Who doesn't love animals? During the second week of school, John Marshall High School students received a monthly “Rocket Boost” from some fun and cuddly guests!
Made possible with funding from the Bridge Collaborative and CEAC Learning Project Mini-Grants and the organization of Community School Site Facilitator Erin Vasquez, the Red Barn Learning Farm brought in animals to the front lawn of John Marshall as an uplifting opportunity for students and staff over the lunch period. Erin calls this monthly series “Rocket Boosts - Boost your connections. Boost your mood. Boost your health,” an ongoing initiative to support Mental Health on a Tier 1 level and increase a sense of belonging.
From giant rabbits to donkeys, goats, ponies, and even a llama, the front lawn was a mini scale petting zoo for all to enjoy. You could see student's faces light up at these animals that you don't typically see every day.
“[Red Barn Learning Farm] is an opportunity to bring some farm animals out to a location. It helps break up the day and bring a smile to people's faces," explains Brian, a representative from Red Barn.
"We have our farm, but we bring a scaled-down version to all sorts of places—schools, nursing homes, backyard parties," Brenna, his colleague, chimed in.
“It's soothing to take a break from our classes to get out and spend time with animals," one student exclaimed. Another student added, "My family raises rabbits too; they're so fun; I'm glad others can see it too!”
The petting zoo has a large sign explaining the benefits of their program. They claim that they can boost your mood, connections, and health. Seeing just how crowded the John Marshall front lawn was with smiles and laughter, their claim seems correct. Red Barn also suggests ways to create similar uplifting experiences, such as taking time to play with a pet, stopping at a zoo, or taking a trip to your county fair in the summer. These are great ways to connect with animals and add a little boost to your day!
Erin stated, “These events are my favorite because you can see the connections forming for students. Some of our students have never even seen animals up close, or it will bring out conversation about how their family raised donkeys in the country they grew up in or how they used to show ponies as a child. This experience for all of our students and even staff is so special.”
Rocket Boosts will continue monthly throughout the school year, and we can’t wait to see what experience our JM students and staff will have next!