Bullying prevention program using therapy dogs
ROMEO AND DYNAMO NEWSLETTER #4
Since we last corresponded, Romeo and his mom finished the summer program. It went really well. They used what they learned to develop a program for the school year-and it has just started. In addition, Dynamo got certified as a therapy dog-with Livi, his six year old owner. (You see, Dynamo belongs to Livi, but lives with her grandmother and Romeo.) Soooo… when he gets registered, he can do the therapy dog stuff with Romeo. As you can tell, Dynamo is very proud of himself, and Romeo is a little sick of hearing about how great Dynamo is-over and over. Let’s listen a bit.
Dynamo: I did so good, I was great and now I am a therapy dog too. Aren’t you proud of me Romeo? And, by the way, Livi may be one of the youngest kids to ever get certified as a therapy dog handler. Isn’t that wonderful? Isn’t that great????
Romeo: Yeah, yeah, blah, blah, blah. Can we move on now and decide how you are going to make a difference in the world?
Dynamo: Sure, I am really excited to get to work and be your partner in the bullying program. Can you tell me what is happening?
Romeo: Right now, mom and I have started a nine month program in four middle schools. We have a curriculum and we visit each school one time a month. Each participant gets a workbook that we will use for the whole program and we are going to make an anti-bullying informational at the end of the program for out website.
Dynamo: So what do you do in the program?
Romeo: Each session has a topic and we work on the topic. There are all kinds of fun things to do in the program. Next month, we are going to build a Bully-nomore Tree at each school and kids will be able to put messages on leaves on the tree. This will be a good reminder of making a commitment against bullying.
Dynamo: What do YOU do? I know you aren’t very good at building trees.
Romeo: A lot of my job is making the kids feel comfortable, sitting on laps, and sometimes doing a trick. Because I am mellow and gentle, mom uses me as an example of how someone who has never been bullied feels safe in the world. I also seem to know which kid needs some time and attention and so I can give that while mom talks to the bigger group. Also, sometimes it is easier for the kids to talk about what has happened to them or what they have done when I am around. If we are reading something, I sit with the kid who is reading. And…the kids and I may just write a book about how to stop bullying.
Dynamo: That sounds so cool. I can’t wait until I get to go to work with you guys. By the way, how does this stuff get paid for?
Romeo: Mom donates her and my time-and it is a wonderful opportunity for others who have therapy dogs. Right now, we are looking for grants and asking local merchants to help fund the supplies. All of the schools will have lots of things after the program is completed, posters, card games, the Bully-nomore Tree,bully-nomore bingo. And the program can be repeated again and again to new students. Stopping Bullying is the goal and if we do that when people are kids, we are stopping it for lifetimes. At the end of the program, the kids get a certificate and all of the merchants who helped fund the program will be thanked on the certificate. This is great because with the volunteer part, the cost of the program comes to $12.00 per child for the entire nine month program.
Dynamo: That is so great. I can’t wait to be part of it. Right now I am really tired and us therapy dogs need to maintain our strength. Talk to you later.
Romeo: Right, time for a nap.
WOOF woof