HUMANE EDUCATION ADVOCATES REACHING TEACHERS

TEACHER TRAINING, SCHOOL CONSULTATION AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENTHEART'S SIGNATURE COMPASSIONATE COMMUNITIES AWARDS (CCA) PROGRAM HAS REACHED 36,000+ STUDENTS IN THE PAST SIX YEARS IN NEW YORK AND, STARTING IN 2023, IN CHICAGO TOO, EQUIPPING YOUNG PEOPLE WITH THE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND HOPE TO CREATE HEALTHIER, MORE RESILIENT SCHOOL NEIGHBORHOODS FOR PEOPLE, ANIMALS, AND THE ENVIRONMENT. DURING THE 2023-24 SCHOOL YEAR, OUR INSTRUCTORS PROVIDED GUIDANCE ON CREATING PROGRAMS THAT HELP MAKE OUR FOOD SYSTEMS MORE EQUITABLE, HUMANE, AND SUSTAINABLE. WE WORKED CLOSELY WITH K-12 TEACHERS AT SIX NYC AND CHICAGO SCHOOLS WITH A COMBINED TOTAL STUDENT ENROLLMENT OF 3,000+. IN JUNE, SCHOOLS SHOWCASED ACCOMPLISHMENTS LIKE DEVELOPING URBAN GARDENS TO HARVEST FRESH EDIBLE PRODUCE AND SUPPORT POLLINATORS AND OFFERING COOKING CLASSES AND RECIPES THAT HELPED STUDENTS (AND THEIR PARENTS) PREPARE HEALTHY MEALS. HEART OFFERED ALL PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS MICROGRANTS OF UP TO $1,000 TOWARD THEIR EFFORTS. THE YEAR-END CELEBRATION EVENT FOR PS 135 IN QUEENS WAS ATTENDED BY REPRESENTATIVES OF TWO OF THE CITY OFFICES AND PROGRAMS WE ARE PARTNERING WITH TO PROMOTE FOOD SOVEREIGNTY AND SUPPORT HEALTHY FOOD AVAILABILITY IN LOW-INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS: THE NYC PUBLIC SCHOOLS OFFICE OF FOOD AND CLIMATE AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF FOOD POLICY. IN THE FALL OF 2024, WE BEGAN WORKING WITH 11 NYC AND CHICAGO SCHOOLS AS WELL AS 2 INDIANAPOLIS SCHOOLS IN OUR CCA PROGRAM.HEART'S NEW YOUTH CHANGEMAKERS CLUBS (YCC) INITIATIVE, WHICH EMERGED FROM OUR LATEST 3-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN (2024-26)HAS BEEN A MAJOR FOCUS FOR US OVER THE PAST YEAR AS WE HAVE WORKED TO SOLIDIFY THE PROGRAM STRUCTURE, CREATE AND REFINE THE PROGRAM HANDBOOK, AND ROLL OUT PILOTS IN NEW YORK, WASHINGTON (STATE), TEXAS, AND INDIANA. YCCS EMPOWER YOUNG PEOPLE BOTH IN AND OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL SETTINGS TO LEAD IMPACTFUL PROJECTS FOR ANIMALS, PEOPLE, AND THE ENVIRONMENT, SUPPORTED BY HEART'S RESOURCES, GUIDANCE, AND MICROGRANTS OF UP TO $250 TO TRANSFORM THEIR PASSIONS INTO REAL-WORLD ACTION. OUR FIRST YCCS PROVIDED SHELTER DOGS AND CATS WITH ESSENTIAL ITEMS, ADVOCATED FOR THE RELEASE OF CAPTIVE ORCAS, AND LAUNCHED CAMPAIGNS TO HELP ORANGUTANS AND MITIGATE DEFORESTATION.IN FEBRUARY, HEART OFFERED THREE TRAINING SESSIONS AT A FIRST-EVER 2024 NYC CLIMATE INSTITUTE -- INTRODUCED BY THE NYC PUBLIC SCHOOLS OFFICE OF ENERGY AND SUSTAINABILITY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COLUMBIA TEACHERS COLLEGE AND THE UNITED FEDERATION OF TEACHERS -- ATTENDED BY 500+ K-12 EDUCATORS CITYWIDE. THESE SESSIONS FOCUSED ON THE INTERSECTING ISSUES AROUND CLIMATE CHANGE, INCLUDING ANIMALS AND OUR FOOD SYSTEM. THIS SPRING, WE ALSO CONDUCTED OUR RECENTLY EXPANDED 45-HOUR, 3-CREDIT HUMANE EDUCATION "SOLIDARITY, NOT CHARITY" PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSE VIA THE NYC PUBLIC SCHOOLS AFTER SCHOOL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. THE COURSE, WHICH QUALIFIES SCHOOL TEACHERS TOWARD A SALARY DIFFERENTIAL, FOCUSES ON ENABLING STUDENTS TO DEEPLY ENGAGE WITH THE UNIQUE QUALITIES OF THE COMMUNITY THEY ARE SERVING AND ADDRESS ISSUES THAT IMPACT ANIMALS AND PEOPLE WITHIN THAT COMMUNITY.STARTING IN THE FALL, HEART TEAMED UP WITH THE GLOBAL FEDERATION OF ANIMAL SANCTUARIES (GFAS) TO SUPPORT THE EFFORTS OF ITS ACCREDITED AND VERIFIED SANCTUARIES TO ENGAGE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO WANT TO HELP ANIMALS. HEART IS PROVIDING FREE TRAINING AND RESOURCES FOR GFAS SANCTUARY NETWORK MEMBERS WHO ARE DEVELOPING OR EXPANDING HUMANE EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN IN GRADES K-12. IN OCTOBER, HEART CONDUCTED A WEBINAR, "DEVELOPING YOUTH SERVICE PROJECTS TO BENEFIT YOUR SANCTUARY," WHICH IS PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ON GFAS'S WEBSITE.ALSO THIS FALL, HEART WAS ACCEPTED INTO A COMPETITIVE YEAR-LONG METRICS COHORT RUN BY NYC-BASED ACCELERATOR PROGRAM YOUTH INC. TO HELP STREAMLINE PROGRAM ASSESSMENT, FACILITATE DATA COLLECTION, AND DEMONSTRATE IMPACT. AS A PARTICIPANT, HEART RECEIVES PRO-BONO PROGRAM EVALUATION COACHING AND A SUBSCRIPTION TO HELLO INSIGHT, A SPECIALIZED YOUTH PROGRAM EVALUATION PLATFORM THAT INCLUDES PRE-BUILT SURVEYS, PREDICTIVE ANALYTICS, AND AUTOMATED REPORTS ON SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING OUTCOMES.

MARKETING, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND ADVOCACY A KEY COMPONENT OF OUR ADVOCACY EFFORTS TO PROMOTE HUMANE EDUCATION AND IMPROVE COMPLIANCE WITH THE NEW YORK STATE HUMANE EDUCATION LAW WAS RAISING AWARENESS OF THE MANY BENEFITS THAT HUMANE EDUCATION OFFERS AND PROVIDING FREE ACCESS TO OUR TEACHING RESOURCES ACROSS A VARIETY OF WEB-BASED PLATFORMS. HEART WAS INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN A PLENARY PANEL AT THE ANIMAL LAW CONFERENCE IN OCTOBER AT LEWIS & CLARK LAW SCHOOL IN PORTLAND DISCUSSING ADOLESCENTS AND ANIMAL CRUELTY. HEART ILLUSTRATED HOW HUMANE EDUCATION CAN HELP MITIGATE ANIMAL CRUELTY AND DESCRIBED OUR WORK IN FOSTERING EMPATHY FOR ANIMALS.WE CONTINUED TO MARKET HEART'S RESOURCES TO GAIN AS WIDE AN AUDIENCE FOR OUR MATERIALS AS POSSIBLE AND TO CONTRACT WITH A SERVICE TO MANAGE OUR GOOGLE AD GRANT, THE LEADING SOURCE OF OUR WEBSITE TRAFFIC. WE ALSO OPTIMIZED OUR USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND POSTED BLOGS ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES. AMONG THE KEY PRIORITIES THAT EMERGED IN OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS WAS THE NEED FOR A NEW ORGANIZATION NAME AND REBRAND. OUR RENAMING AND REBRANDING EFFORT WAS A PRIORITY FOR OUR BOARD AND STAFF IN 2024 AND, HAVING MADE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS DURING THAT TIME, IS ONE THAT WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT 2025.