Kariong-based independent school Ngaruki Gulgul (NGC) is integrating animals into its alternative education program and held its first Pet Day on April 12.
This follows a Royal Australian College of General Practitioners study which shows that being in the presence of animals decreases anxiety, depression and loneliness and provides a sense of purpose and social support “that has similar effects to human-human relationships”.
NGC is designed for young people (in Years 9-12) who are disengaged from and/or haven’t found success in mainstream school settings.
It offers a unique combination of flexible curriculum-based learning, practical vocational training and holistic support programs that attend to a student’s social, emotional and cultural wellbeing, alongside academic performance.
Principal Andrea Cingi said the school was always looking for opportunities to integrate animal-assisted therapy modalities into both classroom and extracurricular contexts.
“NGC supports the most vulnerable young people in our community, including those who are exhibiting complex behaviours, experiencing learning challenges and low literacy, recovering from trauma or navigating life with disabilities like ADHD and autism,” he said.
“There is clear evidence that animal-assisted learning and interactions are highly efficacious for this cohort of young people.
“We see it first-hand; when our students are participating in an equine therapy activity or spending time with the therapy dog that visits our school on a weekly basis, they are calmer, more focused and better able to regulate their emotions and behaviours.
“The impact is quite profound and immediate.”
The school has branched out even further this year, with its first NGC Pet Day in celebration of World Pet Day.
The much-anticipated initiative was the brainchild of the Year 12 Investigating Science class and teacher Janice Montgomery.
Young people took responsibility for developing and pitching the concept to the school executive and planning a creative program of events that prioritised fun with pet, student and staff safety.
Both students and staff brought in a total of 13 dogs and one rabbit for a full day of activities.
This included young people photographing their furry models, creating collages for an interactive display and participating in a dog parade around the outdoor learning area.
The latter incorporated music and a student MC, trick demonstrations and peer voting for categories such as best behaved, most distracted, and most graceful manner.
Montgomery said the event not only encouraged strategic thinking, problem-solving and teamwork, but also had enormous benefits for students’ confidence and social connection.
“It was an incredibly connective experience for our young people,” she said.
“I saw some of our shyest students, who can often go a whole day without uttering a word, talk non-stop and buzz with excitement.
“Animals are such an important bonding agent for young people who would otherwise struggle to participate due to anxiety, stress and extreme introversion.
“As an educator, it feels fantastic to see them become so energised and focused in order to bring something like this to life.
“We have decided to make it an annual event, but students are already petitioning to make it part of our school calendar every term.”
Well done Janice. A wonderful initiative 👏👏