Hello and Welcome!
Thank you for your interest in United Animal Nations' Humane Education Ambassador Reading (HEAR) program!

As the new Education Manager at UAN, I am excited to hear from current volunteers working with the HEAR program as well as those of you that might be interested in learning more about it.

Please use this forum to discuss any questions that I and other interested community members may be able to help answer about the HEAR program. Additionally, tips and ideas for working with and reading to children are always encouraged.

Can't wait to "HEAR" from you.

Karly

Spring greetings to everyone!

In keeping with the theme of this message board, I am hoping to get the conversation rolling with these questions for anyone who has ever met a child, is currently working with children or is a Humane Education Ambassador in the HEAR program...

How do you greet children? What about an individual child? Do your greetings change?
How do you introduce yourself and capture children's attention? What do you think the most important thing is when you meet someone for the first time?

Your answers could prove very helpful to others that may not have lots of experience with children? I look forward to reading about your greetings!

-Karly

Hi Everyone!

I wanted to share some heart warming greetings I received at the last HEAR visit I conducted. I was on my way to read to a third grade class at an elementary school in the greater Sacramento, CA area. When I approached the campus I was greeted by many eager little faces. Some of the children asked me why I was there; others just stared warily at me. I announced myself quickly and in a friendly voice. I said, “Hi, I’m Karly, I am here to read in a third grade classroom. Can you tell me where the office is?” The majority of the children just pointed to the large building to the east. Under the watchful eye of the yard duty teacher, I walked to the office building and some of the children followed me.

Inside the office I was greeted by a friendly woman that ran the front desk. I signed in and took a visitor’s pass. I was directed to a portable classroom just 100 feet or so from the office. I knocked on the classroom door, and walked in slowly. Seventeen third graders popped their heads up from their desks and stared at me. The teacher in the classroom quickly said, “Welcome!” Again, I announced myself. “Hi, I’m Karly. I am here to read to your class.” The teacher said, “Class this is Karly, what do we say to visitors when they come into our room?” in unison the students said, “Good afternoon, Karly!” Not only did the students appear genuinely interested in me as a visitor, but they also seemed very excited that I was there to read to them about animals. One little girl said, “I know you are here to talk about animals. I have two dogs. Our teacher told us you were coming. Do you have dogs?”

At the end of the HEAR visit, three boys came over to where I was packing up my stuff and asked if I would be coming back to read to them again. When I said that I would be coming back next week, each of them smiled huge smiles and said, “Cool!”

Have you ever experienced warm greetings like these in your life? There is something about the excitement and acceptance of young children that is truly rewarding. I can’t wait to do another HEAR visit with this class!

-Karly

Hi Karly and Everyone Else,

I just finished a five-series set of readings at one of our local elementary schools where I've been coming to a 2nd grade class and a Headstart class once a month since January. About the 3rd class the kids started hugging me both on arrival and when I left. Today I handed out notepads as souvenirs and before I left several of the 2nd graders wrote me thank you notes and said they would miss me.

This has really been a wonderful experience, both fun and quite obvious how they have soaked up the main messages HEAR conveys. I can't wait to come back in the fall! (Just this one school has at least *6* teachers who are interested -- I managed readings for two classes this spring and hope to team up with other HEAR readers in the area for the fall.)

b j

Education Director at the Montgomery County Humane Society, Rockville, MD

Wow! It is great to hear that you have had so much success implementing the HEAR program in your area b j. I am glad that the children you read with showed you warmth and were receptive to the messages of empathy and kindness toward animals that the HEAR program conveys.

It is very exciting that 6 teachers are interested in hosting the HEAR visits in their classrooms. There are a few HEAR volunteers in your area that may be able to help you conduct visits at this school.

And... UAN is offering another HEAR volunteer training workshop on July 28th in Arlington, Virginia. Perhaps some of the attendees will help implement the HEAR program at this school as well.

Very exciting!

-Karly