Humane Education
By Stephanie Peters
Humane programs that incorporate animal interaction have a profound capacity to help students on a personal level. Angel Banuelos-Price is a fifth grade teacher at Boone Middle School and she has enthusiastically welcomed my educational programs with Marmalade from the very beginning. She observes that Marmalade’s presence in her classroom reduces her students’ stress and anxiety levels, and that her attendance numbers are often higher on the days when Marmalade visits the classroom. Stacy Lehman of University Community Childcare in Ames also notes the social-emotional benefits to her students. “Humane education is a topic that is relevant and meaningful to our students’ lives,” she says. “Teaching awareness of and empathy for animals not only helps animals, but also teaches [students] positive values like compassion and responsibility.” Read article