ASHLAND — When Juli Schneeg and and Kristen Strong, teachers at St. Edward School, talked about the idea to have an equipment drive for the Ashland County-West Holmes Career Center’s animal and veterinary science program, they didn’t imagine students would hold snakes in the basement of St. Edward School.
But on Friday, that’s exactly what happened.
St. Edward students rotated through three stations Friday afternoon and had a chance to interact with animals at each. Career center students and the head of the animal and veterinary science program, Anne Leidigh, led the stations.
Students read to dogs, saw adoptable pets and interacted with lab animals from the career center, including snakes and ferrets.
Ava Wiers, a fifth grade student at St. Edward, said she wants to be a veterinarian someday. She enjoyed reading to the dogs.
Leidigh said doing that helps lower cortisol and stress levels. It also helps with building students’ confidence in their reading abilities.
Schneeg and Strong said the event came together as part of a service project they’re doing with their classes. They teach fifth and fourth grade at St. Edward School, respectively.
Their students are leading the equipment drive they created. They’re also helping to spread the word about adoptable pets at the Humane Society.
The school dubbed the service project “Ellie’s Allies,” in a nod to St. Edward’s service dog, Ellie. The drive began Feb. 1 and goes through March 1.
Students and their families have been encouraged to donate equipment or money, and to share about the project with friends and neighbors.
For students like Wiers, Friday’s hands-on experience made a difference.
“I want to go on a shopping spree with my all my allowance and buy stuff to donate,” Wiers said.
Getting the word out
At the station showing some of the Humane Society’s adoptable pets, Leidigh offered students a presentation. She told them why adoption could be a good option for some families, and discussed the relationship between the Humane Society and career center.
The Humane Society, which Leidigh also heads, is a nonprofit. It doesn’t have a building in town, and the career center acts as its foster care facility.
The equipment drive benefits both the career center program and Humane Society.
Leidigh said she’s been lucky to have good community partnerships, with some local stores donating food and supplies. But the drive at St. Edward School also means a lot.
“It’s not just for the students,” she said. “It’s for the animals.”
She said doing outreach with her students about the career center’s animal and veterinary science program is important to her, too.
Willa Funk and Rodalynn Mast, both students in the program, said they appreciate the opportunities Leidigh provides to do school visits.
Funk said she loves to see students face their fears by holding animals like snakes.
Mast thinks it’s important that students get exposure to career opportunities like this one at a young age. Plus, it’s just fun to interact with the younger students.
“Seeing them smile is really nice,” Mast said.
All about service
For Schneeg and Strong, the project returns to St. Edward’s mission of service.
“It’s important for our students to understand how they can benefit the community through service projects,” Schneeg said.
Strong added Friday’s event showed the students exactly what their efforts were going toward. In her estimation, that’s a powerful thing.
Michael Bittner, another fifth grader, said the day made an impression on him. He enjoyed interacting with the animals.
It made him feel good about the project. He added he doesn’t have a pet at home, but really wants one.
Strong hopes the drive can become an annual event in partnership with the career center.
They’ve received some donations, but hope to get more before the drive finishes.
At the end of the day, Strong hopes her students take away the idea that they have the power to make a difference.
If you’re interested in making a donation to St. Edward School’s equipment drive, you can use the drop box at the Feeders Pet Supply located at 1980 E. Main Street. You can also make out a check to ACWHCC — AVS and mail it to St. Edward School. Donations will be accepted through March 1.
If you’re interested in volunteering with the Humane Society, Leidigh said you can reach out to her directly. Her email address is leidigha@acwhcc.org.
Below are more photos from Friday’s event.
