Project Mickey

This year’s high school cohort has been engaging with Layla individually & in small groups which has allowed for a more personalized experience. They’ve most enjoyed playing interactive games and clicker training. This week, Dr. Helen Lewis from Swansea University in Wales was the guest of honor! She heard from students about their views on the benefits of Animal Assisted Services and answered questions about the roles dogs play in schools in the UK and across the world!!

Preparing a cat for school visits takes time and patience, especially as the feline adapts to the smells, sounds, sights and more in a new environment. Joy was adopted from a local rescue about a year ago. This week, a few of our middle school students met her one at a time. Students prepared by focusing on concepts like personal space, boundaries, body language, and consent. Then, they allowed Joy to set the pace for their interactions. This enthusiastic 6th grader couldn’t hold back the excitement on her face as Joy began to approach her. However, that didn’t stop her from staying grounded and maintaining a non-threatening body. The hard work paid off for them both and they shared a beautiful moment of connection. ❤️

Did you know that May is Mental Health Awareness month? The human-animal bond is a poweful protective factor for many students as discussed at this recent high school humane education session with Krisi, Chewy, & Cha Cha at ACCE! ❤️

Cats have feelings too! 😺

To prepare for an upcoming session with a cat, the middle school cohort discussed and sorted images into the 4 Zones of Regulation based on the different ways cats might feel. They had rich conversations and some strong debates based on the body language exhibited by their pets at home.

Natalie from Kids-4-K9s, Incorporated & Winnie were the first guests for our middle school cohort. We learned about positive training methods and practiced a range of skills. The big target sticks were especially fun for students who did an excellent job giving cues to Winnie, watching her body language, and responding to how she used her body to communicate! Our students are always impressed to hear about the many species Natalie has trained and the range of settings she’s worked in as an animal trainer. Natalie is the president of the Positive Coalition! Learn more at https://animalpositivecoalition.org! 🐾

Excitement is in the air as we kick things off with our middle & high school programs! What do you think students are most looking forward to?! 🐾

Today, we remember the life, love, and dedication of beloved Project Mickey Ambassador Kabuki. ❤️

*We sincerely apologize to Phuong, Kabuki’s mom and therapy partner as something happened to the original post from many months ago. Fortunately, a draft was saved, so we’re reposting.

Kabuki started her humane education journey alongside big sister, Kaida, who was often mistaken for her twin. She eagerly watched and learned from Kaida’s gentle demeanor and the two grew to become an amazing duo. Over her long life, Kabuki served more students and schools in Baltimore City than we can begin to count. She helped students and staff alike to learn about dog body language, safe interactions, and the misperceptions about bully breeds. Each time she visited a school, her calm, loving demeanor helped to dispel the common negative myths about dogs that look like her. After her big sister departed Earth, Kabuki continued their important work on a solo journey, never missing an opportunity to visit students throughout Baltimore City.

It’s hard to describe the impact that Kabuki made, but our students will never forget her. We asked a group of high school students who first met “the girls” in elementary school about what they recall from years ago. They discussed the invaluable lessons learned from Kabuki and Kaida. We’re beyond grateful for the love Kabuki shared with us and look forward to meeting her and her sister again one day at the Rainbow Bridge. 🌈🐾

Congrats to Chrixus & Stanley, 2 of our amazing middle school scholars who volunteered to assist first grade students participating in Show Your Soft Side’s Gotcha Day program focused on empathy for animals. 🎉

It was awesomel to see the student volunteers help the younger kids work together in groups to plan a party based on a specific animal’s likes and dislikes. Using critical thinking, perspective taking, and teamwork, each group decided if the items they received (e.g., one dog toy, one cat toy, live band) would be good for their specific animal and so forth. They also had the opportunity to trade items with other teams and use Bugsy bucks to buy things from the store. Everyone had a blast planning activities like bird watching at the park and salmon for dinner. 🥰

We are so grateful to Robin and everyone at SYSS for providing this learning opportunity filled with fun! If you’re interested in hosting a Gotcha Day party for your student group, after-school program, scout troop, etc., reach out to Show Your Soft Side using the link in the comments! 🐾

Grab your free posters to promote empathy and kindness!

With school starting soon, we have a reminder for all teachers. If you want to spruce up your classroom and encourage compassion at the same time, we'll be happy to send you posters free-of-charge. Just email: [email protected] and tell us where to send. 🙂

Yesterday was an exciting day! It was our final session with the awesome leadership group at Support By Design. Pam, a school psychologist, and her partner Molly joined us for their first official visit! The teens used empathy, perspective taking, and observation of body language to thoughtfully facilitate fun activities for Molly. They also got to shout out their own pets and talk more about careers with animals. At the end, they presented letters of encouragement for Molly as she begins her therapy dog journey! 🥰