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Our Work
HEART offers K-12 humane education programs and teaching resources uniquely designed for a combined focus on social justice, animal protection, and environmental preservation.
Our Work
HEART offers K-12 humane education programs and teaching resources uniquely designed for a combined focus on social justice, animal protection, and environmental preservation.
Latest news on HEART's humane education programs for youth...
HEART Programs
We focus on infusing humane education into formal and informal learning environments for young people. Our goal is to impact the way youth think about their responsibility to one another, animals, and the natural world. By linking standards-based, age-appropriate instructional programs and lesson content to service-based learning, we empower students to make positive changes.
Humane Education Resources
Our curriculum experts have developed an extensive portfolio of teaching tools for diverse educational settings. These teaching resources include an engaging game for kids and more than 200 lesson plans that enable teachers to seamlessly incorporate humane education into their classroom curricula. HEART's free resources are distributed through a variety of digital channels and teaching platforms that allow us to scale our efforts efficiently.
Compassionate Communities
The Compassionate Communities Awards program takes a district-wide approach to integrating humane education in schools. Students create action plans and organize service-learning projects that foster a school community of kindness, stewardship, and respect. Schools compete for cash prizes awarded for the most effective projects positively impacting people, animals, and the environment within and beyond the school community.
More than 30,000 students in 48 New York elementary schools have participated in the first three years of the Compassionate Communities Awards program.
In-School and After-School Programs
Our staff works directly with K-12 students in schools, youth organizations, and summer camps to cultivate compassion and teach about animal protection, social justice, and environmental preservation. HEART’s instructors have directly taught over 50,000 students nationwide, including New York, Chicago, Indianapolis, San Diego, Detroit, Portland (Oregon), Madison (Wisconsin), and other regions.
The HEART/Caring Kids program opened my eyes to problems happening in the world and ways in which we can all help to make a difference.
- Lilly, age 12
Teacher Training
Through workshops and online presentations, HEART has trained hundreds of teachers nationwide to deliver education programs that effectively foster compassion in classroom and community settings. We provide training workshops and professional development through a network of strategic partners, including the Volunteers of America Head Start Program and the NYC Department of Education.
HEART should be state-mandated, just like child abuse coursework is... it would improve the teaching profession, along with student learning, and increase better care of our shared world.
- Lynette E., NYC teacher-training participant
The HEART Network
The HEART Network builds the capacity of community animal protection organizations, animal shelters, rescue groups, and sanctuaries nationwide to develop and expand their humane education initiatives.
More than 75% of HEART Network members across 42 states and 10 foreign countries bring services and humane education to economically disadvantaged communities.
Advocacy
HEART works in New York and nationwide to increase compliance with existing humane and character education laws. We support advocacy efforts across the U.S. to pass new and enhanced humane education mandates at the local and state levels.
HEART was instrumental in drafting and securing support for legislation in New York City and New York State to strengthen enforcement of the humane education mandate in schools.