ASPCA Pledges $50,000 to HEART (Humane Education Advocates Reaching Teachers) to Expand Integral Programs

NEW YORK--The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) today announced that it has granted $50,000 to HEART (Humane Education Advocates Reaching Teachers) in Mamaroneck, N.Y., $34,000 of which will be used to expand programming in the New York City, Chicago and Indianapolis metropolitan areas. Remaining funds will go toward training workshops, expanding national programs and the National Humane Education Conference.

In New York, HEART and the ASPCA will be co-sponsoring a four-week summer camp, where more than 30 fifth and sixth grade students from the Bronx will learn about important animal issues and how to help promote positive change in their community. HEART conducts many school-based programs in New York City as well, where instructors teach animal-focused lessons to K-12 classes. The ASPCA grant will support the development of curricula on horse welfare issues, as well as fund field trips allowing students to receive hands-on learning experiences.

HEART has been offering programs to the Chicago community since 2009 and will use this grant to fund special projects geared toward learning about animal issues, as well as a summer camp. An expansion into Indianapolis was initiated this year; funds from this grant will allow HEART to implement animal welfare-related programming in Indianapolis schools.

"The ASPCA is proud to provide this grant to HEART so that our recipients may continue to spread the animal-welfare message to students across the country," said Michael Barrett, vice president of grants management for the ASPCA. "Their work is an important first step toward encouraging young people to be advocates for the animals who so desperately need their help."

"We are extremely grateful to the ASPCA for supporting our humane education efforts," said Meena Alagappan, executive director of HEART. "This grant will allow us to broaden the population of teachers and students we reach nationally and help fill a critical need for humane education in our schools."

In addition to the student education programs in New York, Chicago and Indianapolis, $9,000 will go toward funding humane education training workshops including the Association of Professional Humane Educators 2012 Conference in Walnut Creek, Calif., the 2012 WNET Celebration of Teaching and Learning Conference and a 36-hour credit-bearing professional development course for school teachers through the New York City Department of Education. The remaining $7,000 will assist HEART in expanding the reach of its collaborative teacher training project with the American Bar Association and sponsorship of the National Humane Education Conference in New York in October 2012.