The Pet Care Trust is pleased to announce that the Fish in the Classroom Program at the Florida Aquarium has continued to impact teachers and their classrooms as a total of 32 teachers participated in the program in the 2010-2011 school year, equaling a total of 232 teachers that have been trained in the program.
The Pet Care Trust began sponsoring the Fish in the Classroom program in 2007 in an effort to train elementary school teachers on how to maintain a freshwater tank and how to teach their students about fish biology and fish keeping. A total of 232 teachers have participated in the one-day workshop that educated them on teaching the Fish in the Classroom curriculum and provided them with a fully equipped aquarium for their classrooms.
Through the support of the Pet Care Trust and the World Pet Association, the Fish in the Classroom program allows teachers to learn about and receive curriculum on fish biology and fish keeping, as well as tank maintenance and preparation including water chemistry. Many schools do not have the funds to support classroom pets or special curriculum, but through the Fish in the Classroom program, teachers can receive the training needed to implement this valuable curriculum on marine biology as well as a 24-gallon tank, accessories and fish for their classroom. Teachers who participate in the program can also apply to their county to receive in-service credit for participating in the program.
Lauren Tyler, Director of Youth Education at the Florida Aquarium has seen the impact of the program both locally and nationally:
“We have really valued the support of the Pet Care Trust and The World Pet Association over the past four years. I recently had a call from a teacher in California that found the curriculum on the website and called me! I was both surprised and thrilled to see that the curriculum is still valued and will be used by teachers all over the country.”
The Pet Care Trust recognizes that teachers often have limited resources to enhance their classrooms and curriculum. The non-profit, charitable, public foundation has become instrumental in the funding of programs supporting companion animal welfare and the benefits of owning companion pets as well as the development of educational programs demonstrating the importance of responsible companion animal ownership. In addition to sponsoring the Fish in the Classroom program, The Pet Care Trust also sponsors the Pets in the Classroom Program, a grant program supporting responsible pet care in schools by providing direct, no-hassle grants to teachers to purchase or maintain pets in the classroom.
For more information, please visit www.petsintheclassroom.org.
