The SPCA Serving Erie County: Humane Education

SPCA Humane Education
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NEW! Check out our Calendar of Events for details on the ONCE UPON A
TIME Pre-School Program...ON THE ROAD! We'll be at various libraries in
Erie County February 24, March 16, May 7, May 27, and June 11! Just visit the Calendar and select the desired day for all the details!

The SPCA Humane Education program, established in 1883, offers a variety of programs and services encouraging children and adults to develop and express attitudes of compassion, kindness, and respect for all living things while helping to build a safer, more compassionate community. Department staff members and volunteers teach participants that each of us plays a vital role in making the earth a better place to live while expressing the interdependence between humans and nature.

Baby-Ready-Pets! Workshops

The arrival of a baby is a wonderful, joyous occasion! With careful

preparation, training, and dedication, the introduction of your new bundle of joy to your treasured pet can prove to be quite successful. Baby-Ready-Pets! workshops will provide tools and know-how for any pet owner directly responsible for the care of a baby or young child.

Expectant parents and guardians work with a certified animal trainer and humane educator during this two-hour workshop to, among other things:

-Explore individual concerns regarding family and pets;

-Learn methods and techniques to help their pets prepare for the arrival of an infant or young child;

-Discuss how to acclimate their pets to new sights, smells, and sounds with the help of our instructional baby CD;

-Examine reactions their pets may have to new little ones in the home.

Interested participants can register for any one of the following workshops, held 6:45 - 8:45 pm at the SPCA's 205 Ensminger Rd., Tonawanda shelter:

2010
-January 13
-February 17
-March 24
-April 21
-May 19
-June 23
-July 21
-August 18
-September 15
-October 20
-November 17

Please visit our “Crib Notes” for more information about this class. Classes are $25.

FOR REGISTRATION INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL PAMELA HYLINGER: 716-629-3530.
Please Note: Class sizes are small to allow individual attention and plenty of time for questions and answers, so register early!

Please remember: never leave a baby or young child alone with any pet! Baby-Ready-Pets! was designed by the Rhode Island SPCA and was adapted to meet the needs of families in our community.

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Humane Poster and Creative Writing Contest

The Humane Poster and Creative Writing Contest focuses on the SPCA’s past and a global future. This contest empowers students and provides them with the knowledge and confidence to spread kindness and compassion during their lifetime. Participating in the Humane Poster and Creative Writing Contest provides students with a sense of accomplishment and teaches them that small voices can have big results. They begin to identify ways in which they can make a positive difference in the lives of animals and human beings.

In 2009, the contest's 116 year, competitions included Creative Writing, Artistic Poster, Humane Educator of the Year, and the all-new Ambassador of Kindness Award.

ONCE UPON A TIME
Pre-School Program

*Tuesdays, 10:00 - 11:00 am

*Held at the SPCA's 205 Ensminger Rd., Tonawanda shelter

*FREE for children ages 2 - 5!

Join us for an hour of animal- and humane-related stories, arts, songs, and crafts. A variety of themes enable children to appreciate and understand the relationship we share with every animal. Classes are FREE and run in 7- or 8-week sessions. RESERVATIONS ARE NECESSARY!
Fall 2008 - Summer 2009 sessions include:

Winter 2010:
January 19 and 26
February 2 and 9

Spring 2010:
April 6,13,20, and 27

Additional 2010 spring/summer/fall classes to be announced.

RESERVATIONS ARE NECESSARY AND ADULTS ARE REQUIRED TO STAY ON-SITE WITH THEIR CHILD OR CHILDREN! For more information or to reserve a spot, please contact Beth Shapiro @ 716-629-3515. Come learn, laugh, and play with us!

Teaching Love and Compassion (TLC)
Celebrating our 10th school year!

The TLC Program is an innovative violence prevention program that was designed by the Los Angeles, CA SPCA. Financial support from the Cummings Foundation brought the program to Buffalo.

TLC provides youth ages 11-13 with a five-week workshop designed to increase participants':
-kindness;
-respect;
-caring;
-empathy; and
-responsibility toward both animal and human life.

Students from Buffalo Public School #39 are paired with animal shelter dogs that may be looking at extended shelter stays because of behavioral problems. They learn quality humane dog training techniques and, by incorporating these techniques with socialization, increase the animals' chances of being quickly and permanently adopted.

At the same time, the students learn to collaborate as a team. They develop skills in communication, teamwork, conflict resolution and anger management, all invaluable life lessons. These teams of students and shelter dogs ultimately teach each other the true meaning of TLC.

Encouraging Kind Kids Literacy Program

Developed by the SPCA Serving Erie County, the Encouraging Kind Kids Literacy Program (EKK) is a pro-active method of encouraging young people to identify and actively exhibit attitudes of caring, respect, empathy and kindness towards both other people and animals.

*THE PROGRAM: Through EKK, the SPCA partners with several Buffalo Public Schools and seeks to instill in children a love of reading and a sense of compassion towards animals.

*THE MATERIALS: EKK features books with high literary merit as well as themes of kindness. Using these books, the curriculum encourages students to identify and discuss the importance of humane themes. A critical component to improving reading comprehension is to provide children with reading materials that are about subjects of great interest to them. We are able to utilize the natural affinity for animals that most children exhibit in teaching them to read and learn lessons of caring. Each student receives three books that are theirs to keep as well as monthly issues of Kind News, an educational newspaper published by the Humane Society of the United States. The ownership of books is an important component of teaching children to read.

*CONTINUED LEARNING: Through projects in their schools or neighborhoods, students have the opportunity to exhibit the caring behaviors they have identified. At the culmination of the program, each class visits the SPCA on a field trip to see humane practices in action.

During the 2007 - 2008 school year, the SPCA visited 55 partnering classrooms and worked closely with approximately 1500 students. In the 2006 - 2007 school year, nearly 1400 students were members of the program.

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Shelter Tours

Tours of the SPCA Serving Erie County’s Ensminger Road facility are designed to be age-appropriate, and give realistic insight into the SPCA’s work of protecting and caring for animals.

Tours of the Ensminger Road shelter are given throughout the year and are scheduled Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:00 - 7:00 pm. The tours can accommodate up to 20 people, and last approximately 1 hour. A nominal tour fee per group is requested. Please note: although we so appreciate the donation of much-needed in-kind donations from our Wish List, they cannot cover the cost of the tour fee.

To schedule a tour of the SPCA, please call the SPCA Humane Education Department: 716-629-3515 or
716-629-3530. Tours must be scheduled at least 4 weeks in advance.

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Community Presentations / In-School Presentations

Adult and community education center representatives, social group representatives, school program coordinators, summer camp planners, and others often invite the SPCA Serving Erie County to make presentations to one of their audiences. These presentations are coordinated through the Humane Education Department. Topics include, but are not limited to, "The SPCA Serving Erie County And Its Services To The Community," "Animal Safety and Dog Bite Prevention," "Critter Careers," and many more.

FORTY-FIVE MINUTES to ONE HOUR must be allowed for an SPCA presentation to a minimum of 15 people. A nominal fee per presentation is requested. Please note: although we so appreciate the donation of much-needed in-kind donations from our Wish List, they cannot cover the cost of the presentation fee. Presentations must be scheduled at least 4 weeks in advance.

To schedule an SPCA presentation, please call the Humane Education Department: 716-629-3515 or
716-629-3530.

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Service Learning Opportunities

Schools, scout leaders, and agencies can collaborate with the SPCA to create service learning projects for their students and/or groups. These activities and projects are designed to meet specific needs, personal objectives, and goals specific to the subject or group.

For more information on service learning collaborations, please contact the Humane Education Department: 716-629-3515 or 716-629-3530. For a list of ideas, please visit Integrating Humane Education Into Other Programs.

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Animal Advocates Mentor Program

"Teaching Love and Compassion" (TLC) program graduates from Buffalo Public School #39 and students from Buffalo Public School #202 utilize strong leadership and mentor skills throughout this five-week session to:

-Contribute to powerful educational experiences for current TLC students;
-Help foster self-empowerment, individuality, and responsibility in both the TLC students and themselves;
-Increase awareness of the possibilities our community offers, along with ways they can make a difference in society;
-Explore intense animal welfare subjects while actively working to create a mroe compassionate society.

To learn more about the Animal Advocates Mentor Program, please contact the Humane Education Department at 716-629-3515 or 716-629-3530. To learn about the TLC program, please see above.

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