KIP KENKLE

RICHARD ALLEN DAVIS

JEFFREY DAHMER

     Our animal team currently consists of one rabbit, five dogs, and five cats. They work harder than their human counterparts and they get higher ratings FROM THEIR AUDIENCES… We determine which animals will participate in a given presentation based on location, age of audience, and availability of the animal.

       EVALUATION TOOLS AND PROGRAM STATISTICS: We use COMMENT SHEETs for the Jr/Sr students to help us evaluate the presentations. We use EVALUATION SHEETs for the teachers and adults to do the same.

BREAKDOWNS of info collected for 1998-99:

Animals – 1^st

Audio/Visual – 2^nd

Speakers – 3^rd

(*NOTE TO AUDIENCE: TEXT of this workshop and RESOURCES & TOOLs can be found on the Internet at www.horsereview.com and www.animalreview.com.)

        What began as a simple CONCEPT has become a major PROJECT. The CRUSADE has enjoyed a very active and positive first year.

         When we began this program, IT WAS OUR GOAL TO "MAKE A DIFFERENCE". We believe we have ACCOMPLISHED THAT GOAL. The CRUSADE is NOT an ANIMAL PROGRAM…it is a PEOPLE PROGRAM, but the animals are a SIGNIFICANT reason for its SUCCESS.

Sierra County is steadily taking steps forward towards achieving the "CRUSADE’S" PROGRAM GOALS to: (a) RAISE AWARENESS about violence, (b) INCREASE REPORTING about abuse and violence, ( c ) DECREASE the LEVEL OF VIOLENCE, (d) and, by doing so, to ultimately SAVE LIVES. Our TEAM BELIEVEs that we can achieve each of these goals.

OUTCOMES:
Increased teen & adult awareness and increased reporting of bullying & violence.

CORE GROUP:
Sierra County has been blessed with it’s CORE GROUP.  Those of us involved, BELIEVE in the CRUSADE. Each of us has   MADE time…when there was NONE. We have members with a clear understanding of the Program GOALS AND OBJECTIVES and very little EGO. It is also a REQUIREMENT to maintain a SENSE OF HUMOR! I am constantly reminded of true TEAMWORK—"Cooperative effort by the members of a group or team to achieve a common goal."

Briefly the PROGRAM OBJECTIVES:

1) Create - presentations w/the focus on anti-violence

BUILDING A PROGRAM

Let’s examine those PROGRAM OBJECTIVES a little more closely:

1) We CREATE a presentation WHICH FOCUSES ON ANTI-VIOLENCE and is geared specifically to be appropriate to a certain class level or age group. We develop a class outline for each presentation.

2) We COLLABORATE with SCHOOLS, GOVERNMENT, PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS, AND MEDIA RESOURCES to ensure the program is well developed and desirable in the community. COLLABORATION is  a real strength of Sierra County’s program.   (From the research phase through planning and presentation phases, we have worked to communicate with others about our program development.

From the WHITE HOUSE, CH 6 "KOIN" TV in Oregon, Internet LINKS, to our LOCAL ANIMAL CONTROL AGENCY…we work to share and constantly IMPROVE.)

3) WE EDUCATE AND WE BECOME EDUCATED…our audiences learn   from the presenters and the PRESENTERS LEARN FROM EACH AUDIENCE.

4) The TEAM MEMBERS evaluate EACH PRESENTATION upon completion. They identify the positives and negatives. Based on the experience, they decide whether anything should be changed. It is also ALWAYS DISCUSSED how the animals related to the audience. (If any signs of  STRESS to the animals are noted, they will be immediately removed or retired for the day…for their well-being.)

AUDIENCE/PROGRAM BREAKDOWN:

Once again: ( SAMPLE CLASS OUTLINES CAN BE FOUND AT THE MCAH WEB SITE AT WWW.HORSEREVIEW.COM and WWW.ANIMALREVIEW.COM)

(NOTE: WE LEARNED EARLY ON THAT THE MOST PRODUCTIVE PRESENTATIONS OCCUR IN GROUPS LIMITED TO NO MORE THAN 30 STUDENTS. ASSEMBLIES ARE JUST TOO DIFFICULT TO CONTROL…THE STUDENTS NEED TO FEEL "CONNECTED" TO THE MATERIAL…THE ANIMALS "SPACE" ALSO NEEDS TO BE PROTECTED.

WE MAKE IT CLEAR THAT WE ARE NOT A BABYSITTING SERVICE. WE EXPECT TEACHERS TO LISTEN WITH THEIR CLASSES. IN FACT, THEIR STUDENTS ARE BEING DIRECTED TO THEM FOR HELP IF THEY NEED TO REPORT RESPONSIBLY…THEY NEED THE SUPPORT OF THEIR TEACHERS…SO THE TEACHERS NEED TO BE AWARE OF WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT TO THEIR STUDENTS.)

* NINTH GRADE - 12^TH GRADE…"CRUSADE AGAINST VIOLENCE"…90 MINUTE, COMPLETE VERSION… ABOUT "CRUELTY", "PEER PRESSURE", "CHOICES AND CONSEQUENCES","WEAPONS, RESPONSIBLE REPORTING", (POSSIBLE ANIMAL CONTROL PARTICIPATION)…(POSSIBLE FLIP PARTICIPATION)…VIDEOS re  (1) ARREST PROCEDURE AT JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER (2) THURSTON HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING, OREGON (3) BULLYING (4) COLUMBINE SEQUENCE. We finish with ANIMAL SHARING.

SIERRA COUNTY FUTURE:

* Continue "CRUSADE" as an ANNUAL & ON-GOING PROGRAM.

* Be CREATIVE and keep program FRESH & INTERESTING with/proven and new messages.

* Secure FUNDING to pay for materials, program participant expenses (esp. volunteers)

Not everything that works in a larger county can be altered to be effective in a small rural county. The "Crusade", however, has the potential to be expanded to be operational and effective in larger rural AND urban counties.

POSSIBLE CRUSADE IMPLEMENTATION IN OTHER COUNTIES:

(1) Choose a TARGET AUDIENCE in each school district for one school year. (As you are making presentations to students, provide parent/teacher education whenever possible. Also, utilize media advertising to increase community awareness.)

(2) UTILIZE animals already tested and certified to be temperamentally suited to this work. (i.e. Therapy animals)

We model respect for the animals. Interaction with the Animals INCREASES SENSITIVITY TO BOTH ANIMALS AND PEOPLE. It also gives an immediate common ground for presenters to talk to the students and for them to talk to us. Most kids of any age become connected to the program the minute the animals are brought in. We have been upstaged by the animals and that’s ok because the animals are doing their job and the kids LOVE it! The animals love THEIR job too and THEY have an UNCANNY ABILITY TO provide people with JUST WHAT THEY NEED.

3) BONNIE – When Denise tells her story…the K – 3 children are captivated!

HOW DO WE USE ANIMALS?

It is not possible in our location to rely on temperamentally tested and certified animals, such as THERAPY ANIMALS. We are, however, VERY SELECTIVE in CHOOSING our participating animals. THE SAFETY OF THE STUDENTS IS FOREMOST!! THE HAPPINESS OF THE ANIMALS IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT. Use happy, healthy (vaccinated and LICENSED), clean animals.

Some previously abused animals do well, some can NOT get beyond their past experiences. ALWAYS BE ALERT to the body language of the animals…NEVER leave the animals ALONE or UNSUPERVISED in classrooms or with children…NOT EVEN IF THERE ARE TEACHERS PRESENT in the room!!

We have developed two RULES: NO FINGERS IN THE CAGES and NO VISITING WITH THE ANIMALS until specific ANIMAL VISITATION as part of the program.

It is preferable to have a balance of animals for audiences. (Large dogs/small dogs, CATS/DOGs, Puppies & kittens/Older mature animals). It is possible to use friendly Rabbits, reptiles, rats/Guinea Pigs as well.

There are educators and parents who STILL believe that violence is not a problem in their schools…that they don’t have a problem. Those same people steer far away from talking about violence with their children. As a result they don’t KNOW that their children are AFRAID to go to school every day. They also believe that they can pick out which children would potentially be a problem. These people want to play a deadly game of OSTRICH. As I tell our audiences…"Personally, I believe that INGNORANCE KILLS."

5/99