About the Nonprofit
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Mission: The mission of Canine Classmates is to encourage and improve literacy and socialization skills for struggling and at-risk Pre-K through 5th grade students through pairing mentors and trained service dogs in a one-on-one program that is positive, nurturing and motivational.
Our goal is to to improve reading skills, increase confidence, and develop better study habits. For 30 minutes each week, the youngsters feel special studying with a trained reading dog and a Best Buddy (adult mentor) in a positive and safe environment. Students participating in the Canine Classmates Literacy Intervention Program gain confidence and become engaged in the classroom, leading to their improved academic performance.
Our Program currently serves in sixteen elementary schools, meeting with 425 at-risk students each week. These children are referred to our Program by school personnel who identify struggling readers as well as students with behavioral, cognitive and developmental issues. About 60% of the children we serve are Hispanic and nearly the same proportion are economically disadvantaged.
We are now celebrating 16 years of Canine Classmates and have experienced numerous successes through the years. At a fundraising event last year, a high school sophomore spoke of his experiences. When he entered our program, he was non-verbal (autism). Today, he is comfortable speaking to a room of 250+ adults about his 3.74 GPA and the opportunities that he sees ahead!
Canine Classmates relies on individual and corporate donations and grants from local foundations for our funding. Schools and parents do not pay for our services and we receive no monies from governmental agencies.
