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Consider connecting with community organizations to expand SEL services in your school community

BY MARY A. LOUIT

Having a therapy dog organization that is willing to volunteer their time in schools provides a wonderful alternative for school districts that cannot have their own therapy dogs within their school buildings.

Mt. Healthy North Elementary School has been receiving therapy dog visits with their owners every Thursday for one hour through Canines for Christ of Southwest Ohio. This independent organization started in 2012 as a non-profit corporation. They are an accredited AKC Therapy Dog group. brought joy, comfort, excitement, and lots of love to the students in grades 1-6 and the staff. The dog’s main role is to react and respond to people and their environment (Grove, Henderson 2018). Research shows that there are many benefits for including a therapy dog in the schools. Some of the benefits are: It increases student motivation for learning, resulting in improved outcomes; the dogs support children’s social and emotional needs; dogs help with literacy development; and having a therapy dog can help increase school attendance. In addition, therapy dogs enhance the relationship between peers and teachers, and decrease the child’s anxiety when meeting a new adult (Grove, Henderson 2018).

North Elementary’s first therapy dogs’ visits started September 2, 2021 with John Connor who coordinated the first group of volunteers while I developed the first classroom schedule of visits. Future visits were coordinated by Suzie Kleeman with her dog Harley who collaborated weekly with me. The visits were a success with students and staff who were so delighted and filled with joy to see the dogs. The dogs immediately showed their affection and love towards everyone they visited. Students who were dealing with an emotion or anxiety were mindfully able to calm themselves with the help from a dog friend. Students were ready to touch and pet the dogs while others enjoyed observing the dog’s behavior. The time frame for bonding varied with students in grades 1-6. Canines for Christ of Southwest Ohio visits to Mt. Healthy North Elementary School greatly enhanced the lives of students and staff members. Having a therapy dog organization that is willing to volunteer their time in schools provides a nice alternative to school districts that cannot have their own therapy dogs within their school buildings.

Reference Grové, Christine, and Linda Henderson. “Therapy Dogs Can Help Reduce Student Stress, Anxiety and Improve School Attendance.” The Conversation, The Conversation , 19 March 2018, https://theconversation.com/therapy-dogs-canhelp-reduce-student-stress-anxiety-and-improve-school-attendance-93073.

Mary A. Louit has been an intervention specialist for 22 years, and she works in Mt. Healthy City Schools. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Special Education from Miami University, a master’s degree in Montessori Education from Xavier University, and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership through OAESA’s partnership with CUC. She currently holds an Ohio Professional Principal License. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, staying active, reading of all sorts of literature, and finding time to travel and cook.

Ms. Louit’s fourth grade students were paired with a dog and its owner to assist with helping the owner locate the classes they were visiting and any other requests. This provided these students an incentive to rise to the occasion as they took on the responsibility of helping a dog owner.