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Classroom Pets and Household Pets | Education Grants
Skip to content (443) 966-3167Contact UsAboutGovernanceContact UsLogin{prior grant recipients}Pets in the ClassroomGrant ProcessAbout Our GrantsDo You Qualify?Pet ConsiderationsGrant TermsHow to ApplyFAQs about the programDogs in the ClassroomMatching ProcessDonateto PITCDonate Today100 x 100 ClubSponsorship ProgramsThank you to our Corporate PartnersResourceCenterMedia KitPet Care SheetsStandards-Based Lesson PlansTeacher-Submitted Lesson PlansTell a TeacherBenefits of Classroom AnimalsPreventing Disease TransmissionHow to Handle the Death of a Classroom PetAdditional Pet ResourcesRetailer ResourcesJust for FunEnjoyFun Facts About AnimalsColoring SheetsKids’ Thank You NotesVideo ContestWhat’s NewFYIShare Your ExperienceHow We’re Making a DifferenceResearchTestimonialsBlog April 7, 2026 Pets in the Classroom News Release: As part of the 2019-20 American Pet Products Association (APPA) National Pet Owners Survey, pet owners across the country have shared valuable insight into pet ownership and the many benefits that pets can bring to the home setting. While previous studies have indicated that pets can positively impact the lives of children, both at home and in the school setting, the survey results revealed another interesting insight: exposure to pets in the classroom setting correlates to an increase in pet ownership. Steve King, CEO of APPA outlined the survey results by saying, “Out of nearly 5,000 respondents, twenty-eight percent indicated that their child had a pet in their classroom. Seventy-six percent of parents indicated that the classroom pet had a positive effect on their pet ownership, vs. a mere .4% who said there was a negative effect.” King went on to say, “Here’s where things get interesting. When asked if their family got a pet as a result of their child’s exposure to a classroom pet, 36% said yes!” The Pets in the Classroom grant program, an organization supported by APPA, the Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA), the World Pet Association (WPA), and participating manufacturers and retailers, provides grants to Pre-Kindergarten through 9th grade teachers in both private and public schools with funding toward a small animal or for pet supplies. Since the program’s inception in 2011, more than 140,00 grants have been issued, bringing a pet into the lives of some 5.6 million children. According to the survey results, this one program has resulted in more than 2 million household pets, helping grow the pet industry and bringing...
Classroom spending may be up to voters - scottsdale.org
Arizona voters could decide in November if they want more of the money allocated for K-12 education to be spent on teacher pay.On a party-line vote, the Senate has agreed to put a measure on the November ballot to require that 60 cents of every dollar spent by the bigger school districts in the state's three most populous counties to be spent on "direct instructional expenses.''That is designed to mean the salaries of those who actually are in the classroom. What makes that figure significant is that the Auditor General's Office reported last month that, on average, just 52.1 cents of every dollar end up in what is classified as instruction.That compares with 52.6 cents the prior year. And it also is the lowest figure in the two decades that there has been such a report.The AG report said that last school year, Scottsdale Unified’s instruction support comprised 54 cents of every dollar.Instruction includes the cost of teachers, teachers’ aides, substitute teachers, graders, guest lecturers, general instructional supplies, instructional aids, field trips, athletics and cocurricular activities."This lets voters tell those districts, 'No, no, no, we want our children to have a funded classroom. We want our children to get a well-paid teacher who is highly qualified to teach those kids,' '' said Sen. Jake Hoffman, the Queen Creek Republican who is the sponsor of SCR 1032.But Senate Minority Leader Priya Sundareshan argued that what's missing from the discussion is that there are not enough state dollars to pay not only more to teachers but also to fund everything else that schools are required to do.The Tucson Democrat pointed out that a judge earlier this year concluded that lawmakers are not meeting their constitutional obligation to fund things like building construction and repairs as well as other expenses ranging from desks to computers. And he gave them until November to fix the problem."We have underfunded the school facilities needs of our district schools,'' Sundareshan said. And that, she said, is forcing schools to use the dollars they do get – including for teacher salaries – for those other needs.But she said that, rather than comply with the ruling and provide what the court has said is legally required funding, Republican legislative leaders have decided to file an appeal.Hoffman claimed there is administrative "bloat.''On one hand, the report from the Auditor General's Office showed that, overall, Arizona schools spend a smaller percentage of...
Republicans back plan to force more classroom spending by threatening ...
More than 1,000 teachers walked away from the profession last year, the latest fallout from the state's yearslong inability to keep teachers in the classroom. To address that, Republicans don't want to boost school funding to increase salaries, but instead want to force school districts to spend the majority of their existing budgets on classroom expenses.
Teachers shop for free at Hillsborough Education Foundation
— The National Retail Federation estimates that Americans will spend $39.4 billion on clothing, accessories, shoes and classroom supplies while back-to-school shopping this year.
