Youth Leaders

“Youth Leaders for Safe Humane Chicago” educates youth and certifies high school students as Safe Humane Chicago presenters in a Chicago Public Schools class.  Teenagers mentor peers and younger children about humanely treating animals and caring for them, why dog fighting and animal abuse are bad, and how to set good examples. 

The program is offered through participating Chicago Public Schools. Our pilot began at Walter Payton College Preparatory High School in January 2008 as an innovative and unique seminar for developing high school leaders who mentor peers and younger children about the important connection between being safe and being humane.  It included twenty-one students and their teacher Ms. Michelle Mowery.  Seminar participants developed presentations and materials that they practiced and then took to McAuliffe Elementary in May.  With new participants last fall, we had a group of thirty-one students from all areas of the city, all ages from freshmen to seniors and all ethnic groups.  We took these motivated, enthusiastic young people to five Chicago elementary schools.   During 2008, 55 high school students reached out to 719 elementary school students and approximately 55 principals, teachers and school staff. By the end of the spring semester of 2009, these Youth Leaders had been to 13 elementary schools across the city.