Therapy dogs reaching kids in hardest hit NYC
communities, including some in the Bronx
BY JASON COHEN
As children are home
dealing with the stress of
COVID-19, one nonprofi t
is using dogs to calm
their nerves.
Founded on the
prison dog model, A
Fair Shake for Youth has
reached over 3,000 middle
school youth through
partnerships with over
60 schools and community
organizations since
its founding in 2010.
It helps middle school
students build social and
emotional skills through
a structured hands-on
therapy dog program.
Following a 10-week curriculum,
kids learn doghandling
skills and discuss
dog-related topics
that often resonate with
their own life experience
including animal shelters,
second chances and
breed discrimination. As
kids work with the dogs
they learn about themselves
and each other.
During COVID-19, A
Fair Shake has pivoted
from in-school programming
to now completing
seven weeks of online
learning and engaging
live sessions with therapy
dogs. It works with
many schools in the
south Bronx including
Bronx Latin at 800 Home
St. The programs include
activities and virtual
sessions with registered
therapy dogs, their volunteer
handlers and experienced
instructors.
“The experience has
been so joyful for both
the kids and the school
staff,” said Taina Benjamin,
English as a Second
Language (ESL)
teacher at the Bronx
Latin School. “A lot of
the kids have been anxious,
but the dogs have
really helped calm them
and give them something
to look forward to. To
answer questions about
dogs and interact with an
animal gives them a different
and fun way to interact
with content so the
kids don’t mind responding
and participating.
The dogs help us create
momentum with the
kids.”
As schools closed, the
organization created a
custom “school portal”
in which teachers and
social workers access
lessons that relate to the
dog and volunteer teams.
Each of the fi rst six lessons
cover a social-emotional
learning topic.
The lessons are designed
to be short, fun and fl exible
depending on need,
technical capabilities
and individual student
needs.
Lessons include both
a one-page teacher’s
guide and a one-page student
guide. All visitors
to the website can visit
the “Meet the Dogs” page
to learn more about each
dog in a social-emotional
context.
Following the pivot
to distance learning, A
The dog Slick with a student Courtesy of Daniel Krieger.
Fair Shake for Youth
has engaged with nearly
100 students in the city’s
hardest hit communities.
As the academic
year comes to a close, the
organization is working
with schools to provide
enrichment programming
to keep students
engaged as caregivers
and parents see summer
camps and programs
canceled.
It has worked with:
Bronx School of Young
Leaders, Dr. Richard Izquierdo
Health and Science
Charter School,
East Fordham Academy
for the Arts, Mott Haven
Academy Charter
School, P.S. 306, South
Bronx Early College
Academy, WHEDco, New
Directions Secondary
School and Bronx School
for New Media.
Audrey Hendler,
founder and executive director
of A Fair Shake for
Youth, feels the transition
to remote programming
has gone smoothly.
Being able to provide
even a brief respite of relief
for the kids during
these challenging times
is important, she said.
“We recognize that
the need for our work is
not only vital now as our
kids continue to experience
loss and ongoing
trauma, but will be a necessity
as we see the secondary
effects of the unprecedented
stress and
trauma they are experiencing
set in,” Hendler
said.
BRONX TIMES R 4 EPORTER, JUNE 12-18, 2020 BTR
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