Unifying Presence w/ Dr. Jessica Maricevic

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Getting Therapy Dogs Into High Schools

About The Episode

One day, a simple moment made a profound impact on Dr. Jessica Maricevic's work. While she was getting her PhD in educational leadership, she was working on her dissertation when she heard her son laughing and playing in the backyard with their two dogs. She got up and looked out the window to see this moment, and she wanted other kids to experience what her son was feeling.

It marked a pivot in her career focus, and – after some research – she decided that she wanted to look at the human-dog bond specifically through therapy dogs within high schools. There are established therapy dog settings in elementary settings, it comes back in college, and there are even some programs in the corporate world. High schoolers, however, are often not considered.

The perception can often be that if you bring a dog in, it will take away from the academic side and impact learning negatively. However, studies show the opposite. Instead, it fosters a more enriching, inclusive, and uniting learning experience. It can also help students with things like self-advocacy, loneliness, being a peer mentor, and even breaking down barriers of toxic masculinity.

However, there's a lack of knowledge and education about these benefits and countering the commonly-held narrative. That's why Jessica started Empathic Paws, an organization with the goal of spreading awareness and assistance in helping get more therapy dogs into high schools – and making sure they're available to everyone. High school students are young, vulnerable, and going through what can be a very hard and sometimes lonely time. A dog can be a true difference maker, and hopefully more schools will start to realize that through the work of people like Jessica.

About The Guest - Name

Dr. Jessica Maricevic is a writer, educator, and researcher. She is the founder of Empathic Paws, an organization to help spread awareness and advocate for more schools (especially at the high school level) to bring in therapy dogs where Jessica offers her expertise and insight to those interested in turning the idea into a reality at their school. As a teacher and a mother, Jessica understands how important social-emotional learning is for the physical, mental, and emotional benefits of kids of all ages.

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