Best Friends Program

BEST FRIENDS PROJECT IS DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP AMONG PRIMARY STUDENTS AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.

The Project involves a group of students forming an Animal Welfare League Committee, who then, through regular contact with the AWLQ, help rehome AWLQ animals in special need, (who become their ‘Best Friends’) and promote messages of responsible animal care in their school community.

The committee promotes AWLQ and helps their ‘Best Friend’ animals through;

  • Speaking regularly on school assembly about the animals they are helping to rehome.
  • Setting up a collection point somewhere in the school for donations of food, blankets etc, as well as to display information about responsible animal care.
  • Organising an annual fundraising activity for AWLQ within the school (ideas for this are given in the Best Friends Kit).

The committee receives monthly ‘Best Friend Reports’ that highlight 6 specific animals from the Refuge that are in special need. The report also features stories of past Best Friend animals that have found homes. The committee is encouraged to also contribute their own stories to the monthly report about activities they have been doing in their school to help the animals.

When a school first joins the Best Friend’s Project, an AWLQ Education Officer will visit the committee as well as talk on the school assembly about the Project. An Education Officer will then visit the school’s assembly once a term and give the whole school an update on the animals they have been helping. The committee will also receive monthly visits from an AWLQ Education Officer at the school, or alternatively, the committee may visit the AWLQ Refuge and do some volunteering with the cats and dogs.

COST: The Best Friends Project will cost students nothing to become involved, but they will gain so much from the experience of helping animals in need and in turn their community! For more information on how your school can become involved in the Best Friends Project, contact the Education Division and ask for a Best Friends Project Kit. Alternatively you can download the Registration Form by clicking on the link below:

Best Friends School Rego Form