Pets in the Classroom is an educational grant program that provides financial support to teachers to purchase and maintain small animals in the classroom. The program was established by the Pet Care Trust to provide children with an opportunity to interact with pets—an experience that can help to shape their lives for years to come.
Classroom animals are wonderful resources for teachers that, when incorporated into lesson plans, can have a profound impact. Classroom pets not only provide excitement in the classroom, but they also benefit students by teaching them responsible, long-term pet care at an early age and providing the psychological and developmental benefits associated with the human-animal bond. Studies have shown that caring for pets has a positive effect on children, improving school attendance and teaching children responsibility, as well as encouraging nurturing and building self-esteem.
The Pets in the Classroom grant program, which provides grants to Pre-Kindergarten through 9th grade teachers in both private and public schools, 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. Since the program’s inception in 2010, Pets in the Classroom has issued grants to 202,697 teachers, impacting over 8.1 million students across the U.S. and Canada.
For more information about the Pets in the Classroom grant program, visit www.PetsintheClassroom.org.
OUR MISSION:
To enhance students' educational and personal development through interaction with pets in their classroom.
