Their feet did not leave the ground, but they took flight in so many ways.
Soaring confidence, rising self-esteem and rocketing social skills–students experienced all of this and more at Agility Camp, a brand new 6-week summer program.
Click here for video highlights from our YouTube channel.
In partnership with the school, this project was ran by volunteers from Agility Angels and, the stars of the show, their team of agility dogs.
Agility Angels is a 100% volunteer organization that partners individuals with autism, coaches and therapy dogs to improve motor movement, build social skills and foster confidence. (The title of this post is their awesome tagline!)
At the start of each session, a volunteer coach gave students a walk-through of the obstacle course. Students were shown when to give commands–like “jump,” “tunnel,” and “tire”–and how to lead the dog through the obstacles by hand signals and positioning.
When it came time for the real thing students started by offering a small treat to their dog to gain attention. Then they were off, dashing through the obstacles and re-routing the dog if any wrong turns were taken.
On the final day of Agility Camp students were presented with a certificate of completion and a t-shirt. They left with other more lasting take-aways, too.
Improved confidence, physical health and new friendships!
The school is tremendously grateful to all the volunteers and agility dogs from Agility Angels. Plans are in the works for future projects that will continue to put smiles on the faces of students in our community.
If you’d like to support the incredible mission of Agility Angels click here to make a donation…thanks!