my “free” time (of which there is very little) working on the restructuring plan for NYC Shiba Rescue and recruiting volunteers to fill the new positions. Snick and I manage to post tidbits on twitter and facebook occasionally, but finding time to write a whole blog post has been difficult.
One thing that has been on my mind a lot is Humane Education. I was very excited during the summer, because Snickers and I had plans to work with our local shelter’s humane education program. I was really looking forward to starting school visits in the fall. Well, long story short, the shelter doesn’t really have a program. They have good intentions, but right now the only visits they wanted our help with were for fund raising events. 🙁
That got me thinking long and hard about humane education, how important it is, and how no formal, organized plan to teach our children empathy towards animals really exists. An idea popped into my head and I’ve been formulating a plan. I plan to start a new, national, non-profit organization to promote and support humane education – specifically to teach compassion and empathy for companion animals – in the public school systems across the US.
I’m considering naming it Animal Educators Alliance. I know it sort of sounds like people who educate animals though, so I’m not entirely sure. It means animals who ARE educators. We’re not just teaching about companion animals. The animals ARE the teachers. What do you guys think? Good? Bad? Have any better ideas?
The primary objectives of the organization will be:
- To create and distribute a standard curriculum to be used by schools and volunteers throughout the country.
- To provide guidelines for volunteers and their animals.
- To bridge the gap between schools and volunteers.
- To eventually provide training and certification for various levels of volunteers.
Ambitious? Well, yeah. Impossible? I don’t think so.
Thoughts? Volunteers? 🙂
How about Animals Who Educate (AWE)… then you could be in AWE, it could be AWEsome… etc… you get the drift! 🙂 My passion is animals as well, I’m most partial to dogs and cats, but all of our furry friends need a voice. We have several rescues right now… I’m not sure how, but I’d like to be involved… I love keeping up with Snick! Feel free to contact me…
Take care,
Hope
I think this is a wonderful idea, Jenna – go for it! The more kids are educated the better. Kindness towards animals is a great start for kids. It will also teach them to protect animals and to respect them and their needs. The shelter I work at has a Humane Education program, but unfortunately, I have no idea who is involved, but I do know they visit schools, churches, etc…
If you start this, it would help so many shelters and rescues, because, as you’ve found out, they probably don’t have the time, the people or the means to do this themselves.
You know you would definitely have mine and Sushi’s support!!
Bonnie & Sushi
I’m not sure what help I would be, but Koji and I are all for it, and I’m sure I have a few friends I could pull in for the greater good.
My first reaction is that it strikes me as weird that there is an identified need to teach kids to be nice to animals. It seems that would go without saying.
My second reaction is that like most programs that try to make kids into better people, it’s targeted at the wrong people entirely. It’s the parents that should be re-educated, not the kids. Then they’d teach their kids right. Everything I’ve taught my girls in youth group, they do it great at group, and then they go home and behave exactly as their parents behave. Sad.
My third reaction would be that teaching compassion wouldn’t be as useful as teaching kids to understand their pets’ thinking, instead of treating them like toys. Cesar Millan for kids.
However, I also think you have to do what you feel called to, and if this is what you feel is needed from you, go for it. It can’t hurt, anyway.
Hope – I like that! I have to take AWE into serious consideration as a name.
Bonnie & Sushi and thepaisleyfox – Thank you both. 🙂
Mongoose – You are SO right. Like so many other things, this should be taught in the home, not the schools. But, as I’m sure you also know, that isn’t going to happen in a lot of homes. What I’ve found with school visits is that by exposing children to animals they can form a connection with, we’re setting them up to think twice before abusing or abandoning an animal. I’m talking mostly about reaching kids who are afraid of animals, many of whom are being taught that in their homes and neighborhoods. It rocks these kids’ worlds when you say your dog lives in the house and sleeps on the bed with you. The idea of an animal as a friend – an unconditionally loving friend, at that – is completely foreign to them.
Thank you ALL for your input. This is exactly the kind of stuff I need to think about and figure out before diving into this thing.
Jenna,
what a great idea. It is so desperately needed. I live in Europe now and it is no different here. Education is lacking but as Moongoose correctly spells it out, it is the parents that need to be re-educated. We had two dogs and I always made sure to teach my son that our dogs are indivuals with their own feelings, and just like us humans like to be treated kind and with respect – so DO our dogs too. It would great to see your organisation expand internationally. Not sure how I could help from overseas but we are here for you and ready to help.
Hope – “AWE” is AWEsome. I totally love the name.
We love reading the latest news from Snick…keep em coming.
Thank you Doris! 🙂 I’m sure there will be ways you can help long distance!
There is a group that Shiba Rescue GTA is a part of, called Helping Homeless Pets. It’s made up of over 10 various rescues. They have held sessions at various rescue-type events where it is set up to only educate the public. They got a sponsor which helped a lot, and they would have kids come in to attend, mostly to learn about how to properly greet a dog ie: ask your parents first, then ask the dog owner, and then follow the dog owner’s intructions, etc…
Bonnie & Sushi
I’ve decided the name Animals Who Educate is definitely AWEsome and I’m planning to use it. 🙂 I hope everyone will stay interested in helping out during the time it takes me to actually get something off the ground. Finding time to work on it is proving very difficult!