Fostering Positive Youth Development through Caring Connections

We can reduce animal cruelty and foster positive youth development by teaching young people to treat animals with care and compassion and by allowing them to experience unconditional love and acceptance through positive interactions with animals. It is this belief-- in the transformative power of the human animal bond—that is the underpinning of humane education programs such as Caring Connections, a program launched in Nashville, Tennessee in 2011 by Crossroads Campus, a nonprofit dedicated to saving abandoned animals and transforming the lives of disadvantaged young people. Although empirical studies are needed to document the long-term benefits of humane education, qualitative data generated through the Caring Connections program demonstrate that humane education can enhance empathy, self-awareness, and self-esteem. For disadvantaged young people, especially those who are dealing with the effects of neglect, abuse or trauma, humane education provides an opportunity to change not only the way these individuals view animals, but also the way they view themselves and other people.