Although this press release came out early in the school year, it seems timely with the concerns we all have over school violence after the events of the past month or so. Since the Parkland shooting, my county has had several schools receive threats, and I just received word that my son’s high school was hit with tainted candy today. Our kids are stressed, feeling the chaos all around them. Comfort dogs could go a long way in calming their nerves.

Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña is celebrating the expansion of the Department of Education (DOE) Comfort Dog program, now operating in nearly 40 schools across New York City. The program launched in seven schools last year and brings dogs into schools to work directly with students and staff to improve school climate and contribute to social-emotional learning. Chancellor Fariña visited a new program this morning at Lower Manhattan Community Middle School, where she met the school’s new comfort dog and visited an Algebra For All classroom. Continue reading Comfort Dogs in NYC Public Schools →