“Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.” – Albert Einstein
The VBSPCA offers humane education programs designed to cultivate empathy in children by teaching them to understand and respect the feelings of others. Our programs are built on a philosophy of teaching that integrates respect, empathy, and compassion into educational lessons, stories, and everyday life. The Virginia Beach SPCA educates thousands of children every year through various education programs, including online activities, our children’s newsletter, and various shelter activities and experiences.
Ongoing Youth Programs:
Pawsitive Press
This children’s newsletter offers animal stories, educational lessons, and activities for young animal lovers. This publication is printed seasonally and can be mailed to subscribing households or picked up in the shelter. Learn more here.
A Tale for Two
A Tale for Two is an extension of our Listening Ears Program which pairs a young reader with an animal to make the experience of reading more fun. By bringing the readers to our shelter, adoptable cats and dogs get to benefit from the positive presence of a child, boosting confidence in both the pet and the person. Learn more here.
Shelter Tours
The VBSPCA offers tours to youth groups in an effort to share our mission with children in the community. Each tour offers a behind-the-scenes look at the shelter followed by a hands-on interaction with at least one of our shelter animals. Learn more here.
Animal Heroes
The VBSPCA offers an interactive online learning experience called Animal Heroes. Created as a video arcade, the online digital learning platform offers a series of humane education lessons designed to teach players about pet parenting, pet safety, and animal welfare. Learn more here.
Virtual Activities
The VBSPCA offers a new virtual educational activity or challenge each season. From writing competitions to art challenges to making your own kennel cards, we provide new ways to learn about the VBSPCA while also having a little bit of fun in this new virtual landscape. Learn about our current activity here.
Humane Education
“Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.” – Albert Einstein
The VBSPCA offers humane education programs designed to cultivate empathy in children by teaching them to understand and respect the feelings of others. Our programs are built on a philosophy of teaching that integrates respect, empathy, and compassion into educational lessons, stories, and everyday life. The Virginia Beach SPCA educates thousands of children every year through various education programs, including online activities, our children’s newsletter, and various shelter activities and experiences.
Ongoing Youth Programs:
This children’s newsletter offers animal stories, educational lessons, and activities for young animal lovers. This publication is printed seasonally and can be mailed to subscribing households or picked up in the shelter. Learn more here.
A Tale for Two is an extension of our Listening Ears Program which pairs a young reader with an animal to make the experience of reading more fun. By bringing the readers to our shelter, adoptable cats and dogs get to benefit from the positive presence of a child, boosting confidence in both the pet and the person. Learn more here.
The VBSPCA offers tours to youth groups in an effort to share our mission with children in the community. Each tour offers a behind-the-scenes look at the shelter followed by a hands-on interaction with at least one of our shelter animals. Learn more here.
The VBSPCA offers an interactive online learning experience called Animal Heroes. Created as a video arcade, the online digital learning platform offers a series of humane education lessons designed to teach players about pet parenting, pet safety, and animal welfare. Learn more here.
The VBSPCA offers a new virtual educational activity or challenge each season. From writing competitions to art challenges to making your own kennel cards, we provide new ways to learn about the VBSPCA while also having a little bit of fun in this new virtual landscape. Learn about our current activity here.
For general humane education information, please email humaneeducation@vbspca.com.