Students’ Proposal To Station Therapy Dogs In Schools Wins Grant

Out of 200 finalists competing for 40 grants of USD 20,000 each, one project by four robotics students of Essexville-Hampton Public Schools in Bay County, Michigan emerged as top winner which proposed the employment of therapy dogs in four schools under their district.

The winning programs, which were decided based on a public poll administered by the State Farm Neighborhood Assist program since September, were announced on the morning of November 4, just as the results of the recent presidential election were also finalized. Last year, robotics students learned that therapy dogs can positively impact a student’s mental health, self-esteem, and stress reduction.

They, then, decided to raise almost USD 5,000 to bring in their first therapy dog, a Shetland sheepdog named, Chip, whom they stationed at the Verellen Elementary School. Prior to entering the competition, they wondered if they would see their program take off before they graduate from their schools.

Now, after receiving the USD 20,000 grant, the robotics students can fulfill this goal as they plan to use the money to recruit, breed, and train three other therapy dogs to be employed under their program by the start of 2022.

“It’s something that can really, really make a positive impact on the school…We try our hardest…to get people to vote for us,” said Kaydince Badour, Garber High School junior student and project pioneer, “Winning this just gave us a feeling that we did something right.”

Now if only more schools start doing this too!

Image Source: secondwavemedia.com