AnimalSmart™

Currently, The Ontario SPCA is offering 2 different themes for elementary school children or community groups. The presentations are separated into three divisions: primary, junior, and intermediate. Theme 1 is “Animal Care,” theme 2 is “Animal Emotions,” and soon we will offer a third theme “Animals in our Community.” 

These presentations seek to connect and ignite excitement, empathy and understanding in the students on how to properly care for an animal, while leaving them with a positive outlook on how to be an animal advocate.

Theme 1, “Animal Care,” focuses on the different elements that animals need to be happy, healthy and loved within our homes and how we can ensure we provide a safe environment for them. Theme 2, “Animal Emotions,” covers the unique and various ways animals express themselves to us. Connections will be made between human and animal feelings in a way that strengthens our relationships with animals while learning about their communication styles. 

Finally, theme 3, “Animals in our Community,” pulls important topics from the previous 2 themes while tying in the ideas of advocacy and how we can safely and effectively interact with animals within our communities. 

Please ensure you have the following tools ready and set up: 

• Electronic device (lap top) connected to a projector 
• Access to internet *For Durham only- Google opened (your presenter may need to log you out of your Google account) 
• Speakers to play videos 

Other resources may vary depending on your grade level and presentation request: 

• GOOS (Good on one side) paper 
• Pencil and colouring tools for each participant
• Sticky notes (for grade 7 & 8 only)
• Hand out activity (will be emailed to you before presentation) 

*You will receive an email reminder prior to the presentation date. 

On our AnimalSmart™ website, you can book a presentation by clicking on one of the “Book a Presentation Now” buttons located throughout the web page. 

You will be prompted to create an account with us in order to book a presentation. We promise that this process is seamless and easy! Please read the request carefully and fill out the form with the correct information. Once a presentation has been requested by a host, you will receive an email confirmation. 

We understand things change in schedules, or that bad weather may arise in the winter. Please go to your booking details and hit “cancel” on your confirmation email. We will try our best to reschedule at a time that is better suited, however we cannot guarantee how soon before or after we will be able to book it from your original booking date. 

Currently, The Ontario SPCA is currently offering 2 different presentations for elementary school children or community groups. The presentations are separated into three divisions: primary, junior, and intermediate. The overall theme for theme 1 is “animal care.” Rolling out very soon we will have our theme 2 “Animal Emotions” and soon we will offer a third theme “Animals in our Community.” These presentations seek to connect and ignite excitement, empathy and understanding in the students on how to properly care for an animal, while leaving them with a positive outlook on how to be an animal advocate. 

The Humane Education team provides all volunteers with any training required to present! Prior to your first presentation, you will have a 1 hour (approx.) virtual onboarding call with a Humane Ed team member to review the booking process, the Google Classroom and presentations. During this call, questions about the program will be addressed. After you have completed your onboarding call, you are provided with the opportunity to shadow a presentation or two until you feel comfortable taking over! Our Humane Education team will continue to support you as you journey into solo presenting. 

Our Volunteer Development team requires: 

• A brief call going over the requirements of being a volunteer for the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society 
• A Police Record Check if you are over the age of 18 
• Access to a reliable vehicle and a driver’s license is an asset 
• Access to a personal device on a private WiFi network (such as a laptop, tablet or phone) to access presentation materials and join the occasional virtual meeting 
• Desire to be an impactful role model to youth advocating for animals! 

All other materials required for presenting will either be sent to you by the Humane Ed team (volunteer t-shirt, ID badge for schools, etc.) or by the host during a presentation (computer and projector, papers/pencils for activities, etc.) 

No, all hosts are required to have a computer/laptop, projector and speakers ready for your use when you arrive at a presentation. A personal tech device is an asset for reviewing content and joining virtual meetings like the volunteer onboarding & any bi-annual calls to review content the Humane Education team offers. 

The Humane Education team requests that their volunteers are able to complete  at least 4 presentations a month. 

We are excited to have you join our Humane Education team! The first step to becoming an AnimalSmart™ volunteer is to create a profile on our volunteer database, BetterImpact. You can access the link by clicking the “Volunteer Now!” button on the homepage of the AnimalSmart™ website. Once you have completed creating your profile, you will be contacted by our Volunteer Development team who will schedule a meeting with you to review all required documents and paperwork. Once that is complete, the Humane Education team will welcome you to the team with an onboarding call to get to know you better and review our content. 

Our primary, junior, and intermediate presentations that we offer to schools and community groups working with children are an hour in length. That being said, it is important to factor in travel time to and from your presentation destination. 

No, the host must stay in the room with you while you are presenting. The hope is that they are also engaged with the presentation and supporting you with group management to help keep the group engaged. You are a guest offering a great presentation, and they are there to support you in any way that they can!

Once you have completed the onboarding process, a profile will be made for you by our Humane Education team on our booking app. Here, you are able to input your region and monthly availability for teachers/hosts to see and pick from. Teachers/hosts can book up to 3 months in advance and no less than a week before their preferred presentation date to ensure a volunteer in their area is available. Hosts will select a volunteer with the availability that suits their group needs (date & time) and that volunteer will get an email notification indicating they have been booked for a presentation. The Humane Education team will be overseeing the bookings on the booking app to ensure that all parties involved are accommodated and will provide support where needed.