 Teaching Grants Program |
Owning a pet can be one of the great joys in life. From the smallest to the largest, an amazing variety of pets bring companionship and a focus for love and affection to people of all ages. Veterinarians see every day the devotion people have for their pets. Unfortunately, they also often see the sad result when a pet is acquired without thought being given to the very real obligations and responsibilities that go along with the ownership of an animal. Pets aren’t toys. Without proper nutrition, shelter and health care they will not thrive physically. For many, without proper training, attention and affection they will not thrive socially. When humans neglect these responsibilities the animal suffers. The New Jersey Veterinary Medical Association has commissioned a teaching guide with the goal of encouraging New Jersey middle grade teachers to introduce the idea of responsible pet ownership in the classroom, and through the classroom into the community. To ensure that teachers have the flexibility needed to offer the course in a creative way, we have established a grant program intended to support the teaching guide by allowing teachers to purchase supplies and incur other expenses which might otherwise not be possible given the budgetary pressures most school districts must live with. Grant applications will be considered on the basis of their use of the teaching guide; how well they teach the value of the human-animal bond and the need to keep pets healthy; the degree of community integration achieved, and the overall creativity of the proposal. We strongly recommend that you read the teaching guide before preparing your proposal. (see below) We will provide funding up to a maximum of $750 per grantee for the purchase of supplies needed to carry out the exercises described in the teaching guide, or expenses incurred for similar exercises that you create. You will be asked to submit a final report that includes a qualitative and quantitative results assessment, an expended funds report. Photographs and samples of the individual projects undertaken by the students should be included. The report will become the property of the NJVMA. The NJVMA will support grantees with Service Learning training, with veterinarians as speakers, and with information about animal welfare issues. Learning about pets and their role in our lives can be a rewarding experience for students. We hope you will find our teaching guide, “Taking Came of your Community by taking Care of your Pets,” a useful tool for engaging your students in a learning experience that will be informative and fun. Below you will find links to downloadable forms of the teaching guide and the NJVMA grant application form.
THE APPLICATION DEADLINE IS MAY 1, 2009. Applications may be submitted by mail, fax or e-mail to: Paul Wolcott |
