The Compassionate Curriculum Teaching Empathy and Understanding from Wild at Heart Foundation.
Vision
The 'Be Kind’ programme allows young people to explore and better understand the symbiotic relationship between dogs and our own positive mental wellbeing, whilst encouraging the development of empathy, compassion, kindness and understanding.
Programme Overview
The aim of the programme is to help young people understand and reflect on the feelings of themselves and others, through using the example of a rescue dog and their experiences as a metaphor for their own. The students go on a journey, where they develop skills in empathy, compassion, kindness and understanding which then results in a social action project, where they choose a cause to support and make a change in their community.
Designed for Primary School, KS2 (7-11 year olds)
Students will develop key skills in empathy, compassion, kindness and understanding, whilst learning about the positive impact dogs have on our lives
Delivered in workbooks which contain a variety of lesson plans and activities, with approximately 10 hours of content
The content draws on existing tools which are familiar to teachers and students, making the programme appealing and easy to use
Pilots
Wild at Heart Foundation have worked with three schools to trial the programme and it is being edited to reflect their feedback and comments. The response was very positive!
“Ticks all the speaking and listening boxes for the national curriculum! They loved it.”
“It was really wonderful. It really forced kids to put themselves into the different situations and think from another perspective.”
“So powerful, because all the discussion came from scenarios being interpreted through personal experience. Exactly the teaching I love!”
Future
The Foundation will be working to adapt the programme to make it appropriate for other education audiences including SEND, secondary and international groups.
Comment
"Education plays a huge role in the welfare of dogs around the world. When humans learn to respect these incredible animals and appreciate the many wonderful things they can bring to our lives, they open themselves up to one of the most amazing relationships there is".
"This is why we are so grateful to the generous sponsorship of one of our best-loved brand partnerships, Manolo Blahnik. Through the partnership, we will be able to help children explore and better understand the symbiotic relationship that exists between dogs and their own mental wellbeing, whilst developing key skills in empathy, compassion, kindness and understanding".