Caring Connections, our humane education outreach program, teaches compassion and respect for all living things, strong human-animal relationships and safe human-animal interactions. Classes are typically delivered through a series of eight weekly sessions using dogs and cats pulled from Metro Animal Care and Control.
Our hope is to show our students that, just like humans, animals deserve and need a loving and supportive environment and that, like us, fear and instability can cause animals to behave in unpredictable ways – but it doesn’t determine who they are or make them unlovable.
We work with many partner agencies in Nashville to deliver our Caring Connections curriculum to youth of all ages, and have worked intensively over many years with youth in state custody. Partners in 2018-19 include Tennessee Volunteer Challenge Academy, St. Luke’s Community Center, and Croft Middle School.
Check out what some of our Caring Connections students are saying about how the program has affected them:
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.5″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”3.5″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]How We Connect & Educate
Caring Connections is our humane education outreach program. Humane education focuses on teaching compassion and respect for all living things, and the name, Caring Connections, sums up our mission – connecting people and pets in meaningful and positive relationships. Through these connections and bonds, our participants learn to see themselves in those around them and to look for how we are similar, not different. Those connections develop through our Caring Connections program and through our job-training and pet adoption programs, all of which put humane education into action. The goals are twofold: promoting strong human-animal relationships and safe human-animal interactions. Through these efforts our desire is to improve the quality of life for pets and their humans while decreasing dog bites and other unsafe human-dog interactions.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=”4616,811″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”3.5″ title_font=”||||||||” border_radii=”on|10px|10px|10px|10px” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ box_shadow_color=”rgba(162,188,44,0.3)” animation_style=”fade” auto=”on”][/et_pb_gallery][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row custom_padding=”0|0px|22.4858px|0px|false|false” admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.0.47″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=”4615,4614,4613,4612″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”3.5″ title_font=”||||||||” border_radii=”on|10px|10px|10px|10px” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ box_shadow_color=”rgba(162,188,44,0.3)” animation_style=”fade” auto=”on”][/et_pb_gallery][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”3.0.47″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]Our Caring Connections outreach program partners with a number of local agencies, such as Monroe Harding and Boys & Girls Club, to serve youth of all ages. The program supports and encourages positive human-animal interaction through a shelter dog training program and animal companionship classes. Our hope is to show our students that, just like humans, animals deserve and need a loving and supportive environment and that, like us, fear and instability can cause animals to behave in unpredictable ways – but it doesn’t determine who they are or make them unlovable.
We rescue and foster dogs and cats from Metro Animal Care and Control, and bring them to our facility for a “second chance”. Some of our adoptable dogs go through our Caring Connections training program. Our Caring Connections facilitators work with youth –many who have been victims of abuse, neglect or trauma — to train and socialize these animals, preparing them for successful adoptions and happy lives.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.0.47″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”3.5″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”]The Power To Make A Difference
One of the major benefits of Caring Connections is that the youth are taught their inherent value and their power to contribute to a better world. They experience how working with animals in a positive way benefits both people and pets. The program is changing lives right here in our own community. Check out what some of the Caring Connections students are saying about how the program has affected them:
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_video src=”https://youtu.be/pL-0MtZXh1Q” admin_label=”Video” _builder_version=”3.5″][/et_pb_video][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.0.47″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”3.0.47″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”]Every day, we strive to improve our community through our Caring Connections program, as well as through our Job Training/Pet Adoptions program and our Residential program. We hope you’ll join us on our journey towards a better Nashville![/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ inner_shadow=”on” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop” admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.5″ background_image=”https://crossroadscampus.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/CC-banner.jpg” custom_padding_tablet=”50px|0|50px|0″ transparent_background=”off” padding_mobile=”off” disabled_on=”on|on|off”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.0.47″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_cta button_url=”https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E330162&id=1″ url_new_window=”on” button_text=”Donate Now” admin_label=”Call To Action” _builder_version=”3.5″ header_font=”|600|||||||” header_font_size=”37px” body_font=”|600|||||||” body_font_size=”36px” body_line_height=”1.3em” use_background_color=”off” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]
DONATE BECAUSE
your pet taught you lessons in patience,
compassion, and responsibility, and you believe
others can learn the same.
DONATE BECAUSE
your pet taught you lessons in patience,
compassion, and responsibility, and you believe
others can learn the same.
