Absecon Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Daniel J. Dooley and Michele Pich, assistant director of the Shreiber Family Pet Therapy Program at Rowan University, hosted a well-attended presentation during the New Jersey School Boards Workshop 2023 on the benefits of therapy animals in school settings.

Accompanied by our own furry pals, therapy dogs Skye and Hope, Dr. Dooley and Pich presented information to attendees on how the therapy animals work with students on a regular basis, provide support for both students and staff, and also perform outreach services with other local organizations. They also shared data Absecon collected on the effectiveness of the program, and spoke about how schools can begin to implement their own programs.

Thank you to all of our attendees, including Atlantic County Executive Superintendent of Schools Leslie White-Coursey; Henry Goldsmith, president of the Atlantic County School Boards Association; and Dr. CarneyRay-Yoder, president of the Atlantic County Association of School Administrators.