PAWS for Sandy Plains After School Program David

PAWS for Sandy Plains After School Program David Brelian, Christian Gray, Elizabeth Moxley, Ronny Umlandt, Andrew van der Spuy

Baltimore Area Schools • Teachers and students return to school each year that have been neglected and in need of repair • Only 15% of Baltimore youth had access to after school opportunities in the 2014 -2015 school year (Baltimore Sun, 2015) • Justice Policy Institute Report statistics based on Baltimore ○ 60. 7% of the population of those aged 25 years and older have less than a high school diploma ○ Mortality rate for people aged 15 -24 years old is 19. 0 per 1, 000 youths ○ 51. 8% of the population of those aged 16 -64 years old are unemployed with 25% of families receiving TANF benefits

Our Goal The ideal goal is to provide students with an escape from their negative surroundings. Every student deserves an engaging environment that allows them to challenge themselves, support their learning environment, and give light outside of their home lives.

After School Program • After school program in which therapy animals and their handlers come to a Baltimore area Elementary school to interact with children • The program helps in: o Improving academic performance and literacy o Developing a new and loving relationship between the animal and student o Providing comfort to children that need it

Pet Therapy Provides both physical and mental benefits • Help lift their spirits and increase socialization • Help children cope with emotional disorders/instabilities • Reduce loneliness, and encourage communication • Improve grades and reduce the amount of fights in school • Helps students focus better • Improves the students self-confidence

Sandy Plains Elementary School • 8330 Kavanagh Road, Baltimore, MD, 21222 • Baltimore County Public Schools

Sandy Plains Elementary School performance • Ranked 93 rd among 105 ranked elementary schools in Baltimore County (School Digger, 2015) • 28. 9 th percentile among all Maryland public elementary schools • MSA scores lower than state average in all areas (Great Schools, 2015)

Sandy Plains Elementary School Cause • Outside factors include unstable home environments • Classroom disruptions and absences Solution • Provide a stress free outlet • Animals surround children with love • Improve education, moods, and behavior

PAWS for People Mission Statement - To lovingly provide, elders, children, and folks with disabilities individualized, therapeutic visits with a gentle, affectionate pet. History: • Founded in 2005 by Lynne Robinson • Started with just Lynne and her dog Boo • Positive feedback called for an expansion • Today there are over 350 therapy teams serving 150+ sites

Contacting Sandy Plains Phone interview with Principal Kevin Harrington on November 17 th • First year as school principal • First priority: working with community • Commended fantastic teachers • “Absolutely” interested in having program • Confident that teachers would volunteer

Contacting PAWS for People Phone interview with Executive Director Lynne Robinson on November 17 th • Training and documentation • Required consent forms from parents • PAWS for Reading • “Elegant simplicity” • Improves development • Would “love” to provide animals and handlers

Action Plan - First Set • Implement the project by Fall 2016 • Initial duration of 1 year • Once funded, we would contact PAWS for People and Sandy Plains to formally set up the program. During this time. o Sandy Plains would arrange teacher volunteers and reserve classrooms o PAWS for People would arrange handlers and their animals from the organization to prepare for traveling to the school

Action Plan - Second Set • Prepare for initial visit to Sandy Plains in August 2016 • Students will be invited to attend the after school programs • Parental permission slips will be distributed to them on the first day

Action Plan - Third Set • Hold first after school meeting on Tuesday, August 30 th, 2016 • This meeting will be the first of 76 meetings in 38 weeks (Twice a week)

Action Plan - Fourth and Final Step • Evaluate the results after the last meeting in June 2017 - Further explained by Ronny

Business Plan - Main Focus: Finances • PAWS for People has agreed to charge $50 per visit for one handler and pup • Pf. P is a non-profit organization, so this charge will be to cover travel costs and expansion of organization. $50 per visit * 76 visits = $3, 800 in annual costs, which initial funding will cover

Business Plan - Accounting For Expansion If more than 24 children wish to join the program, more animals/handlers will be needed, resulting in a greater cost. With that said, PAWS for People has discussed discounted charges for additional animals/handlers to accommodate for 24+ students, which are to be determined when necessary.

Business Plan - Sources of Cash to Fund Expansion Of course, with time, additional funding will be needed if we have the demand… To generate additional funds, we can conduct bake sales and other fundraisers on Towson’s Campus and various locations in the community. Marketing plays a key role in both fundraising and to ensure student participation. If people understand their money is going to a good cause, they might more inclined to donate. Project management aspect: Ensure smooth interaction between PAWS for People and Sandy Plains Elementary School.

Evaluating the Results Primary Success Measures: • Increase in standardized test scores o PARCC (English Language Arts and Math) o MSA (Science) • Written feedback by students and teachers Secondary Success Measures: • Attendance • Number of disciplinary issues • Written feedback by PAWS for People volunteers

Looking Forward: Sustainability If PAWS for Sandy Plains is not successful: • Stop the program and identify problems • Solve problems and continue If PAWS for Sandy Plains is successful: • Full written report to attract other schools • PAWS for Baltimore

References Great Schools. (2015). Sandy Plains Elementary School. Retrieved from http: //www. greatschools. org/maryland/baltimore/441 Sandy-Plains-Elementary-School/quality/ PAWS for People. (2015). Benefits of Pet Therapy. Retrieved from http: //www. pawsforpeople. org/who-we-are/benefits-of-pettherapy/ PAWS for People. (2015). History of PAWS. Retrieved from http: //www. pawsforpeople. org/who-we-are/history/ Sandy Plains Elementary School. (2015). Contact School. Retrieved from https: //sandyplainses. bcps. org/contact_school School Digger. (2015). Sandy Plains Elementary. Retrieved from http: //www. schooldigger. com/go/MD/schools/0012000470/school. aspx Schugam, Larry. (2015, September 8). New school year, old problems in Baltimore. The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved from http: //www. baltimoresun. com/news/opinion/oped/bs-ed-baltimore-schools-20150908 -story. html