The Power of Animal-Assisted Interventions Erasmus Project

Project Title

The Power of Animal-Assisted Interventions

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Inclusion – equity; Disabilities – special needs; Early School Leaving / combating failure in education

Project Summary

“The Power of Animal-Assisted Interventions” is a 21 months’ project that is coordinated in Lithuania with a partnership among Macedonia, Turkey, Portugal and Slovenia. Numerous studies have proved the benefits of animal-assisted interventions for school aged children, particularly children with the autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit, speech and learning difficulty, psychiatric problems, and developmental retardation. Animal assisted program is an alternative path for students with special needs.
Our objectives are:
1. To facilitate learning difficulties, to develop reading, speaking, math, social skills, to improve personal progress, learning motivation, academic success and self-confidence of students with various disabilities or special needs using animal assisted programs.
2. To integrate animal-supported educational programs into the curriculum.
3. To explore the best practices and experiences with animal-supported interventions, and the usage of various activities encompassed different animals in different environments.
4. To encourage teachers to use innovative, effective and creative teaching methods and techniques.
5. To increase teachers professionalism and strengthen the competences of in the European dimension on integration of animals into the educational process.
6. To raise the quality standard of our institutions and to cooperate more in the international dimension.
Four teachers from each partner school will participate in learning, teaching and training activities. Transnational meetings include special education teachers, psychologists, teachers who have disabled students and staff to benefit from animal-assisted education in the coming years. During the 21 months project, there will be 80 mobilities from partner schools (16 mobilities for each school).
The main activities of the project are: presentation of partner schools, cities and countries, interviews with therapists and parents who have disabled students, dog therapy, equine assisted interventions, dolphin assisted therapy, classroom activities with animals, teaching activities with birds, rabbits and fishes, preparing effective lesson plans which include animal assisted activities, exchange of good practices.
We will use methods such as therapy programs, observation, teamwork, sharing good practices, teaching using creative methods, interview, seminar, and surveys.
The concrete results we would like to produce are:
-More positive attitude and motivation towards learning, reduced feeling of depression or anxiety.
-Students with special needs will boost their listening/understanding skills, attentiveness and positive social behavior.
-The quality of students’ social interaction, communication with peers and adults, fine motor skills, coordination and motivation will be improved due to animal assisted activities.
-Animal assisted education will ensure physical, social, emotional, or cognitive functions of special needs students.
-The best methods and experiences will be discovered in animal assisted interventions and the usage of different activities that included various animals in a variety of environments.
-Our schools’ capacity and quality will be increased on academic achievement, social and emotional development, civic engagement, and equitable opportunity.
-This project will help teachers identify key steps in effectively using such activities to teach socially important behaviors to students with learning disabilities, emotional and behavioral disorders, and autism.
-The competence and professionalism of teachers will improve through the exchange of good practice and participation in activities at animal-assisted therapy centers and partner schools.
With this project, the participants will learn various methods about animal-assisted education using different animals. So, interaction with animals will provide important contributions to the social, emotional and physical development of students and help develop their skills. Learning, teaching, training activities will bring the international dimension to the professional development of participants. The participants will have a deeper knowledge and experience on animal-assisted programs in the European dimension. They will use this experience and knowledge in their professional life. Thus, they will improve the quality of life of students with disabilities and facilitate their social integration.
Participating schools will become higher quality educational institutions with staff that have learned different practices in the European dimension in the field of animal assisted interventions and activities, have participated in human-animal interaction programs for professionals. They will be able to solve emotional, social, physical and mental problems of students with learning difficulties. Partner institutions will continue to provide school-based animal-assisted education and improve the learning environment further.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 116260 Eur

Project Coordinator

Siauliu sanatorine mokykla & Country: LT

Project Partners

• Opstinsko osnovno uciliste Blaze Koneski- Prilep
• Gazikent ilkokulu
• Osnovna sola Anice Cernejeve Makole
• Agrupamento de Escolas Vieira de Araújo