We help teachers establish a solid teacher-student bond that helps improve classroom behavior.

The Animal Connection is designed to address New Mexico’s Social Emotional Learning framework, facilitating student development into compassionate, responsible, and proactive members of society. Our lessons use a child’s natural affinity towards animals to improve their social awareness and empathy for their peers and others.

Participating teachers have observed many of the following outcomes. APNM’s goal is to continue assessing prosocial and humane attitudes across New Mexico and to advocate for humane education at the state level.

  • Better student connection to subjects and discussions.
  • Improvement in student-peer relationships.
  • Increased acceptance of responsibility (for animals, each other, and the community) and academics.

Our Approach to Social-Emotional Learning

Positive Developmental Relationships

Developing strong positive relationships helps foster a more vital learning environment in the classroom, including a stronger relationship between teacher and student, and guides a child’s academic life.

Intentional Development of Skills, Mindsets, and Habits

Lessons involve activities and discussions where a child learns perspective-taking, practicing, and reflecting on the importance of compassion for animals. A student’s voice is addressed through discussion and implementation of ideas that connect students to responsibility and community awareness.

Environments Filled with Safety & Belonging

Our program develops a child’s kindness and concern for others, including their environment and community. Activities and video lessons address topics that help build student relationships with each other build on respect, inclusivity, and stewardship.

Integrating Systems and Supports

Teachers are encouraged to integrate our program into their existing curriculum and, along with the class, develop a compassionate action project that incorporates humane education concepts and civic and community awareness to solve a local issue.

Addressing Problems of Practice

The Animal Connection is designed to address the following problems of practice. These PoPs are directly observable and actionable and can be connected to a school’s broader improvement strategy and instructional core, improving student behavior and academic achievement.

Poor Student Engagement Affecting Learning Outcomes

Our program takes advantage of a young child’s affinity for animals to address animal well-being, compassion, empathy, and respect for animals and peers. Our participating teachers have experienced improved engagement in the classroom, behavioral improvement, and a stronger connection between teachers and students. In some instances, the program has given teachers a “space” to address bullying and other behavioral issues with students directly.

Student Connection with Subject Area

Our program helps teachers develop strong connections with students, aiding them in subjects (math/science/writing) that some students struggle with.

“Break Up” Routine Instructional Design to Better Serve Student Needs

Our curriculum was designed by an award-winning New Mexico school teacher with 20 years of experience in the classroom. Teachers benefit from supplemental lessons and videos that help “break up” the monotony of routine instruction. Many participating teachers use our curriculum as a scheduled/seasonal project or to support “gaps” in instruction throughout the year.

Assessing Program Impact

APNM’s Education and Outreach staff will support teachers in implementing the curriculum with best practices, tips, and training.

APNM can also implement assessment tools developed by the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Vet Shelter Medicine & Community Engagement research team to better assess outcome data and improve the program’s impact on teachers and students. Interested schools can contact César Díaz, APNM's Education and Outreach Director.

The Animal Connection is for:

Teachers

Are you a teacher interested in a supplemental curriculum that helps address SEL practices?

Principals

Are you a principal or administrator interested in bringing inspiring community-building programs at their schools?

Counselors

Are you a counselor interested in sharing lessons with students or introducing the program to other teachers who might benefit from student/classroom improvement?

Community Leaders

Are you a community leader, like a public librarian or legislator, interested in introducing our program into their community?

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