What does this look like?
The Lessons of Healing Species
Healing Species may look like pet therapy, and it certainly offers the comfort and connection that dogs provide. But it is much more than that. Every lesson in our curriculum focuses on a character trait and supports Social and Emotional Learning, helping students build empathy, compassion, responsibility, and resilience.
Our dogs serve as a bridge to lessons that can be difficult or uncomfortable to discuss. Children connect with these rescued dogs because their stories include struggle, hurt, healing, and hope—experiences that can help students feel understood and open to learning.
Our Lessons
A Brief Look
See with your Heart
Our first lesson explores the difference between seeing with our eyes and seeing with our hearts. Through the remarkable ability of our rescued dogs to connect with people, students learn how empathy helps us understand what others may be feeling and respond with compassion.
Keep your Power
Our second lesson helps students recognize the power of the choices they make each day. They learn that they can choose empathy by caring for their own emotions and showing compassion for the feelings of others.
Give Back
Our final lesson gives students the opportunity to advocate for others through meaningful service. As part of our Service-Learning Lesson, students organize a campus-wide project that benefits an animal shelter, children’s hospital, nursing home, or another organization in need.
Program Details
Structure
Dogs
Instructors
Pricing
Each lesson lasts 30 minutes. To protect the dogs’ well-being, we spend no more than two hours at each location, allowing us to teach up to four classrooms during a lesson day.
All of our dogs are AKC Canine Good Citizen certificate holders. Today, they live in loving homes and enjoy meeting students once or twice a week, helping bring our lessons of empathy, responsibility, and compassion to life.
Each instructor is college-educated and professionally trained to work with children and young adults. An instructor and her dog will visit consistently each week, building trust and familiarity over time.
Each lesson day is $700. A complete list of lesson objectives is available upon request. Campuses may choose a four-week short series or participate in the full eight-week program.