A Fair Shake for Youth helps New York City middle school students build social and emotional skills through a structured hands-on program with therapy dogs.

Following a 10-week curriculum, students learn dog-handling skills and discuss dog-related topics that often resonate with their life experience – animal shelters, second chances, and breed discrimination. They practice positive reinforcement, see the power of verbal and non-verbal communication, and build relationships based on trust and respect.

The dogs are honest, non-judgmental, and highly social making it safe for students to open up and learn about themselves and each other. As the students work with the dogs, they build skills and behaviors critical for success in and out of school, and in life. The dogs help the children discover their best selves.