This past April, HEART program managers, Kristina Hulvershorn and Mickey Kudia, presented at the Association of Professional Humane Educators’ National Humane Education Conference in Seattle, Washington. The presentation titled, Enhancing Social and Emotional Learning through Humane Education, taught attendees from across the country practical steps for incorporating social and emotional learning into their humane education programs.
The presentation addressed the five core competences for social and emotional learning: self-awareness, self-management, social-awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Mickey and Kristina then provided humane education activities and lessons that could be implemented right away at animal shelters, wildlife rescues, and schools.
Many of the activities and lessons were taken directly from HEART’s Fostering Empathy for Others unit, which is taught in schools throughout Chicago and Portland, and from Be the Change, HEART’s no-cost humane education museum in Indianapolis, Indiana.
By the end of the presentation, attendees had learned ready-to-use activities and how to better connect their programs to the field of social emotional learning. Kasey Brown, a middle school teacher and creator of Teach about Pets, later wrote, “Social and emotional learning is important for educators to integrate into their classroom[s]. I learned many strategies from HEART that I’m excited to share with colleagues and use with my students!”
If you’re interested in viewing the presentation, it will be available for APHE members to purchase soon. To become a member of APHE, please visit their website.