Paws & Think will be piloting a new Youth-Canine program this year in partnership with Hamilton County Youth Assistance Program (HCYAP) and the Humane Society for Hamilton County. The new Hamilton County Youth-Canine Program will be held two times in 2017, and the inaugural program starts this week. The program will be led by Paws & Think’s Youth-Canine Coordinator, Kim Trimpe, and each training team will consist of two high school aged students, one dog, and one adult Paws & Think volunteer who will act as a mentor for the youth. This new program will follow the same model as our other Youth-Canine programs, with the goals of teaching valuable life skills to the youth and increasing chances of permanent adoption for the dogs.
HCYAP provides programs that promote positive growth and enhance home and community relationships for at-risk youth in Hamilton County. Teens who are facing challenging life circumstances have been selected by HCYAP staff to participate in our Youth-Canine program pilot with the goal that the program will teach them about opportunities to make their lives better. Youths will learn the value of working together towards a common goal, and our Paws & Think mentor volunteers will help to demonstrate that kindness and positive reinforcement can produce results and pave the way towards opportunities and success. Training sessions will include discussions about leadership, trust, empathy, safety, and will focus on positive reinforcement training for the dogs.
The Hamilton County Youth-Canine Program is the first program of its kind to bring together Paws & Think, HCYAP, and the Humane Society for Hamilton County. The second round of the pilot program will take place in the fall. Paws & Think is also currently working with Dr. Eric Grommon from IUPUI to develop statistical measures for our Youth-Canine programs to better quantify the positive impact of these programs to our community.
