A magical dream: Animal assisted therapy for disabled students Erasmus Project

Project Title

A magical dream: Animal assisted therapy for disabled students

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 : Strategic Partnerships for Schools Only

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Disabilities – special needs; Health and wellbeing

Project Summary

“A magical dream:Animal assisted therapy for disabled students” project has been carry out in the coordination of Croatia,and in partnership of schools from Turkey,Hungary,North Macedonia and Italy.Project duration was 24 months.
In our schools,we have some students with whom are difficulty to handle (eg the ones who need special training,have behavioral disorder and are in difficulty with learning,have hyperactivity and concentration disorder and whose academic success is low).Some animal assisted education methods have been developed to minimize these students’ problems by the partner schools.Our aims was to share experience,knowledge,methodology and the best practices in EU level by the way of pulling together with foundings in different countries,to develop occupational talents of different teachers,to compare animal assisted education practices in the schools of project partners and also to share different solution methods and to spread out the best practices.Our targets was:developing the sense of dependence and assuming responsibility of disadvantaged students,to cause them to perceive human-animal bond,to teach responsible pet proprietorship,to increase their concentration,to decrease their worries,to solve their problems about learning,to produce more effective and lasting solutions in order to decrease their bad behaviours;to give students a hand in order to get rid of the troubles that impact their psychology badly,to make them individuals who have an active role in society by developing their knowledge,ability and talent,to spread out the results in EU level by introducing new ideas to the foundings,to explore and describe best practices in education,to prepare a guide of animal assisted education practices and to make other schools use these practices,to develop an awareness in order to generalize animal assisted education practices,to develop the occupational experience and talent of our teachers in animal-aided therapy and practices.
From each school,4 or more teachers attended learning-teaching activities in each country.Attendants was teachers and other professionals open for innovation and development,have skills of communication in english and of ICT usage,have students need special training and who want to share their experience with their collegues.
The project activities in schools was:sharing good animal-assisted practices in the class setting,seminars of animal-assisted education,therapy practices with the support of experts using horses,cats or dogs,adopting animal,writing short animal stories,child-animal safety and animal care,ect.We used methods such as cooperation, team work, sharing good practices and experiences,campaign and surveys.The students who have any kind of special needs developed themselves in motor and physical skills by the help of the interaction of human-animal.Their talents of having responsibility, solving problems, communication and being social was improved and their anxiety was decreased, their literacy skills and academic success was increase.
Teachers increased their skill of coping with problematic students, they gained knowledge and skills in animal assisted education through LTT activities and observing of god practice in different countries, gained professional experience from experts and shared they own experience with their collegues in local and EU level.All schools improved their own teaching approaches and delivering informal lessons through pet therapy; also teachers adopted more practical,fun,active and high quality experiences to allow children to learn, explore and develop social concepts and skills.Teachers also shared good practice and explored new approaches and teaching styles.
The students learned how to be responsible pet ownership,gained knowledge about animals,increased self-esteem, their motor and physical skills also developed by the help of human-animal interaction,their literacy skills and related academic and behavioural skills improved,their social,motor and physical skills developed by the help of human-animal interaction.
The teachers developed their ability to cope with the students who need special training or who are low in academic performance.Teachers also shared and developed their experience about animal-assisted education,developed their professionalism by the help of cooperation,shared experience in different platforms at national and EU level.
Families was included in project activities which increased quality of cooperation between school and parents and effect positively on students.
Through project we developed animal assisted guideline,booklet with examples of god practice and project results,e-book about animal care and animal handling and e-book with animal stories and social stories with animals.All of them are available on web page of project and educational platforms for free.
Knowledge and experience that participants,students and teachers,have gained will impress their performance in future positively.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 110130 Eur

Project Coordinator

Osnovna skola Josipa Matosa & Country: HR

Project Partners

• ISTITUTO COMPRENSIVO DI TAVAGNACCO
• Inonu Ilkokulu
• Primary school ,,Braka Miladinovci,,Dobrusevo
• Szent Imre Katolikus Általános Iskola és Jó Pásztor Óvoda