Social Stories: Applications in Humane Education

By: Nick Kohner, CHES

Humane Education Coordinator, Lollypop Farm

What are Social Stories?

Social stories are a social learning tool that can be used by parents, educators, or professionals, and each social story is developed for a specific audience. They are not intended to be persuasive or entertaining; rather, social stories are patient descriptions of social situations that allow the audience to feel more prepared for a particular event or situation. This can include things like doctor’s visits, haircuts, funerals, interactions with peers, and much more. The goal of a social story is to help the audience understand expectations, feel more comfortable, process thoughts and feelings ahead of time, and practice how to respond in certain scenarios. It can also help the audience to understand others’ perspectives, cope with changes to routine, and understand how others might behave or respond in particular situations.

Here’s an example of a social story about wearing glasses: Wearing Glasses Social Story

Who are Social Stories for?

While originally developed for individuals with autism, social stories can benefit many children and even adolescents and adults! Knowing what to expect helps the audience to feel safer, build independence, and feel a sense of control in a situation. For audiences who struggle to manage impulses, social stories can help them mentally prepare and practice a skill before the moment comes. Social stories can be especially helpful tools for individuals with language delays, ADD/ADHD, ASD, sensory processing disorders, behavioral difficulties, anxiety, auditory processing disorders, and social skill deficits (Vollmer, 2023). Since many of us in the humane education field work as informal educators and this information is often not disclosed to us, social stories can help to make sure that all of our program participants have the same baseline knowledge.

How are Social Stories Constructed?

An important component of social stories is to abandon all assumptions. When we explain rules, processes, or events, there are many things that we would typically assume that our audience already knows and, therefore, assume that it does not need to be explained. When creating a social story, we want to make sure that everything is explained clearly and effectively and that nothing is assumed to be known. This will help us to avoid any confusion or frustration from our audience. Although the events or activities we’re describing with these social stories may seem straightforward to us, they can be ambiguous and daunting to our students, so it’s important that we approach the subject with that in mind. 

The two primary components of social stories are the text and the photos. Both should be appropriate for the audience’s age and level of understanding. The language should be gentle, supportive, and accurate. If a particular outcome to a scenario is not guaranteed, words like “may,” “usually,” or “sometimes” should be included. For example, in a social story about seeing the eye doctor, the story might say,“The doctor might ask me to read letters or look at pictures that are on the wall.” Social stories use images to accompany the text and aid comprehension. Photos, pictograms, and illustrations can all be used to accompany the text. Stock photos and pictograms can be simple and effective ways to help students connect to the concepts in the social story. Incorporating the audience's preferences, talents, and interests in the story is also helpful and can be especially useful for those who struggle with attention. 

When Can Social Stories Be Used in Humane Education?

In our work as humane educators, we are exposing children to many situations that they may have never seen or heard of before. Meeting a new animal, going on a shelter tour, and going to camp can all lead to apprehension and anxiety in many children. As educators, we typically expect program participants to let us know if they are confused or concerned about something that we are discussing. We often start lessons and activities by encouraging our students to speak up if they have any questions, but this still leaves the onus on them as participants to ask for clarity. In contrast, social stories give detailed descriptions of a topic in a way that doesn’t assume any prior knowledge or understanding. Because there are so many reasons why a child may not feel comfortable or even be able to ask clarifying questions, social stories can be used to make sure everyone has the same baseline knowledge. There are many social stories available online for a wide variety of topics and situations. They can be about general topics like going to school or more specific ones like going trick-or-treating. For our work in humane education, we will likely have to create our own social stories to suit our unique needs. Here are some guidelines to get started. 

How to Create a Social Story

A social story should have a title, introduction, body, and conclusion. The text should answer the Five W’s: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. It should be made up of descriptive sentences and may also include coaching sentences.

A descriptive sentence accurately describes the context and usually answers one of the Five W’s. For example:

• My glasses help me to see.

• It is important to eat different kinds of food to grow and be strong.

• Dogs have feelings, just like humans.

A coaching sentence gently guides behavior. For example:

• I can ask someone to hold my hand if I am scared.

• If I need to take a break, I can ask the teacher.

• It is important that I don’t stick my hands in cages. I could spread germs or even get bit!

While descriptive and coaching sentences can both be used, the story should primarily be descriptive. There should be at least two descriptive sentences for every coaching sentence. Social stories should only use first-person and third-person perspective statements, no second-person or “you” statements. Ideally, the story should be written from your audience’s perspective, i.e. “I ride the bus to school.” 

Let’s use these guidelines to write a social story about touring a shelter. First, let’s identify our audience and some questions using the Five W’s and How.

• Audience: Campers at Lollypop Farm

• Who: Who are the counselors, the shelter employees, shelter visitors, other campers? 

• What: What is an animal shelter? What does an animal shelter do? What is adoption?

• When: When will we go on the tour? When will it end? When can I ask questions?

• Where: Where are we going? Where do the animals come from?

• Why: Why are the animals here? Why are we going on a tour? Why does it smell? Why don’t the animals have homes?

• How: How do the animals get adopted? How do shelters work?

Now, let’s use these questions to start constructing our social story. We’ll start with a title and introduction and then move into the body of our story. Each bullet point will be its own page, and we’ll just focus on the writing for now and get to the pictures later.

Title: Going on a Tour of Lollypop Farm Social Story

• Today, I am going on a tour of Lollypop Farm. Lollypop Farm is an animal shelter! (Introduction)

• An animal shelter is a place for animals to live when they don’t have a home.

• There are lots of people and animals at an animal shelter. 

• Some people work here and take care of the animals. I know who they are because they wear a lanyard or badge.

• Other people are here to visit the animals like me.

• I tour the shelter with other campers. They are also here to see the animals. We are here to learn about the animals.

• The camp counselor leads the tour. They tell us about the shelter and the animals that live here. If I have a question, I can ask the camp counselors.

• On the tour, we go to many different rooms. The rooms have different animals in them. 

• Sometimes, there are weird or bad smells at an animal shelter. It is okay if I want to cover my nose.

• The animals can be loud in a shelter. They might bark, meow, squeak, or make other noises. These noises can be quiet or loud. I can cover my ears if the noises are too loud.

• I will see many different animals. The animals here don’t have a house to live in or a family to live with. Right now, this is their home. 

• The animals here are waiting to get adopted. That means that a family will take them home and make them a part of their family.

• Many animals do not like loud noises. Loud noises can make them scared. 

• The camp counselor might ask me and the other campers to be quiet when we enter certain rooms. I will try to stay quiet while visiting the animals. The camp counselor might remind me to be quiet if I forget.

• The animals live in cages, pens, and pastures. These are like their bedrooms.

• It is not safe for me to put my fingers in their cages or try to touch them. They could get scared and bite. 

• I will keep my hands to myself while I am on a tour of Lollypop Farm. I will get to pet other animals later during camp!

• Sometimes, the animal I want to see is hiding or napping in their cage. This is okay! The animals need to relax sometimes too.

• When we go outside to visit the farm animals, we are visiting their home. They are also waiting to be adopted.

• Farm animals do not like loud noises. Loud noises can make them scared. I will try to be quiet while I am visiting the farm animals’ homes. I can say hello to the farm animals by waving to them.

• I might see dogs being walked on leashes. They are going outside to use the bathroom or exercise.

• The dogs might jump or try to walk towards me. It is okay! The dog walker will not let the dog come too close.

• It is not safe for me to pet a dog at the shelter without asking. They might be friendly or not friendly. 

• My camp counselor will tell me if it is okay to pet a dog. If I can’t pet the dog, I can say hello and wave at the dog as they pass by.

• There are lots of things to see at the shelter. 

• When the tour is over, my camp counselor will tell us it’s time to go back to our classroom. (Conclusion)

This social story could be shorter or longer, depending on the attention span of the audience and the content of the tour. It could also include more details about different things the audience may experience. If we were to make this same social story for a different audience, for example, a field trip group, we would need to rewrite the story so that it answers those questions from that audience’s perspective. The last page should be the conclusion of the story. This could be descriptive, like the conclusion sentence above, or affirmative (for example, “I did a great job learning about meeting cats!”). 

Here is what the final social story looks like with pictures added: Camp Tour Social Story.pdf. For this story, a combination of photos and stock images were used. Since this is a story of a shelter tour, actual pictures of the shelter help to give the audience an idea of what to expect and stock images are used to convey more general information and fill in any gaps.

Like any teaching tool, it is important to constantly reevaluate to ensure that it is serving the purpose we need it to. Although social stories are a simple tool, writing them can be difficult or confusing depending on your subject matter. Here are some resources to help you as you create social stories for your own humane education programs!

Further Reading on Social Stories

• https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/communication/communication-tools/sOcial-stories-and-comic-strip-coversations

• https://therapyworks.com/blog/language-development/home-tips/using-social-stories-improve-childs-development/

• https://carolgraysocialstories.com/social-stories/what-is-it/

• https://therapyworks.com/blog/language-development/home-tips/using-social-stories-improve-childs-development/

Social Story Examples

• https://bmcautismfriendly.github.io/socialstories/

• https://senecapark.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Zoo-visit-social-story-1.pdf

• https://autismlittlelearners.com/autism-little-learners-social-stories/

Help With Writing Social Stories

• https://lifeskillsadvocate.com/blog/how-to-write-a-social-story/

• https://carolgraysocialstories.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/It-is-NOT-a-Social-Story-if....pdf

Disclaimer about “real” Social Stories

There is a difference between a capital “S” Social Story and a social script or lowercase “s” social story. Social Stories were developed by Carol Gray specifically for individuals with autism and must follow a strict set of guidelines to be considered a true Social Story. Social scripts, often referred to as social stories, are used for a wider audience and don’t necessarily need to meet every guideline. Here is a screening tool developed by Carol Gray to ensure that a Social Story meets all of the guidelines: It’s NOT a Social Story if. True Social Story or not, the social scripts we’re developing should still aim to meet all of the criteria. However, since we’re using these with a more general audience, there are some instances where not all of the criteria can be met. If you’re interested in learning more about the 10 defining criteria of Social Stories, the most recent criteria can be found here: Social Stories 10.0-10.2 Comparison Chart.

Citation:

Vollmer, Erin. “Using Social Stories to Improve Your Child’s Understanding & Behavior.” TherapyWorks, 9 Feb. 2023, therapyworks.com/blog/language-development/home-tips/using-social-stories-improve-childs-development/.

Program Spotlight: Farm Sanctuary Humane Education

Humane education takes many forms. While most members of the Association of Professional Humane Educators work in animal welfare organizations, there are many settings in which humane education programming is successful and needed. Today, we are focusing on the world of farm sanctuaries by interviewing three professionals dedicated to both humane education and the wellbeing of the animals with which they share their time.

Meet our experts:

Jessie Miller, CHES

Founder / Compassionate Creator, EPIC Outreach

EPIC Outreach exists to inspire compassion by sharing information to create a kinder world for people, animals, and the planet. Started in 2015, EPIC Outreach solely focused on going into schools to teach kids about being kind to animals through teaching better care, talking about adoptions, and sharing about living with wildlife. In 2019, the farm sanctuary was created, providing a physical space where EPIC Outreach was able to take in resident rescued farm animals that would become education ambassadors. Today, kids and adults come to the farm to build on the human-animal connection. The goals of EPIC Outreach are to continue teaching and inspiring compassion through children's books, education outreach, and in-person and virtual farm tours.

Emily Tronetti, EdD

Humane Educator/Consultant, Coexistence Education & Consulting

Emily Tronetti has collaborated with several organizations in various capacities within the animal sanctuary and sheltering communities and beyond. Emily recently graduated from the Institute for Humane Education in partnership with Antioch University with her EdD. Her dissertation work included the development of a resource guide for sanctuary staff and volunteers about recognizing, supporting, and teaching about the agency of farmed animals in sanctuary education.

Mary Miller

Farm Manager, Lollypop Farm, Humane Society of Greater Rochester

As one of the few facilities in Western New York that helps house and rehome farm animals, Lollypop Farm takes pride in the farmyard. As the Farm Manager at Lollypop Farm, Mary Miller has a degree in Animal Science from Murray State University and has worked for the last eight years as a zookeeper. She also has a background as a wildlife rehabilitator and veterinary assistant. She loves matching adopters with farm animals in need of homes. She also enjoys educating the public about how to take care of farm animals and how to be empathetic towards them. 

How do farm sanctuaries fit into today’s humane education landscape?

JM: Farm sanctuaries play an integral role in the landscape of humane education by sharing stories about farmed-type animals to inspire compassion for all species. Farm sanctuaries provide an essential educational platform to promote animal welfare, ethical and sustainable living, and environmental conservation; not just for dogs and cats, but all species like horses, pigs, chickens, bunnies, and various other farmed-type animals. Through helping people understand and connect directly with farmed-type animals, farm sanctuaries inspire people to make choices that will help create a kinder world for all.

ET: We, as humane educators, have become increasingly aware of the interconnections between the well-being of humans and the well-being of the more-than-human world. Animal agriculture is a powerful example of these interconnections; it negatively impacts the well-being of humans, the nonhuman animals used in farming, the health of our shared environments, and more. Sanctuaries for farmed animals are particularly well-equipped to bring awareness to these impacts. Sanctuaries inspire connection and change as they share the stories of the residents (the formerly farmed animals who call the sanctuary home) and highlight their individuality and desires to thrive. Sanctuaries can serve as models for the humane education field and beyond, illuminating alternative ways of living and being in relation to farmed animals and providing us with insight into what a kinder, more humane world can really look like.

MM: Being located so close to a city, I think it’s important to be able to connect inner-city kids with farm animals. We can empower the upcoming generation to empathize with farm animals by seeing them in person and connecting with them. Otherwise, kids might not get a chance to see a horse or a pig in person other than at a farm animal sanctuary/rescue.

What do you want the broader humane education field to know about the work you do? Are there ways to better collaborate or support each other?

JM: I think the work that we do is not different from the work of others. For me, the purpose of Humane Education Outreach is to share information to inspire others to be better, do better, and know better. My favorite thing is, “until I know better, I can’t do better.” I know firsthand that as I get information from reading, learning from others, and hearing stories, I expand my consciousness and make more educated choices in life. I think that whatever industry we are in, humane education is a game changer to making an impact and changing the world for the better. I believe in collaborating and supporting each other as we can learn from one another. I learn a lot from the tools and resources I get from the animal sheltering world and apply those things to the sanctuary side in many areas - many things are very transferable. We are stronger together, so when we collaborate and share resources, ideas, and inspirations, we can make a greater impact - together!

ET: Perhaps the most important thing I’d love for the broader humane education field to know is that farmed animal sanctuaries exist and could use your support! Additionally, the farmed animal sanctuary movement has grown significantly in recent years, but there aren’t yet many resources (except for those found on The Open Sanctuary Project) on humane education in sanctuary spaces. There is so much exciting opportunity for growth and collaboration, not only among sanctuary educators but also among humane educators in all settings. Learning from each other and working together is essential to expanding our impact on our communities and beyond. We do so by embracing the different perspectives and knowledge that we bring to the table and being open to change. This isn’t without challenge, but it’s incredibly worth it, and I’m deeply appreciative of APHE for facilitating these conversations and collaborations!

MM: At my facility, not only do we teach about how to be respectful and kind to animals, but we also counsel on how to be a good home for a pet farm animal. Most of our farm animals are available for adoption, and it’s so important for us to be able to make sure that the families and animals are set up for success. We also focus on going out into the community and offering classes on how to properly care for different species of pet farm animals.

What is your favorite part about the work you do? Are there any stories or examples of the impact you have set out to make?

JM: I love to inspire people, and when I get to see the connection they make when they meet a pig or a horse for the first time and actually get to touch them, learn their name, and watch the animal respond and almost emulate the dog or cat they cuddle on the couch with, it is everything. People are often just blown away when we call JIMMY the large Yorkshire pig (an agriculture farmed type pig), and he comes running full speed to his name. They often say “I have never seen a pig run like that,” or “He reminds me of my dog when I call him. He looks so happy when he runs.” JIMMY the pig was rescued from going to the factory to become meat, and he has changed many hearts and minds who return to visit him again. Some share that they have stopped eating bacon or pork because they met JIMMY the pig. If that wasn’t impactful enough, we have a thoroughbred horse that is retired from the racing industry. His name is BUCK, and he is very tall and big. People are often intimidated by his size; and rightly so, he is huge! However, one incident stands out to me the most: a school in an underserved community took a field trip to visit the farm. There was a young boy, elementary age, who had never touched or met a horse before. He was so afraid to go near the horses. We took a tour of the sanctuary and walked the pasture, sharing the stories of the animals as we walked. By the end of the tour this young man not only stood next to BUCK the horse, but he touched him and became instant friends with one of the most gentle giants at the sanctuary. It was transformative for the student, and I know that encounter impacted him and will stay with him for the rest of his life. It instilled courage, bravery, love, compassion, kindness, and friendship in that young student.

ET: There's so much I love about my work as a sanctuary volunteer, consultant, and humane educator. I especially love engaging adults in conversations about farmed animals, sharing stories about sanctuary residents, and witnessing perspectives start to shift in real time. However, my most meaningful experiences have been those where I’ve connected with and learned from the residents. So much of my dissertation work on farmed animals and sanctuary education was inspired by the quiet moments I spent just being with the residents, observing their body language, and coming to understand their relationships and their likes and dislikes. For example, Pearl the sheep was an essential contributor to my dissertation and my thinking around consent-informed interactions with farmed animals. Below is a video I took of one of our impactful interactions:

[Video here]

I’ve shared this video in various settings, explaining how I let Pearl take the lead in how our interaction unfolds and how this is vital to her well-being and to our relationship. While facilitating interactions with farmed animals can be incredibly profound, it’s also been amazing to hear how influential a video like this can be. There are many ways that sanctuaries can inspire the public. Another thing I love about this work is its immense potential. I’m excited to explore the different possibilities for increasing the broader impact that sanctuaries can have while also centering the agency and well-being of sanctuary residents.

MM: We’ve recently been participating in a farm summer camp. The camp kids help me make rooting boxes for some of our potbelly pigs. It’s been very rewarding to see the kids get so excited to put together treats for the pigs and then watch them eat what they put together. It’s also been a great opportunity to teach the kids about agency and consent. They learn to be quiet, kneel down, and only pet the pig if it comes to them and shows them that it’s okay. At the end of the week, the kids were still talking about meeting the pigs, and in one week, they made me the sweetest thank you card with pigs that they drew. That was my favorite moment!

Creating Compassionate Leaders: A Humane Education Graduate Course at Stephen F. Austin State University

By: Dr. Sarah Straub

Associate Professor, Stephen F. Austin State University

At Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX, Dr. Sarah M. Straub, the Montgomery Professor for Humane Education, is leading an innovative graduate course designed to foster a new generation of compassionate and socially responsible educators. This course is unique in its comprehensive approach, integrating various certifications, immersive field experiences, and thought-provoking literature, with all course materials funded by the generous GW Willingham Scholarship.

A Comprehensive Curriculum for Humane Education

Dr. Straub's course equips students with several key certifications: ProjectWILD, RedRover Readers, and hands-on practice with the Teach HEART curriculum titled "Justice for All: Educating Youth for Social Responsibility: Grades K-5." These certifications empower future educators to incorporate humane education principles into their teaching, focusing on fostering empathy, respect, and social responsibility among young learners.

The course also features an engaging book club centered on The World Becomes What We Teach: Educating a Generation of Solutionaries by Zoe Weil. This transformative text inspires educators to envision and cultivate a future where students are not only knowledgeable but also passionate about creating solutions to the world's pressing issues.

Field-Based Experiences: Learning Beyond the Classroom

A cornerstone of this course is the field-based experiences, each aligned with a branch of humane education: Human Rights & Social Justice Issues, Animal Protection Issues, and Environmental Issues. These experiences are more than just service-learning opportunities; they are pivotal moments that shape the perspectives and professional practices of the graduate students.

These graduate students volunteered at animal shelters, participated in school board meetings, and contributed to community-enhancing activities such as planting trees and maintaining community gardens. These experiences not only enriched the students' understanding, but also allowed them to bring these lessons back to their classrooms.

            

Impactful Experiences: Stories from Graduate Students

The impact of these field experiences is best illustrated by the reflections of the graduate students. Maria Almendarez shared her profound experience with environmental stewardship during a local creek clean-up organized by Keep Nacogdoches Beautiful. She noted the hope she felt seeing children participate, stating, "The participation of some children volunteers at the creek clean-up had a profound impact on me. I felt hopeful for the future of our natural world.  These children will one day grow up and teach their children to respect and honor the environment." This experience reinforced her belief in the importance of instilling environmental values in the younger generation.

Shelly Pugh reflected on how these experiences transformed her students. Her student council, who visited an animal shelter, now advocates for making community service a regular part of their program. Meanwhile, her classroom students who engaged in environmental stewardship activities, continue to pick up trash and educate others about the importance of proper waste disposal. Shelly highlighted the lasting impact, saying, "To see them grasp the concepts of humane education and apply them daily is amazing. It is evident that they cared about what they learned and want to continue making a difference."

A Vision for the Future

Dr. Straub's course exemplifies the power of humane education in shaping not only compassionate educators but also socially responsible citizens. By integrating certifications, literature, and hands-on experiences, this course provides a holistic approach to teaching that prepares educators to make a lasting impact on their students and communities. The GW Willingham Scholarship, funded by the Montgomery Professorship, ensures that these transformative experiences are accessible, fostering a future where education is a force for positive change.

As these graduate students carry forward the lessons learned, they are not just teaching curriculum—they are nurturing a generation of solutionaries who are equipped to tackle the challenges of tomorrow with empathy, integrity, and a commitment to justice.

Any questions about this article or the Humane Education graduate course can be directed to Dr. Sarah Straub at straubsm@sfasu.edu

Camp Reboot: Strategies to Get Through the Mid-Summer Slump

By: Ashley Stanley

Director of Community Education and Outreach, Wayside Waifs

Picture this. 

It’s July. Everyone is hot and sweaty. Campers and counselors alike are cranky. You might scream if you hear one more camper announce that it smells like poop. You are in… the mid-summer slump.

We’ve all been there. The excitement of the new camp season is over, and the end of camp is still far enough away that you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. While you and your team may be starting off your Monday dragging your feet, ready to begin yet another week of the same ol’ routine, you have an excited bunch of campers, fresh faced and eager to experience all your camp has to offer! So how do you beat this slump to make sure you and your team are able to show up for your campers and create lifelong memories?! Here’s a list of suggestions!

• SELF CARE (easy to say right?!)! Okay okay, we see your eyes rolling. Tell us something we don’t know, right? Still. We all need reminders from time to time, and now is one of those times. Make sure you are encouraging your team to get enough sleep at night. Hydrate during the day (our camp has a code word that the campers choose at the beginning of the week and anytime ANYONE says the code word, everyone has to drink from their water bottles). Make sure your team is getting breaks throughout the day to disconnect and re-charge. You know that saying, “put on your own air mask before you help the person next to you”? It’s true! 

• SWITCH IT UP! Try something completely new and different. Do you always eat lunch in the same spot each day with your campers? Go outside and have a picnic! Let the campers decide where you eat. Do you have a game outside that your camp loves to play? Add a new rule. Turn it into a water game by setting up a hose. Find ways to rearrange the schedule so you aren’t always doing the same things at the same times. Want to REALLY switch it up? Do you have counselors that primarily work with one age group? Have them work with one of the other ages! 

• THEME DAYS! Who WOULDN’T want to come to camp in their pajamas? Crazy hair day? Yes please. Let the campers choose the theme for the next day and then go wild!

• TREAT YO’SELF! Make a mid-day run to pick up drinks for everyone. Do a little sleuthing and find out what your counselors favorite snacks are and bring them to camp one day for a treat. 

• LISTEN TO YOUR TEAM! Ask your team if there is an activity or an idea for something new that they would like to try. Empowering your counselors is a great way to pump some energy into your team while also encouraging them to take ownership.

These are just a few ideas. We know there are more out there! Share what tips and tricks you and your camp have for beating the mid-summer slump!

Book Review: A Home for Goddesses and Dogs by Leslie Connor

Review By: Debbie Duel

Director of Humane Education, Humane Rescue Alliance

A Home for Goddesses and Dogs is filled with humor, heartbreak, hope, and healing. Lydia, the 13-year-old protagonist shares the limelight with a big, goofy dog who grabs the reader’s heart early on and gives it a good tight squeeze near the end of the story. A Home for Goddesses and Dogs, by Leslie Connor, brings animal cruelty to the forefront and asks readers to think about the physical and emotional scars caused by animal abuse and the penalties that perpetrators may face for inflicting harm.

The book begins with Lydia’s mom dying, her dad is AWOL, and her mom’s sister, Aunt Brat (whom Lydia only knows through her mother’s stories), is there to take her from her tiny home in New York to a sprawling farm in Connecticut. There, Lydia is greeted by Soonie, a passive, retired greyhound, and Aunt Brat’s quirky wife, Eileen. The last member of the welcoming committee is Elloroy, the 90-something-year-old owner of Pinnacle Hill Farm who routinely reminds anyone who will listen that he is “not dead yet.”

Just days after Lydia’s arrival, Aunt Brat and Eileen adopt a second dog from a local animal adoption extravaganza. The dog they chose, prone to carpet-soiling, leash-pulling, and collar-slipping, comes with an inadequate name, Bullet, and no known history. Choosing a name for the large yellow dog proves easier than training. Thanks to Eileen’s unique method of dog psychology, the dog is dubbed Guffer, and eventually learns that the yard is for peeing and that leashes and collars are necessary safety devices. 

The two dogs are outnumbered by lots of goddesses! There are the art objects; goddesses created lovingly by Lydia and her mom as a way of recording their short life together, and there are the real-life goddesses – Lydia, Aunt Brat, Eileen, and a host of others – who reign supremely on every page. They are strong women who are quick to take matters into their own hands.

A shocking act of animal cruelty occurs early in the book; two baby pygmy goats are mutilated and left at the feed store where Eileen works. The description of their lobbed-off ears and hooves is gut-wrenching. When Lydia gets proof that Guffer was abused as a pup, the revelation hits like a double gut punch. 

Author Leslie Connor has shared her life with several dogs, all strays or transplants. Each dog had to settle in, with some taking longer than others. “It was important to put in the time and effort to figure out who each dog was,” she said. Her own family’s patience, research, observations, and behavior modification expertise allowed the dogs and people to learn to love one another just like Guffer and Lydia learn to do within their newly acquired family. Connor emphasized the importance of learning about any animal’s care before committing. Baby goats are cute, but understanding their needs makes the experience of having an animal much more positive from the start. A Home for Goddesses and Dogs is a story that celebrates families in all their configurations; it emphasizes the power of love, strength, and resilience – a very timely and needed book for middle readers and adults.

Positive Youth Development in Humane Education Programs

By: Heather Franco

Humane Education Manager, East Bay SPCA

Humane educators come from different career paths and often wear many hats in their organizations. You may be a humane educator who is coming into the role with more animal care or community engagement experience than youth development and it can be overwhelming knowing where to start your professional growth. Read on to learn about the basics of youth development and how to incorporate them into your humane education programming to have the greatest outcomes for your participants. 

What is Positive Youth Development?

Youth development is an umbrella term that covers how youth and adolescents grow and interact with the world around them. It is linked to the intersection of Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model Theory, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, and Garbarino’s work explaining “social toxicity” and their effects on youth and adolescents, among other social and psychological theories. Positive youth development is the committed and concerted effort of those who work with youth and adolescents to partner with participants to navigate the world and develop to their full potential. 

An excellent resource that will be referenced several times here is Positive Youth Development 101 by Jutta Dotterweich (Cornell University, and several collaborators). It is a curriculum used to train youth work professionals and is full of theory, references, history, and actual training exercises to bring to your team. 

From the curriculum, positive youth development focuses on five research-based principles:

• Focus on positive outcomes: We shift from preventing or fixing problems to creating positive outcomes such as competencies, connections and caring relationships, positive values and expectations, and meaningful participation. This also means we use a strengths-based approach. 

• Youth voice/engagement: We work with young people, not for them. We engage young people as partners, create youth-adult partnerships, and listen to their expertise and perspective. This usually requires that we as adults become aware of and control the negative assumptions and stereotypes we might have of young people (“adultism”).

• Long-term, developmentally appropriate involvement: As a community we seek to support young people throughout their development- about 20 years -while adjusting to their changing developmental needs. A 12-year-old needs different support and opportunities than a 16-year-old. We also know that young people need extended exposure to programs and supportive adults to thrive; short-term programs and opportunities are not as effective. 

• Universal/inclusive: As a community we need to provide support and opportunities to all young people, not just to the “high risk,” targeted groups or the high achieving groups. This does not mean, however, that we cannot provide additional support to young people who face extra challenges. In addition, research tells us that universal strategies are often very effective for high need youth. 

• Community-based/collaborative: Young people interact with a variety of social environments. For a positive youth development approach to succeed, non-traditional community sectors such as businesses, faith communities, or civic organizations need to be involved. And this implies that we have to work together collaboratively. 

Dotterweich also challenges those who work with youth and adolescents to make a paradigm shift. 

From	To
Fixing problems	Building on strengths
Reactive	Proactive
Troubled youth	All youth
Youth as recipients of services	Youth as participants/resources
Programs	Relationships
Professional work	Everyone’s work

This table is adapted from Search Institute’s Developmental Relationships Framework and 40 Developmental Assets; both excellent resources when learning about positive youth development.  

How Does this Relate to Humane Education Programming?

Humane Education means different things to different practitioners, so naturally positive youth development will vary across settings. It’s likely only some of these principles and techniques will directly apply to the work you’re doing, and that’s okay! With limited resources (especially time), it’s important to hone in on what will benefit your organization and community most. 

Begin by evaluating your current situation and then identify areas for growth that make sense for your organization, department, team, and programmatic goals and values. Start with an evaluation specifically designed for youth development programs, like The Forum for Youth Investment’s David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality. They offer free Program Quality Assessments (PQAs) that measure programs serving youth in grades K-6, grades 4-12, and programs focusing on Social & Emotional Learning (SEL). While these tools were created with school-year long afterschool programs in mind, they have also created a Summer Camp PQA and can be adapted to suit your program’s specific needs. All you have to do is utilize the pieces that make sense and exclude the pieces that don’t. 

After evaluating the current situation, work with your team to identify areas of growth you’d like to focus on. You can use strategic plans, mission statements, values, etc. that are in place and already guide the work you do to narrow this focus. For example, it may not be feasible for your Humane Education team to provide a long-term program by facilitating a school-year-long afterschool program, so you may choose instead to focus on growing the youth voice in your existing programs. There is professional development to build skills or resources such as Afterschool Alliance’s Youth Voice Toolkit to study and discuss with your colleagues. 

Ultimately, continuous improvement shouldn’t be so daunting, as that mindset prevents you from doing what you can to grow and evolve your programming. Seek out support from your peers (have you connected with APHE’s Groupsite yet?) and have fun developing your skills along with the positive development of your participants!

President’s Pen: May 2024

By: Melissa Logan

Director of Education, Alberta SPCA

Hello APHE!

Welcome to our new feature! We are replacing our Humane Education Quarterly newsletter (HEQ) with a blog - EmpowerEd by APHE. This blog will still feature some familiar content including featured lessons, book reviews, and research in the field, however we are increasing the frequency and expanding the scope of our content. As always, we encourage members to submit articles to share knowledge and perspective.

I’m thrilled to share with you some of the work your APHE Board of Directors has been doing over the past year and what’s coming up on the horizon.

APHE is dedicated to empowering YOU - to promote empathy through education. Here’s a brief look at what we’ve done this past year to support you and our community of humane educators towards this mission. 

We’ve launched a partner page! Featuring members’ and supporters’ organizations, we are highlighting groups that are innovating, inspiring and providing humane education. Is your organization featured? If not, fill out this form to join the many organizations who support our mission, vision and work.  

We also had our greatest engagement with our Educator’s Choice awards this year! These awards help to highlight the incredible work people are doing to make a positive difference in their communities for animals, people and the environment. We will be launching these awards again in February 2025, so watch for the nominations!  

We also recently hosted our annual national conference in Buffalo, NY to provide our members with valuable in-person networking and professional development. The theme of this conference was Unleashing Compassion: Exploring Empathy in Erie County and I’m heartened at how fully this conference embodied the theme. It is all thanks to the presenters, attendees, sponsors (with great appreciation to our Visionary Level sponsor, Maddie's Fund), exhibitors, and the incredibly friendly and welcoming people in Buffalo that we worked with to host our conference. 

Attendees at the 2024 APHE National Conference #ThanksToMaddie

Here’s just one example of the kindness and empathy that was showcased at our awards dinner. Every year at the awards dinner (previously the Auction), we play a game called Heads or Tails. I’ve heard from long-time APHE members that this game can be quite competitive. For this game, folks buy beads in advance with funds raised supporting our Nathania Gartman Memorial Scholarship Fund. Predictions are made, coins are flipped, and wrong guesses means you lose beads. When we were down to two competitors, instead of the nails coming out, we all witnessed kindness and generosity with both competitors sharing beads back and forth until it was a tie at the end. Instead of a tie breaker, the audience demanded that both of the finalists be winners, and how could we argue? (My heart also grew three sizes that evening). We hope both of these incredibly kind and compassionate educators join us next year in Kansas City (as they both won a free conference registration!). We will soon be putting out a call for speakers for the 2025 conference, so stay tuned! 

Final heads and tails competitors cheering for one another (APHE awards dinner) 

Finally, the board invested time into surveying our membership and developing a three year strategic plan to expand our reach, improve the quality and access to resources and professional development, and foster an inclusive and diverse community. I’d love to hear what you think! Let me know if you have any questions, comments or just reach out and say hi. My email is president@aphe.org. 

I hope to see you all on Groupsite or at the next Coffee & Connect. Have a great summer and best of luck for those hosting camp over the next few months!

Best, 

Melissa