Academic Enrichment Grant Proposal

WRIT 109ED - Project 2

Alex James
Polly Zheng
Collin Qian
Samantha De Alba
Palvi Sabherwal
May 22, 2023

Alex James
Polly Zheng
Collin Qian
Samantha De Alba
Palvi Sabherwal

Pacific High School

501 College Dr
Ventura, CA 93003

Dear McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation Board,

Pacific High School would like to request the Academic Enrichment Grant for $10,000 for our
Pawsitive Puppies program.

As teachers of Pacific High School, a low-income, underperforming continuation school, we are

aware of the barriers our students face in their personal and academic lives. We constantly aim to
provide our students with a supportive community that encourages mental health awareness and
academic excellence, and we see Pawsitive Puppies as an important way to help our school
continue to meet these goals.

Through our Pawsitive Puppies program, we plan to offer our students the opportunity to engage
with therapy dogs. Therapy dogs are designated to relieve stress and provide comfort, which will
improve our students’ morale and exam scores.

In addition to the dog visits, we will invite guest speakers for two career-oriented school wide
assemblies to encourage students to pursue animal-related professions. We ensure these funds
will be put to good use.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
Teachers of Pacific High School
INTRODUCTION

Pacific High School is a continuation school which unfortunately has less than 10% of

students achieving proficiency in math (Public School Review). Considering the California state

average is 40% proficiency in mathematics, this is significantly low. The low performance

cannot be attributed to a lack of educators considering that Pacific High has a ratio of 17 to 1 in

terms of teachers to students. We believe the low academic performance can then be attributed to

a lack of access to mental health services and issues with discipline. This belief is supported by

studies from Grajfoner, which states that dog therapy can significantly reduce anxiety caused by

upcoming tests. With these issues in mind, we have aimed to create a solution that both improves

student mental health and behavior and by effect contributes to improved academic performance:

Pawsitive Puppies.

Our program will host monthly dog therapy sessions during the homeroom hour. This

way we will not disrupt the students designated time for learning in the classroom but instead

serve to enrich their experience on campus. Pet Partners’ therapy dogs are trained pets that have

been taught to not only be safe around people but also to provide comfort to people of all ages.

Based on research conducted by Kimberly Sheckler, these animals have the ability to reduce

student stress and anxiety and help improve their overall mood. Pawsitive Puppies will also bring

in two public speakers per academic school year that will speak on their animal related careers.

The speakers serve to motivate students to envision a professional life outside of school and

provide insight into a career filled with pets.

We aim to address mental health issues students at Pacific highschool may face that

infringe their personal lives causing poor academic performance. The goal is to see quantified
improvement in overall student test scores across all grade levels and to improve student

behavior in school/classroom settings. According to Smith, Fisher, and Frey, misbehaving in

class often goes hand in hand with personal stress and this ultimately leads to lower academic

performance. Thus it is Pawsitive Puppies goal to help students in all three aspects. The

wellbeing of students at Pacific High School is of importance to the entire community, including

their parents, teachers, and of course the students themselves. Students will specifically benefit

from our program in terms of stress relief and management. In fact, according to the Alliance of

Therapy Dogs, “research has shown that the presence of a beloved pet or therapy animal can help

a person control daily anxiety, regulate emotional arousals, and improve mood.” Overall,

Pawsitive Puppies hopes to accomplish better test scores (as therapy dogs will help students deal

with stress) and inspire students to pursue professional careers, including but not limited to those

involving animals.

The inspiration behind Pawsitive Puppies began with one teacher’s experience in their

undergraduate years. They stated that upon entering UCSB, they were introduced to the concept

of pet therapy. It was one of the many programs offered by the Health and Wellness center for

the students, especially around more stressful times, such as exam season. They went one day,

not thinking of the prolonged effects petting a furry friend would have on their mood. It was just

an excuse to pet a cute animal. Instead, the experience helped them realize the potential that

animals have in influencing a person's overall mood. After that shrt encounter with the puppies,

this teacher recalls walking home with a smile suddenly glued to their face. Days and even

weeks after the encounter, they recall thinking back to the experience with the puppies. Was it

possible that these puppies really did improve her mood and reduce hervstress? Now as a

teacher, they realize that exposure to this kind of therapy over a long period of time could be
very beneficial to students, especially in low-income/high-stress areas for their overall

well-being, and also their academic success. After introducing this idea to her colleagues, more

teachers at Pacific High agreed that implementing a program like Pawsitive Puppies would

highly benefit its students, and became immediately excited to see the dogs come in.

LITERATURE REVIEW

High school students frequently grapple with numerous challenges that result in stress,

from college applications to family obligations, and evidence suggests that this issue is

particularly exacerbated amongst low-income students; for instance, by measuring students’

cortisol and blood pressure levels, Evans et al. (2011) found that students from low income

reported higher levels of anxiety and stress compared with those from a middle income

background, indicating that socioeconomic status significantly influences the mental health of

students, specifically that from lower-income families experiencing heightened levels of stress

and anxiety due to limited resources and opportunities.

Consequently, it becomes essential to explore strategies to alleviate this problem, one of

which is dog therapy, a potential viable solution that has proven effective in this regard, which

could lead to both improved mental health and enhanced academic performance. First and

foremost, researchers suggest that therapy dogs have an exceptional ability to improve mental

health by reducing anxiety and stress levels. For instance, Sheckler (2017) speaks to the
profound influence of therapy dogs within the educational realm, showcasing their potential to

soothe apprehensions, alleviate anxiety, and imbue students with essential skills (2017). This, in

turn, nurtures a positive influence on the mental wellbeing of students. In addition to this effect,

therapy dogs, as emphasized by Kropp & Shupp (2017), promote a sense of normality and

comfort, and this is particularly true for those from disadvantaged or difficult backgrounds.

More importantly, the mental health benefits of therapy dogs are not restricted to

long-term interaction rather a short-term interaction. For instance, Grajfoner et al. (2017)

proposes the concept that even a concise, 20-minute engagement with a therapy dog can work

wonders in bolstering student morale, curbing anxiety, and elevating mood, and Brisson et al.

(2021) further corroborated this notion, stating that pre-exam interaction with a therapy dog team

effectively mitigates exam-induced stress and anxiety, thus serving as an effective

stress-buffering strategy.

However, as teachers we realize that the therapeutic potency of dogs is not, and should

not be only limited to the sphere of mental health. Rather it also extends into the realm of

academia, and studies have linked interaction with therapy dogs to improved academic

outcomes. From the perspective of mental health and academic performance, this is supported by

Sohail (2013) who mentioned that lower levels of pressure are associated with higher academic

performance, and hence it is reasonable to presume that as therapy dogs in the current project

relieve the stress among students, students would perform better in academic activities, like

quizzes and exams in general. Also, through the lens of therapy dogs and academic success more

directly, the empirical evidence suggests that therapy dogs can catalyze positive shifts in

academic performance, inclusive of an uptick in learning subsequent to interaction with therapy

dogs. For example, Barber & Proops (2019) postulated that the act of reading aloud to a dog can

bring about significant enhancements in reading aptitude and the attitude towards reading among

school children. And, the ripple effect of this is a boost in reading performance, an upsurge in

motivation, and a shift towards a more positive mood compared to traditional teacher-led

instruction. Kropp & Shupp’s (2017) study further emphasized the advantages of therapy dogs in

fostering reading and linguistic skills, facilitating social and emotional growth, promoting

compassionate attitudes, and augmenting gross motor skills amongst the student population.

With all this supporting research that dog therapy is beneficial to students, you can see

why it would be essential to attempt and implement these findings in the setting of a continuation

school. As educators we are excited to see the positive effects this will have on our students, and

to track it in order to contribute to the findings on this matter, so that we may benefit future

educators considering the integration of pet therapy in their schools.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

We want to bring therapy dogs into Pacific High School to expose students to the

numerous benefits provided through animal therapy. Through our program, underserved students

will, once a month, be able to take a break from their 75 minute home-room period and go out

into the large field behind the school. To accomplish this, we will partner with the Pet Partners

“Animal Assisted Workplace Well-Being” program. They operate within the Ventura area, and

would be readily able to accommodate Pacific High School. There, they will see puppies and

dogs, all trained to therapy dog standards. While it will be entirely optional to pet and play with

the dogs, we think most students will enjoy their experience with the dogs.
 This school also unfortunately has traditionally low test scores across the board and has a

large low-income population. We believe that this demographic would benefit the most from

dog-therapy interactions. Society has seen how the gap of knowledge between low income and

medium-high income students grows exponentially starting from kindergarten, and by the time

these students reach high school, the gap becomes vast (Evans et al., 2011). This correlation

between income and school performance is connected by stress and mental health. It has been

proven that because of the negative third-party factors that low-income students must face, their

average stress levels remain higher than others, causing their performance in school to sit lower.

Our proposed project will produce results measured by improved exam scores, an

increase in morale among students, and a decrease in stress. Pawsitive Puppies aims to provide

mental wellness and introduce an effective method of coping with daily stress. We are not the

first to attempt putting this into practice. Sheckler found, as we predict, that dogs in the

classroom were used to pacify fears, calm anxiety, and to teach new skills to studets. While this

program has been well considered by a group of teachers at Pacific High based on our student

needs, it is important that we address potential conflicts. The first being issues with inclusivity.

For example, it may be difficult to include all students in this program considering some students

have allergies to animals. That said, these individuals can still benefit from the program by

attending the series of events involving professional speakers, or by being a part of the student

board. Another thing to consider about the program is its efficiency in providing tangible results.

In order to assure the positive influence of this program on Pacific High school, we plan to

collect data on child behavior and academic performance in order to monitor any progress. All

things considered, we truly believe that Pawsitive Puppies will be of service to all students in

Pacific High.
 Pawsitive Puppies intends to implement our project starting the second month of the

academic school year at Pacific High School. In this way, the first month of school can be used

to gather current data on student behavior, stress levels and academic performance. Having this

first month available for collecting data is vital to ensuring accurate measurements of our

programs efficacy. After this first month, Pawsitive Puppies will begin to bring in trained therapy

dogs for students to interact with. This creates a second aspect of our program, offering a

leadership opportunity to students. Every third session (every three months) we will also bring in

speakers to present on their careers involving aspects such as behaviors, mental health, animal

care and more. We hope this will encourage students to explore careers in animal care. Pawsitive

Puppies will then collect data at the end of the school term (middle of May) to compare trends in

student behavior and academic performance, aiming to note positive improvement in both

aspects.

ASSESSMENT PLAN

Pawsitive Puppies plans on collecting and examining data from Pacific High through

mental health surveys and grade averages. We would record these metrics before, during and

after we introduce our therapy dog sessions to the school. Our mental health survey would

measure the stress and anxiety levels of these students, how they handle tensions, and methods

used to relieve stress. Through these dog therapy sessions, we want to provide students another

outlet to relieve their stress. From research, we know that mental health and grade averages have

a directly proportional relationship, so we hope that helping them improve their mental health
will also result in a positive trend for their grades (Evans et al., 2011). The goal of Pawsitive

Puppies is to see an increase in both mental health and grade averages through the dog visits. We

will see if this goal is met by comparing the results from the previous mental health survey and

grades with the current ones, namely conducting the pre and post test.

Indicators of effectiveness will be improvement on grade averages and stress

management with the help of these therapy dog visits. We plan on allowing every willing student

in the school to participate in the program, and we hope that each of these students will learn

how to take care of and handle animals, creating a new outlet to relieve their stress in the

process. This program will impact the entire community and the students directly: if all goes to

plan, these high school students will overall have a better quality of life due to less stress and

perform better in school, creating new opportunities for these students and a brighter future for

many in the low-income community.

Sample Mental Health Survey:

For the survey of our school, we would tailor it more and make it more specific to our area and

education system.

1. Have you ever received information or education about mental health in your school or

community?

a. Yes

b. No

c. Prefer not to answer

2. Do you feel comfortable talking to someone about your mental health concerns?
 a. Yes

b. No

c. Prefer not to answer

3. How often do you feel stressed, anxious or overwhelmed?

a. Rarely

b. Sometimes

c. Often

d. Always

e. Prefer not to answer

4. Who do you talk to when you're feeling stressed, anxious or overwhelmed? (select all that

apply)

a. A friend

b. A parent or guardian

c. A teacher or school counselor

d. A mental health professional

e. No one

f. Prefer not to answer

5. Have you ever experienced any of the following mental health conditions? (select all that

apply)

a. Clinical depression

b. Anxiety

c. PTSD

d. Bipolar disorder
 e. Eating disorder

f. Substance abuse disorder

g. None of the above

h. Prefer not to answer

6. How often do you engage in self-care activities, such as exercise, meditation, or spending

time with friends?

a. Rarely

b. Sometimes

c. Often

d. Always

e. Prefer not to answer

7. Do you have access to mental health resources in your community, such as counseling
services or support groups?
a. Yes
b. No
c. Prefer not to answer

8. How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted your mental health?

a. It has had no impact
b. It has had a slight impact
c. It has had a moderate impact
d. It has had a severe impact
e. Prefer not to answer

9. Have you ever been bullied or harassed because of your mental health condition?
a. Yes
b. No
c. Prefer not to answer
 10. How can your school or community better support your mental health needs?
a. Offering more mental health resources, such as counseling services or support
groups
b. Providing education and awareness about mental health
c. Creating safe spaces where students can openly talk about their mental health
concerns
d. Offering more extracurricular activities and opportunities for socialization
e. Other (please specify)
f. Prefer not to answer

BUDGET

We plan on implementing our program first for one year, which we plan to continue for

multiple years upon seeing significant success rate within our metrics. The main budget will be

spent on the Pet Partners “Animal Assisted Workplace Well-Being” program. As previously

stated, this program is designed to bring animals to various organizations (i.e schools) and they

are the largest nonprofit organization that handles and travels with various animals. Although for

normal businesses, they charge $2,500-$5,000, they offer a discounted rate to schools for $500

per two hour long visit. As outlined in the research, we believe that the program will be effective

if the students of Pacific High School interact with the animals at least once a month. As there
are 9 months in the school year, these meetings will cost a total of $4,500 for the school year,

with possible discounts for buying multiple sessions. Another small expense will be running a

survey to gauge the impact of having animals on campus which should cost about $300 for the

duration of the program. The third and final cost will be public speakers. We plan to have

speakers from animal related work fields talk to the students involved with the program to

encourage them to move into these fields if they were able to connect with the animals and

overall encourage them to envision a professional life after high school. Public speakers who are

veterinarians cost $2,500 to speak for the whole school. As we plan to have two speakers, this

doubles to $5,000 for speakers total. This brings the total for this project to a maximum of

$9,800, and we would like to request an extra $200 for unforeseen circumstances. This brings the

number to an even $10,000, which could significantly change the lives of students at Pacific

High School.

Date Description Cost Total Cost

9/7 Survey $300 $300

10/7 Payment to Pet $4,500 ($500 x 9 $4,800

Partners sessions)

1/25 Public Speaker #1 $2,500 $7,300

6/8 Public Speaker #2 $2,500 $9,800

Emergency funds $200 $10,000

 References

Barber, O., & Proops, L. (2019). Low-ability secondary school students show emotional,

motivational, and performance benefits when reading to a dog versus a teacher.

Anthrozoös, 32(4), 503-518.

Brisson, S., Davis, T., Sanders, T., & Young, K. (2021). The impact of a therapy dog team on

medical students’ physiological stress and perceived anxiety prior to an exam. Journal of

Creativity in Mental Health, https://doi.org/10.1080/15401383.2021.1986186

Evans, G. W., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Klebanov, P. K. (2011). Stressing out the poor. Pathways,

23(2), 22-27.

Grajfoner, D., Harte, E., Potter, L. M., & McGuigan, N. (2017). The effect of dog-assisted

intervention on student well-being, mood, and anxiety. International journal of

environmental research and public health, 14(5), 483.

Kropp, J. J., & Shupp, M. M. (2017). Review of the Research: Are Therapy Dogs in Classrooms

Beneficial?. In Forum on public policy online (Vol. 2017, No. 2). Oxford Round Table.

406 West Florida Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801.

Sheckler, K. A. (2017). The effect of therapy dogs on children in a learning environment (Order

No. 10284741). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses A&I. (1925927229).

Retrieved from

https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/effect-therapy-dogs-on-children-learning/

docview/1925927229/se-2

Sohail, N. (2013). Stress and academic performance among medical students. J Coll Physicians

Surg Pak, 23(1), 67-71.

Smith, Fisher, and Frey (2015). Chapter 2 in Better Than Carrots or Sticks: Restorative Practices

for Positive Classroom Management. Stefani Roth, ASCD