VRP Site: Newark Street School

Grades: 7-8

Unit Title: Common Ground: A Therapy Dog Program between students and older adults

Grades 7-8

VRP Goals: This project forges a relationship between the school and the community, in this case, the students and the residents of the St. Johnsbury Health and Rehabilitation Center. It also addresses the area of Student Empowerment teaching each person that s/he, regardless of age, can give back to her/his community in a positive and meaningful way.

Goals:

• Provide an opportunity for students to perform community service

• Help students gain an understanding of the current and former lives of Center residents

• Learn compassion and tolerance

• Empower students so that they understand they can make a difference as well as give back to their community

Focusing questions:

• What is your role in the therapy dog program?

• How can you provide a quality experience to someone who is ill and not able to live at home?

• What can you learn from older adults?

• Why is it important to do something positive for others?

Activities:

• Students will visit residents at the Center.

• Students will learn how to handle a therapy dog

Vermont Standards:

4.1 Service

2.8 Taking Risks

2.9 Persevering

3.11 Interactions

Assessment project:

Students will complete a culminating project that focuses either on the entire experience or a specific resident. This project may include an oral history, an article for the local newspaper, a permanent photographic display for the school and/or the Rehab center or whatever a student in consultation with a teacher deems reasonable.

Timeline:

Students will visit the Center every two weeks throughout the school year. The final project is expected to take two weeks to complete.

Ilene Kanoff

Newark Street School