Humane Events

Join Our Mailing List

Powered by Robly

Anyone Can Be A Humane Educator - National Humane Education Society

Untitled design(2)While the phrase, “leading humane education programs” may sound like a complex endeavor  — in truth, a humane educator is anyone who helps youth learn how to be kinder and more responsible with animals. If you are a camp counselor, school psychologist, teacher, parent, babysitter, scout leader, Sunday school instructor, or childcare worker, you are in an especially good position to help raise a more humane next generation. Many programs can be led in just 15 minutes with materials you already have in your home or classroom. Below are just a few ways you can get started:
  • Read children a humane storybook. Reflect about the lesson the story teaches. NHES maintains a huge database of titles for all ages on our Recommended Reading List.
  • Teach children that dogs (and other animals) have feelings just as they do. Make a Dog Body Language Board with photos of dogs exemplifying varying forms of body language for your home or classroom. Young children will quickly learn to “read” how a dog they know is feeling by examining and discussing the photographs.
     
  • Collect donations for your local animal shelter. Ask if you can tour the facility with your child or students. Search shelters and rescues near you.
  • Build and set out a bird feeder. Build a bird feeder with your children or students and ask them to help you keep it clean and full. Keep a field guide by the window to quickly identify birds you see. Equally important, evaluate what it is that the birds are doing. Are they just eating or also, chirping, watching for predators, socializing, preening?
     
  • Help older youth compose an action letter or letter to the editor. Find timely topics with contact information for officials on NHES’ Paws Up/Paws Down blog.

Have a program you really want to try? Email a photo of your project to education@nhes.org and we will feature it on our website and facebook page!

PS: For step-by-step lesson plans, order NHES’ original publication: Teaching Kindness: A Handbook For Offering Humane Education Programs. 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *