Humane Education

The goal of PFA’s Humane Education Program is to engage school-age youths in age-appropriate discussions on topics that relate to how we interact with each other, with animals, and with our environment.

PFA volunteer and staff facilitators visit classrooms, youth camps and other venues to present curricula and activities that are designed by experienced professional educators. PFA’s program, Living Harmoniously with Animals, aligns with NJ Student Learning Standards (NJSLS) and includes: critical thinking, collaboration, personal safety, problem solving, making the right choices, and how we can be agents of change. We encourage students to think critically, focusing on kindness and social responsibility.

We are pleased to offer a free Humane Education Program for use in: your school, after-school-program, summer camp, and other organizations serving students in the community. PFA also hosts tours at our clinic for the students, allowing them to see humane work in action.

Volunteers Needed to Teach Kids About Kindness for Animals

We are looking for volunteers to become part of our Humane Education Team!

Interested candidates will train under the direction of a Head Teacher during the week of July 14, 2025, while visiting and presenting PFA’s Humane Education program to children in summer camps and after-school-programs across Essex and Trenton counties. Each day’s visit will be approximately two to three hours.

If you: like working with children, love animals, and believe fostering kindness & compassion from an early age should be an important part of a child’s upbringing, this will be a fun and gratifying experience! YOU can make a difference in the lives of children and other living creatures!

Candidates must:

Be at least 18 years old.
Enjoy working with children ages 5 to 13.
Be patient and responsible.
Believe in the importance of teaching empathy and compassion for all living beings.
Have a desire to instill a culture of kindness and compassion in young people.

Teaching experience preferred, but not required.

To join PFA’s Humane Education Team, please contact: Eric Larnick, Volunteer Manager (email link).

Submit a PFA Volunteer Application

The Benefits of Humane Education

Our program, Living Harmoniously with Animals, is designed for students in grades, one-through-eight. It consists of one interactive, 45-minute lesson per grade, each focusing on a different topic. (If group size is small, two grade levels may be combined and one of the lessons for those grades will be chosen. ) The program was created by certified teachers and teaches skills consistent with the New Jersey Student Learning Standards.

Humane Education teaches:

Kindness, compassion and respect for animals, people, and our environment.
How to act responsibly and make good choices that benefit us and others, including animals,
and the environment.
How all-inclusive team work and collaboration helps us obtain better results when solving problems.
How to think and apply critical thinking to problem-solving.
How we can be agents of change.

Humane Education leads to better understanding of the issues we face in our world and teaches how to obtain better outcomes for all. It is an important and fundamental part of a child’s formation that teaches decision-making for a more humane and sustainable world.

Grade 2 Lesson Plan: Love Me Gently

Grade 3 Lesson Plan: Personal Safety Around Dogs

Grade 4 Lesson Plan: Compassion in Action!

Grade 5 Lesson Plan: Making Choices

Grade 6 + 7 Lesson Plan: ‘‘Where does that cute puppy come from?’

People for Animals is pleased to offer this program free of charge for your use. If you would like more information, or to find out about scheduling a presentation by one of our trained Humane Education volunteers for your organization, please contact:

Eric Larnick, PFA Volunteer Manager