Humane Education Course
How It Started:
As Marshall County Animal Rescue League volunteers and Marshall County School employees, Barbara Scanlon and Roberta Underdonk saw firsthand why teachers should understand the connection between animal cruelty and human violence and incorporate humane education into their daily lesson plans. When their humane education in-service training attracted mostly support personnel, Scanlon and Underdonk decided to get the attention of Marshall County teachers by offering a graduate level humane education summer course. With the support of local school administrator Susan Jones, Ed.D., they created a proposal for a third party credit course offered through the West Virginia University Graduate Program.
About the Course:
The 45-hour, three-credit course is offered to Marshall County teachers during one week of the summer break.
It is a pass/fail course with no paper, but attendance is mandatory. While credit earned in the class cannot be used toward a degree program, it does count toward the statewide salary scale and may meet certification requirements.
Cost:
The cost of the class is $99, payable to the University of West Virginia.
Staff:
Scanlon and Underdonk, both volunteers, are responsible for scheduling the speakers as well as all other components of the program’s planning.
Evaluation:
Teachers are required to complete an evaluation at the end of each presentation. An overall evaluation is completed at the end of the course. Copies of all evaluations are submitted to the Board of Education. Scanlon and Underdonk use the feedback from those questionnaires when planning the next year’s schedule. Participants consistently give high ratings to speakers who address the violence connection.
How to Register:
Contact Barb Scanlon at (304) 845-9770.