Research has shown that students interacting with pets in the educational setting has social, behavioral and academic benefits. Classroom pets can reduce school-related stress, boost reading competency and enhance academic performance overall. 

For young children, taking care of pets from a young age helps instill social and emotional skills. This process also enables children to develop a sense of responsibility and feel sensitive to others outside of themselves, boosting their confidence levels too. 

This is exactly why Petland stores are part of the initiative to help teachers receive a pet for their classroom. 

How To Apply

The process of applying for the Classroom grant program is a pretty straightforward one. Here are the three steps: 

1. Check Whether You Qualify 

To qualify, you would need to check the following boxes: 

• Be a pre-K through 9th grade public or private school teacher in the US or Canada (Pre-K begins at age 3)
• Must be your first time applying for a Pets in the Classroom grant that school year
• If you’ve been a recipient of a store or rebate grant, you would only be eligible for the Sustaining Grant 

A “yes” to all three requirements implies eligibility. 

2. Choosing a Pet 

A range of factors affect a choice of pet in this case. Some major ones include: 

• Your experience level with pets
• How long you’re willing to care for the pet
• The classroom environment/dynamic
• The noise level in your classroom
• Ease of handling pet
• Potential zoonotic diseases associated with pet
• Costs involved in caring for the pet
• Access to veterinary care  

These are a few factors that you would need to consider. 

3. Choosing a Grant 

There are a number of grants available and this is where Petland comes in. You can apply to the grant here after creating an account with Pets In the Classroom. 

Conclusion 

Pets teach us a whole lot and it’s not too early to allow them impart your students too.