Bringing Humane Education to the Collingwood area

We love highlighting great work our affiliates are doing in their communities!! This past year, the Georgian Triangle Humane Society launched a new Humane Education Program that’s helping at risk youth in their community.

After successfully applying for an Ontario Trillium Foundation Grant, the Georgian Triangle Humane Society launched a multi-pronged Humane Education Program in November 2017, assisted by Elephant Thoughts, a teacher-operated charity. Aligned with the Ontario curriculum, the program encourages the development of important character and life-building skills, including empathy, sensitivity, responsibility, respect, compassion and kindness to all living beings.

One component of the program is geared toward students in Grades 6, 7, and 8. The Society visits area classrooms to deliver four 90-minute lectures. Topics range from emotional intelligence and communicating with pets, to animal cruelty and its link to bullying, domestic abuse and dating violence.

For the fifth and final session, students are invited to the Georgian Triangle Humane Society where they interact with cats and meet a therapy dog. At the end, they’re awarded a Junior Animal Welfare certificate.

“I really enjoy seeing the children that typically never utter a word in their class, really eager and energetic to share stories about their own pets,” says Karen Marsh, Humane Education Coordinator, Georgian Triangle Humane Society.

Outside of the classroom, the Society runs an after school Junior Animal Welfare Certificate Program, held at the shelter weekly for eight weeks. It covers many of the same subjects as the classroom program, but also features more hands-on interaction with animals.

The Humane Education Program also works with at-risk youth in the Simcoe County District School Board’s alternative learning stream. Many of the participants have difficulty coping in a large school setting and some have additional challenges, such as debilitating anxiety. Working one-on-one with each student and their support teacher, Marsh introduces them to cats, kittens and dogs to help develop their emotional and social skills. From there, the goal is to begin to tackle school work.

“It’s good for the animals, the students and ultimately the community,” Marsh says. “We’re creating a kinder, more compassionate community.”

Learn more about the Georgian Triangle Humane Society here!