If this sounds like a volunteer opportunity for you, stay tuned! We are busy updating this program, and will unveil changes in late 2025!
Why humane education?
The BC SPCA’s humane education mission is:
“To build humane communities, where people and animals thrive together.”
Humane communities are inclusive spaces that recognize the relationships and responsibilities of all who live within them. They are safe, just and equitable. At the BC SPCA, we center animals in this conversation and believe humane education provides young people with the mindset and agency to create a bright future where all thrive.
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- It draws a connection between social emotional learning, animal protection, anti-racist education, and environmental sustainability.
- It interweaves First Peoples’ Principles for Learning of community, connectedness and reciprocity by incorporating real-world issues and instilling a sense of place.
- It seeks to value and uplift youth voices, providing every learner with the agency to make informed choices and practice reflective, systems, critical and creative thinking.
As you can see, humane education is much more than just learning about animals!
A humane pedagogy weaves cognitive (head), affective (heart) and experiential (active, hands-on) learning in a meaningful way. In this way, we create a sense of being (who we are and what we value) and a greater understanding of belonging (our roles in family, school, community, country and the world). Ultimately, humane education puts the learner first, so they become empowered, solution-focused changemakers with the facts, skills and motivation to enact change.
Humane education is not new or hard. You are likely teaching components of it already! Humane education is a mindset: It is a comprehensive, cross-curricular and integrated approach to teaching. Humane education is a philosophy and a way of life!
Join us!