If you are new to the Pets in the Classroom grant program, WELCOME! If you are already familiar with the program, WELCOME BACK! Our program, which supports thousands of teachers in funding classroom pets every school year, is happy to be back for the 2021-22 school year and we want to give you a quick(ish) overview to help you understand the value of classroom pets, who we are, and what we do.
Why have classroom pets?
Interacting with classroom pets is an experience that can shape the lives of children for years to come. The stories teachers share with us show it, and research confirms it.
Research:
In 2019, Phase II of the American Humane Research Study on pets in the classroom was published in the Human Animal Interaction Research Bulletin. In the study, teachers with classroom pets reported significantly greater increases in overall social skills (including communication, cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy, engagement, and self-control); better social competence; and improved academic reading competence. Parent respondents indicated they saw significantly greater increases in pro-social behaviors among their children compared to parents with children in classrooms without pets.
Amy McCullogh, PhD, Principal Investigator and Senior Research Advisor with American Humane stated: “The utilization of classroom pets in the 3rd and 4th grade U.S. classrooms appears to hold significant benefits for children’s social, behavioral and academic development.”
Learn more about this study and it’s 1st phase on our Research page.
A survey conducted by MARS Petcare of 2,000 parents across the UK and US showed the following results:
- 56% of parents report that having a pet helped improve their child’s academic performance
- 3 in 4 (78%) say pet interaction in school is important to reduce students’ anxiety
- 75% of parents believed that pets helped children bond with their schoolmates
- 80% of parents believed pet interaction should be used in schools
- 85% of parents (in the US) with pets say that pet programs in schools are beneficial to students
The Pets in the Classroom Grant Program:
The Pets in the Classroom grant program was established by the Pet Care Trust in 2011 with the purpose of providing financial support to prek-9th grade teachers in public and private schools to purchase and maintain small animals in the classroom. The program was started with the knowledge that classroom pets can be a valuable teaching tool that many teachers do not have access to because of a lack of funding. Through the program, teachers can get an initial grant to help with the cost of purchasing a small animal pet and its supplies, and then a sustaining grant each subsequential school year to help with the continued cost of feeding and caring for the pet.
What Teachers Are Saying:
Teachers have shared the value of the program and the impact it is having through our annual teacher survey in which we survey grant recipients on their classroom pet experience. The graphic below shows the results of the 2020-21 school year survey.
You can read the full results of the survey (as well as some wonderful testimonials) by visiting: Teacher Survey Shows the Benefits of Classroom Pets.
Teacher Testimonials:
We regularly receive emails, letters, and messages from teachers sharing with us the impact their classroom pet has had on the students. The stories are heartwarming and real, and we love sharing them with you on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and our blog. Here are just a few:
My classroom absolutely loves having a fish tank in the classroom. It has helped them be excited about coming into the room each day and checking on each one. This past year was incredibly tough on everyone, but having our fish be a constant source of fun and joy has been helpful. I have even been given a new fish as a Christmas gift this year from a student who is extremely motivated by our classroom pets.
Sarah Bankhead
I have a student who has improved tremendously since the introduction of our class pet Hani. The student was previously silent, rarely talking, now he sits and talks with Hani all day long! He eats with him, reads to him and calls him his best friend.
Regan Godsell
Our class pet “Bomber”–our mascot is the Blue Bombers has been such a positive addition to our classroom. Some of my less confident readers have gained so much confidence in their reading. Bomber is used in our classroom centers where students read aloud to him. Bomber also teaches my students responsibility. They take care of him by feeding him every day.
Christine DeLong
I teach 8th grade ELA, and use classroom pets for social as well as behavior positive incentives. I had a student who was very withdrawn with a lot missing school days. She never smiled or spoke to anyone. One day I brought the guinea pigs to school, and that girl instantly changed. She talked my ear off, smiled ear to ear, and started to come to school more often.
Mary Skipworth
The Impact of Pets in the Classroom:
From the program’s inception in 2011 through the 2020-21 school year, over 183,000 grants have been issued to teachers, meaning an estimated 7.3 million students have experienced the joys of interacting with and caring for pets as a result of receiving a Pets in the Classroom grant. About 49% of our grants go to Title 1 schools and 44% go to classrooms serving students with disabilities. Looking forward, the program strives to continue educating the public on the benefits of pet care while providing grants to teachers so they can impact the lives of millions more children across the United States and Canada.
How Can You Support Pets in the Classroom?
Now that you’ve read more the benefits of classroom pets, the program, and the ways students’ lives are being impacted, we’d like to share a few ways you can help us support teachers through Pets in the Classroom.
- Share our program with your teacher friends!
- Follow us on social media and share the impact that classroom pets can have!
- Donate to the program! We would not exist without donations from supporters: https://petsintheclassroom.org/donate/
- Sponsor a teacher: If you know of a specific teacher or school that you would like to provide with a classroom pet, we would like to assist you in making that possible: https://petsintheclassroom.org/sponsor-a-classroom/
- Create a Facebook Fundraiser with Pets in the Classroom as the recipient. Here’s how: https://www.facebook.com/help/356680401435429
In addition to providing grants, Pets in the Classroom strives to be a resource for teachers who have or are interested in classroom pets. Visit our website to learn more: www.dbf9eaf4ed.nxcli.io.
