WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – This spring, middle and high school students in Central-Western New York will find themselves interacting with rescued cows, pigs, chickens, and other farm animals without ever leaving the classroom. This “virtual field trip” is part of an award-winning, free humane education program from Watkins Glen-based Farm Sanctuary, America’s premier farm animal sanctuary and advocacy organization, called “Meet the Animals: A Virtual Tour of Farm Sanctuary.” Central-Western New York is the latest region to receive the program, which has already educated and inspired thousands of students coast-to-coast in New York City, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Connecticut, Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Bay Area. A hit with both teachers and students, it uses virtual reality to teach students compassion for farm animals.
WATCH students experiencing Farm Sanctuary’s Humane Education Program
“Students in Central-Western New York are accustomed to seeing cows and other farm animals grazing in pastures, and it’s easy to think that this is how all animals are raised for food, but the vast majority of all meat, dairy, and eggs come from animals confined inside abusive factory farms that prevent them from seeing the sun, stretching their limbs, or breathing fresh air,” said Central-Western New York Humane Educator Andrew O’Donnell. “Most kids care about animals and don’t want them to be mistreated, so it’s important to educate them about the realities of our modern food system so that they can be empowered to create positive change.”
The “virtual field trip” is interwoven with the stories of the individual animals who call Farm Sanctuary home, age-appropriate photos and video, and eye-opening interactive learning exercises, including one that gets students out of their seats and actively imagining what life is like for chickens inside a battery cage, which typically holds up to 5-10 birds with floor space equivalent to less than a sheet of letter-size paper.
“It’s critically important to address the negative environmental, health, animal welfare, and social justice impacts of industrial animal agriculture if we hope to curb some of the biggest threats our world faces,” said Farm Sanctuary President and Co-founder Gene Baur, who TIME magazine calls “the conscience of the food movement.” “Failing to discuss these issues in the classroom would be doing future generations a terrible disservice.”
What’s more, studies have shown that humane education has benefits for academic performance as well as student health and development.
To learn more about Farm Sanctuary’s Humane Education Program, visit farmsanctuary.org/humane-education.
