Humane Education Report

January/February 2007

In these first two months of 2007 we reached 1,556 students in 27 schools including several new elementary schools as well as the first middle schools we have reached out to in several years.  I continue to do school presentations five days a week almost every week from Kindergarten through 8^th grade.  I added a new presentation with my 2007 newsletter called “Careers with Animals”.  I added it specifically for Middle schools as this is the first time we have sent them newsletters in over a year.  So far we have had quite an interest in this presentation as well as the others so I am hopeful that we can continue to expand, even to high schools in the next year.  One thing I would like to work on for next year is approaching High school students who may be interested in doing Humane Education classes for nearby elementary schools.  This idea came courtesy of our own Darla Mick, Thank You Darla!  I have gathered information on how to make this program run and I am hoping to pursue it in the future.

            During the month of February I began giving resource folders out to teachers for several of the heavily requested presentations.  These folders contain a companion newsletter, a class evaluation with a stamped return envelope, lesson plans, activity sheets and informational guides to be used further by the teachers and a letter from me explaining the materials and inviting them to contribute to our Humane Education Fund if they can so we can continue to offer the free presentations.  So far, teachers seem very delighted to have the extra materials.  It was one of the requests I saw fairly often on class evaluations from the earlier part of the year.  I currently have folders for “Ocean Kin”, “Animals Have Feelings Too”, “Play it Safe”, Animal Issues” and “Web of Life”.  I will continue to add materials as I come across themJ

            Just an update on a few things:  The Pet Care Badge event with the local Girl Scouts has been re-scheduled for May as we had some trouble securing a venue.  For now, Girl Scouts interested in pursuing the badge can contact me directly for the binder which walks them through how to complete the tasks.  Also, it looks as though Jennifer McHale will be filling in for me when I go on Maternity leave, sometime around May or June.  She may start working with me in April to get the lay of the land.  My one volunteer, Melissa Wolfe, is ready to do “Play it Safe” on her own now and she is almost ready for a few others so she will be available on Wednesdays and Fridays to pick up some presentations from either myself or Jennifer. 

Humane Education Report

November-December 2006

In the last two months of the year we reached out to 13 schools (Most if them with multiple presentations) and one Girl Scout troop for a total of 55 presentations reaching 1,162 kids.  I also attended the December Adopt-a-Thon at Animal Services where I got to answer tons of questions about the SPCA, give out a lot of written information about our shelter and help get one of our dogs, Sasha, adopted!

Unfortunately, I did not get enough time for PR for our pilot after school program so I did not have enough sign ups to see it through this time.  However, one of the girls who had originally signed up was able to come into the shelter in December and help with our food drive as well as give the animals some much needed TLC.  She will continue to do this when time permits.

With a break from presentations during the holidays, I was able to focus on some changes needed for my existing programs.  I created a reminder post card to send out to teachers ~1 week prior to their presentation so they have time to prepare.  I also have put together packets that I hope to begin giving out in January.  The packets are specific to the presentation requested and contain follow up activities, lesson plans, informational sheets, a presentation evaluation, a letter from me and a companion magazine containing a donation envelope in case any teachers wish to help the program financially.

In January I will be sending out the winter newsletter to all public schools in the area.  This session I have decided that I will be including all middle schools as well as it has been a year or so since we have gotten out to these schools.  I am offering an additional presentation for the older grades called, “Careers with Animals” that I hope will drum up some interest in the older groups.  The older classes can also choose from several other presentations which can be easily modified for their age group.  Teachers will now be able to sign up for presentations on our website as well as see my current calendar of availability and even fill out an on-line evaluation.

As I have noted before, the Pet Care Badge Binder I created to assist Girl Scouts in fulfilling their requirements for a Pet Care Badge is complete and I have met with my contact, Arwen Turner, about holding a one day badge event to kick things off.  It looks as though the event will be in the first week of March and will have between 50-80 girls.  Lisa and I decided that it would be a good ides to have an SPCA/Girl Scout created pet care badge to give out at the event.  After the event, girl scouts can contact me directly for a binder and assistance on completing their requirements. 

Lastly, as I begin this new year, I will also begin looking for someone to fill in for me as I will need to be leaving for Maternity Leave in the next 3-4 months.  My husband and I are expecting our first child, due in July!  I am hoping that former educator, Nancy Orr, might be willing to fill on while I am out of the office but I will keep you all posted on current news:-)

Humane Education Report

October 2006

            During the month of October I visited 16 different schools and reached 751 kids.  I also did a presentation with Ginger the dog for a group of about 30 kids at the Salvation Army in Santa Cruz.   This month I began offering evaluation sheets to the teachers with each presentation.  So far, the response has been overwhelmingly positive with some very good suggestions as well for improvement.  On October 4^th I visited the Good Shepherd Catholic School for the Blessing of the Animals.  I brought a shelter dog to the Blessing and they asked that the blessings given today help all of our homeless animal friends find new homes.  The animal that went to this event was adopted very soon after. J

            In the early part of the month, I met with Arwen Turner from the local Girl Scouts Chapter and we discussed offering a Pet Care Badge, designed by us, for both her Girl Scouts and Brownies.  I put together a binder of animal information and activities for the Scouts and sent it off to Arwen.  I am still working on the Binder and activities for the younger Brownie Groups.  We will offer a one day event to Scouts in January so that I can spend some time teaching the kids specifics about our companion animals.

            There have been several changes to the Humane Ed web page.  The community Service Action guide that I finished last month is now available for download on our website.  I also gave a stack to Animal Services to give out to kids who want to spend their service hours helping animals.  Later this year I hope to get these out to all Middle and High Schools for their use.  The web page also allows teachers to now check my current schedule and request a presentation on-line.  There is also a bio for me, some pictures from Kids Camp, a blog with my reports and information about the after school program being offered at the end of November.

            The after school program is called Kids for Critters and we will be focusing on how we can help animals during the holiday season.  The program will run on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons for several weeks with a Saturday at the end where kids will get to offer their handmade Christmas decorations to clients to help raise funds for the Santa Cruz SPCA.  I have created the flyer and application which is now available on our web page.  The program will be help in the old administration building on the property, courtesy of Susan Pearlman from the ASA.  I hope to have 15 kids signed up for this pilot program and I will keep you all updated!

Humane Education Report - August and September 2006

During the month of August I also did several presentations for camps at Seascape Resort and Vine Hill School.  Through these we reached about 165 students with information about dog safety and local marine wildlife.  I also began a partnership with Elderday, an adult Day Care facility on the grounds of Watsonville Hospital.  One day a month, I will bring in an animal(s) to provide some hands on therapy time for the Eldarday clients.  My first visit to them was packed and I brought two dogs, Ginger and Lupita, who were a big hit with the clients.  Everyone enjoyed watching them, petting them and talking about their own animals.  I provided them with information about the SPCA to pass on to their friends and family.

Towards the end of August I completed a Community Service Action Guide to be used by Middle and High School students who wish to help animals as part of their service requirements.  The guide provides many practical suggestions as well as a time sheet to use.  My hope is that I can get these out to all the schools, particularly, the guidance counseling offices that can assist kids with starting these projects and helping them to follow through.  The guide will also be available on our website and through Animal Services.

The first week of September, I delivered my Fall Newsletter to the board of education to be distributed to all public elementary schools.  I also sent them via snail mail to all the county private schools.  Within one day I began receiving calls about setting up presentations.  The most popular presentations thus far are the “Web of Life”, “Animals Have Feelings Too” and “Play it Safe”.  I got to take Davy the cat to the classroom for the first time and he did an excellent job.  I am sure he will be our regular kitty for “Animals Have Feelings Too”.  I began presentations on September 15^th and in the last half of the month we reached 434 kids in 8 schools.  Pretty good for half a month!  Already I am booked for the next few months and booking presentations out as far as May of next year.

On September 16^th, Ginger the dog and I attended the Boy’s and Girl’s Club Kids Day Event.  We set up a booth with lots of handouts and treats for the kids.  Some of the things I had to give were: SPCA pencils, bookmarks, Preventing Animal Cruelty coloring books from NAHEE, stickers, activity sheets for different age groups and 10 things you can do to help animals laminated cards.  There was a good turnout and I answered a lot of questions about adopting animals and volunteer opportunities. I also met their after school program manager who was interested in the community service action guide so I hope to work with this agency in the future.

I continue to look for an appropriate place to hold our Holiday after school Program that is within our price range.  My hope is to have it run from the last week of November through December 16^th.  It would be Tuesday and Thursday evenings for several hours with one Saturday service learning event.  I will keep you posted on where this goes.  All in all it has been a very positive two months for the education department!

The Santa Cruz SPCA is currently taking reservations for free humane education presentations for classrooms, home schools and youth groups throughout Santa Cruz County. Spaces are filling up quick, with most presentations already booked through November at this time.

The SPCA proudly welcomes Brenna Ewing, the agency’s new Humane Educator. Ewing brings over ten years of animal welfare experience to the SPCA and has produced several new presentations for the 06/07 school year. “I am very excited to be working with the teachers and children of Santa Cruz. This year’s new presentations are already incredibly popular and filling fast”, states Ewing.

“With its continued growth, this year’s Humane Education Program promises to be our strongest ever. We are currently reaching over 6,000 students a year, including at-risk youth”, states Lisa Carter, Director of the Santa Cruz SPCA. 

The Santa Cruz SPCA offers the following presentations for students of Santa Cruz County:

Animal Issues explores the many different hidden interactions we have with animals in our society.  Students will be asked to consider their opinions on such topics as the use of animals for food, clothing, science, and entertainment.  (for 4th grade and older)

Too Much of a Good Thing emphasizes the importance of spaying and neutering companion animals.  The kids will participate in an activity to help illustrate the problem of pet overpopulation.  (for 3rd-5th grade)

Ocean Kin focuses on the marine mammals of the Monterey Bay and how we can live harmoniously with them and respect their habitat.  (for 3rd-5th grade)

Web of Life discusses how all living things are connected and emphasizes that everything we do has an impact on the other creatures on the planet.  The presentation includes some information about local endangered species.  (for 2nd-5th grade)

Animals Have Feelings Too discusses how animals and people share similar feelings and explores this implication on responsible animal care.  (for K-5th)

Meet Your Local ACO gives kids a chance to meet a local Animal Control Officer and learn about what they do and how we can help them. (for K-5th)

Our Wild Neighbors is a feltboard activity that introduces young children to the challenges of living harmoniously with wild animals in the city.  (for K-1st grade)

Plat it Safe discusses dog behavior and how to avoid situations that may result in a dog bite.  A dog will be brought to the classroom so we can do some safe introductions (for K- 5th)

In addition, the Santa Cruz SPCA now offers a Community Action Guide (available online) for middle and high school students who are interested in helping animals. An after school program and adult education presentations are coming soon.

The past few months have been very exciting for the Humane Education Department.  I joined the SPCA team in Mid-May and began planning for Kids Camp in June.  We ran four successful weeks of Kids Camp with a total of 50 attendees between the ages of 6 and 12.  During the 4 weeks we had several presentations by outside agencies such as the Bat Conservation Fund, Rabbit Haven, Living with Dogs, CAPE, NAR, Harbor Veterinary Office and UCSC Animal Control.  Students got hands on animal time with many different dogs and cats, rabbits, tortoises, horses and a pig.  They also got to observe up close a Blue and Gold Macaw and some native Bat species.  We made adoption signs for shelter animals, peanut butter dog biscuits, responsible animal care slogans for our front office, bead animals, collars and tags, clay animals and apple turkeys.  As you can see it was quite a full four weeks of learning about the importance of respect and kindness towards animals and each other.  I have received evaluations for all four weeks from the kids and parents and they were overwhelmingly positive.

During the week of July 4^th, I did several off site education presentations.  I taught a group of about 60-70 students at another camp about native marine mammal species and how we affect them.  I also did 3 presentations about dog care for three Kindergarten to 1^st grade classes each with about 20 students.  All of the kids enjoyed sharing what they knew about animal care and getting to meet Ginger, the dog I had brought with me.

For this next month, I might be adjusting to a new space as the SPCA will share time between 7th Avenue and our Chanticleer office.  I have also begun working on my Fall newsletter for teachers and Fall presentations.  There will be three new Presentations as well as an after school program starting in late November or early December.