Though the dog days of summer have come to an end, there are still plenty of ways for students to “bone up” on animal welfare every day of the year. One thing that doesn’t change here at Animal Welfare League of Alexandria (AWLA), no matter the season, is that there are always animals to be cared for! As the 100+ students who attended our camp learned this summer, that means there’s a laundry list of things they can do for our furry, feathered and scaly friends (including actual laundry!).
Our Youth Programs Educator, Lana Larson (right), wanted to share a few ways your students of any age can stay involved throughout the year!
Service Projects at Home
At-home projects are a great way to earn community service hours while providing hours of entertainment for our shelter pets! While we do not have regular in-shelter volunteer opportunities for people under the age of 18, there are still a variety of ways students can help out an animal from their very own homes! Projects range from creating enrichment items that keep frisky felines entertained to cutting hot dogs used to reward our pups for good behavior! Those with an artistic eye can consider creating thank you card art for those who donate time, services and funds to the shelter. If any of these projects sound like something your student would be interested in, click HERE for specific guidelines and additional projects.
Visit the Shelter and Read
Book Buddies invites children in grades 3-12 (who are able to read at any level) and their grown-up to the shelter to read to cats in our adoption room. This program helps children improve their reading skills while providing socialization and interaction for the shelter animals. Cats find the rhythmic sound of a voice to be very comforting, so whether they are napping or watching, they enjoy your company!
Parents can sign their child up for 20-minute reading sessions with shelter cats on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. There is no fee to participate in the Book Buddies program. Children must be registered and attend with a parent or legal guardian. For more information or to register, please click HERE.
We want to make sure animal lovers of all ages have opportunities to help animals all year long! In addition to these individual volunteer opportunities, we have youth programs at the shelter for scout troops, birthday parties and service events around several school holidays.
For older students, we are hosting an upcoming Service Hour Opportunity on Columbus Day, where volunteers can assist with animal care and enrichment of our adoptable animals. Learn more and register to participate HERE. Space is limited, so only students who have registered may attend.
Alexandria’s Animals need the support of their community each and every day, and we are excited to work with volunteers of all ages. If you are interested in learning more about our Youth Volunteer Opportunities, click HERE. To learn about our Volunteer Program for adults, click HERE. If you have any questions about volunteer opportunities, please email us at volunteer@alexandriaanimals.org.