Humane Education       

What is Humane Education and why is it important?

Humane Education, in its simplest form, is teaching people of all ages to understand and care for the animals in our lives.  In a broader sense, it exists to foster compassion, respect, and empathy for all living things by:

• increasing childrens' understanding of animals and their needs
• educating the public on the importance of animal issues and how they affect society
• emphasizing the connection between care and compassion for people in our daily lives
• teaching the basics of safety around animals to ensure positive human-animal interactions

The impact of Humane Education extends far beyond the classroom

• teaching compassion and kindness to children today will make tremendous in-roads to a more humane tomorrow
• children facing challenging times are given the opportunity to connect emotionally with an animal and receive unconditional love
• the strengthening of the human-animal bond goes a long way in the fight to break the cycle of violence that can be initiated by abuse

Our Program

The Animal Welfare Association offers Humane Education lessons to benefit your students!

Our in-school programs are designed to be presented in the classroom and can meet the needs of many age groups, from kindergarten to 8th grade.  We have a selection of pre-designed programs on a variety of topics, and can always work with you to design a custom program that fits your needs.  Most programs run between 30 and 60 minutes and, whenever possible, we provide the option of bringing a live animal guest!

To best reflect our mission statement, all educational visits are free of charge and include supplemental information, including a full classroom subscription to KIND NEWS.

What will we learn?

Classroom lessons are based upon age level and can be adjusted upon request.

K - Grade 2

The Basics of Pet Care - students learn about their pet's basic needs, as well as the importance of safety around animals.

Grades 3 - 5

Respecting animals - students learn the importance of the human-animal bond and why proper animal treatment is very important.

Grades 6 - 8

Pet Overpopulation - students will learn about the issue of pet overpopulation, its root cause and possible solutions.

Classroom lessons can be adjusted for auditorium presentations!

A bigger audience means we reach more people, and that's how we like it!  All lessons can be easily modified to accommodate any size group, including an entire auditorium.  Larger presentations are normally 45 minutes to one hour and include a 20 minute video.

How to schedule a program visit

Contact AWA's Outreach Coordinator at  johnw@awanj.org or 856-424-2288 ext. 122.

School visits can be scheduled Monday - Thursday (Some Fridays).  When scheduling a visit, please allow up to three weeks advance notice.

Thank you for your interest in our Humane Education Program.  We are always looking for ways to improve upon our services...please contact us with any suggestions or if you'd like to help!