Pets in the Classroom Grant Program Launches ‘Tell a Teacher” and “Sponsor a Teacher” Campaigns

Businesses and individuals now have the opportunity to sponsor specific teachers and schools to receive a classroom pet as well as easily pass on information about the educational grant program.

Bel Air, Maryland (I-Newswire) September 6, 2012 - The Pet Care Trust is pleased to announce the launch of the “Tell a Teacher” and “Sponsor a Teacher” campaigns. The two new campaigns will provide businesses and individuals with the opportunity to spread the word about the teacher grant program or to sponsor specific teachers, schools, and school districts in receiving a Pets in the Classroom grant.

Established by the Pet Care Trust in 2009, Pets in the Classroom has provided over 13,100 grants to Pre-Kindergarten through Eighth grade teachers to purchase or adopt a new pet and required equipment or to support existing classroom pets. The growth of the program and the outpouring of thanks from grant recipients have led the Pet Care Trust to create the “Sponsor a Teacher” campaign to encourage businesses and individuals to donate financially to the local community through this beneficial program. Not only will the donation be tax-deductable, but it can also benefit the donor’s chosen teacher or school directly by specifying who the grant money should be awarded to. Potential donors can learn more about sponsoring a teacher by visiting www.petsintheclassroom.org/sponsor-a-teacher.

While the Pet Care Trust is seeking sponsors for the grant program through “Sponsor a Teacher”, it still has the goal of providing classroom pets to 1 million children in 30,000 classrooms across North America. With this in mind, the Pet Care Trust has also created the “Tell a Teacher” campaign to allow people to easily let teachers know about the grant program through a simple online form on the Pets in the Classroom website at www.petsintheclassroom.org/tell-a-teacher.

“We are nearly half-way toward reaching our goal of bringing classroom pets to 1 million children”, commented Steve King, executive director of the Pet Care Trust. “The Tell a Teacher and Sponsor a Teacher programs will help us spread the program to even more schools and connect donors to classrooms in their communities.”

The Pets in the Classroom program benefits students by teaching them responsible, long-term pet care at an early age and providing the psychological and developmental benefits associated with the human-animal bond. Studies have shown that caring for pets has a positive effect on children, improves school attendance, teaches children responsibility, encourages nurturing, and builds self esteem.

For more information on the Pet Care Trust and the Pets in the Classroom grant program or to learn more about the “Tell a Teacher” and “Sponsor a Teacher” campaigns, visit www.PetsintheClassroom.org.