Savania Whitten, Gemma Dotts, Maggie Lesiecki, and Cora Dotts represented our facility dog program on Saturday, April 22 at the 2023 Stark State Student Symposium Spotlighting Student Success. The Symposium is a half-day annual event that highlights the academic excellence of students from Stark State College and local community high schools. Our handlers presented a 50-minute program titled "The Impact of Facility Dogs on Student Learning and Leadership: A Student's Perspective." The team highlighted four key areas: the role of a facility dog in schools, our program’s benefits on student learning and leadership, the neuroscience supporting the positive effect the dogs have on student well-being, and the impact our P.U.P. (Peers Uplifting Peers) program has on the lives of others. The information they provided empowered other school districts by showing how facility dog programs can be a safe and beneficial addition to the school environment.
The Claymont team competed alongside primarily college entries and earned a highly superior rating. Each student was awarded a scholarship prize. Congratulations on your success!
