Project Mickey

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. ❤️

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! 🐾

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! 🐾