In June 2024, Helen Lewis and Janet Oostendorp presented their work exploring the wellbeing of dogs in schools at the 33rd International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ) Annual Conference, Hartpury University, Gloucestershire. Over four days, keynote speakers from around the globe spoke about the benefits of the human-animal bond. The conference offered opportunity to network with colleagues and co-authors from as far afield as Australia, Canada and Chile. There was also a demonstration about Para-Assisted Riding and the enhanced adaptions for communication between horse and rider.
Helen Lewis and Janet Oostendorp gave two presentations at the Society of Companion Animal Studies annual conference in October 2024. Helen's presentation focused on 'Dogs in School: What lessons can be learned from research?' whilst Janet's presentation was entitled 'Dogs, Immersive Virtual Reality (VR) and school-based tasks - Can only 'live' dogs in schools enhance motivation and attainment?'.
In July 2024 Helen Lewis recorded a podcast Animals in Education Settings and wrote an article about why animals can be beneficial in early years settings for The Voice of Early Childhood. This is an international organisation which advocates for early childhood through the sharing of a wide range of voices, stimulating reflection, dialogue and a community approach. Helen's contributions focus on considering advantages, challenges and the welfare of the animals in educational contexts.
Helen Lewis' latest project, the National School Dog Alliance (NSDA), featured in the October issue of 'Dogs Today' (Issue 362:22-24). The NSDA brings together education professionals, researchers, veterinarians, charities and dog behaviourists, all with a shared interest in how to promote best practice in canine assisted education. The alliance has been working together for 18 months and its website will launch in November 2024. Its vision is to see the right dog in the right school, working with the right learners. The alliance aims to:
- provide high-quality guidance and resources to support positive human-school dog interactions
- establish a community in which innovative and research-informed practices are shared and discussed
- inform key stakeholders, including school leaders and policymakers, about current opportunities, issues and challenges
- educate teachers, children and handlers so that interactions are safe.
The work of the alliance is based on core values of:
- Compassion: promoting compassionate human-dog interactions
- Respect: respecting dogs as sentient creatures
- Safety: ensuring the safety of all participants
Helen Lewis was joined at the 2024 CRIP conference by Burns By Your Side volunteer Sarah Bowden and her dog Menna. In a session that focused on learner well-being, Sarah shared her experiences of working in schools with Menna. The delegates were able to hear more about the practicalities of working with an animal in the classroom as well as potential benefits.
The animal assisted education team ran a successful hybrid seminar 'Should we have dogs in schools?' on 6 March 2024. Over 50 attendees, including students, teachers, psychologists, Estyn, social workers, canine assisted education volunteers and canine behaviour professionals joined the audience, alongside Molly the dog and her owner Marilyn. Presentations focused on a range of topics but all considered the impact of dogs in schools, and the welfare of the dogs themselves. The presenters represented the diverse backgrounds of people working in the field:
- Dr Helen Lewis (Swansea University)
- Ceri Littlewood (Oldcastle Primary School)
- Cara Johnston (Senior Mental Health Practitioner, CAMHS)
- Sarah Ellis and Carol Lincoln (Therapy Dog Training UK)
- We were delighted that Dr Marc Abraham, OBE ('Marc the vet'), secretariat and co-founder of the All-Party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group (APDAWG) in Westminster gave the closing address.
Helen Lewis and Russell Grigg's book 'Dogs in School: pedagogy and practice for happy, healthy and humane interventions' has been published by Routledge in 2024. This book offers a comprehensive look at the complexities of human-canine relationships in general and in educational settings specifically. Potential benefits such as enhancing students' motivation, empathy, and learning are balanced with potential risks and challenges, offering research-based information on the topic. https://www.routledge.com/Dogs-in-Schools-Pedagogy-and-Practice-for-Happy-Healthy-and-Humane-Interventions/Lewis-Grigg/p/book/9781032189383