Educating an ever-growing society of animal advocates.
"Interview with the expert": An overview on the impact of animal welfare education with a specialist from the RSPCA
I am back with another Motion Aptitude publication.
Today I am launching the first edition of a series of interviews entitled: "Conversations with the Experts".
Featuring interviews with professionals in sustainability, environmental communication, science outreach, and animal welfare education.
This week's theme is: "Educating an ever-growing society of animal advocates."
My guest is Leed Read, Prevention & Education Project Lead at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), the UK's largest animal welfare organisation.
Animal welfare education plays a significant role in raising awareness, and providing information on animal care.
Through targeted educational initiatives, educators and organisations have the ability to empower people to make informed choices that positively impact animals' lives in their natural habitats, and in their domestic environments.
In his role at the RSPCA, Lee Read is responsible for developing and implementing educational programs aimed at helping educators and the public enhance animals' well-being.
In this interview, we delve into Lee's journey, insights, and challenges in animal welfare education.
From his motivations to his daily responsibilities, Lee provides a behind-the-scenes look at the work involved in creating meaningful learning opportunities for individuals of all ages.
Join us to explore the impact of education and communication initiatives aimed at fostering a world where animals are respected, protected, and cherished.
What inspired you to pursue a career in animal welfare education, and how did you end up working for the RSPCA?
Lee Read: My background was the programme lead for a BSc Animal Behaviour, Welfare, and Conservation. The part which inspired me most has always been the learners and watching their journeys.
Together, we created authentic learning experiences, moving away from ‘write 4000 word reports’ and shifting to assessments which would develop industry skills (e.g. ‘create an animal welfare protocol’ or ‘deliver a talk to the public about our animals’).
Unfortunately, teaching was turning more and more into a 16-hour day job and it became unsustainable alongside my newborn daughter. Thankfully, the role at the RSPCA appeared, and I felt a positive connection that I could do the exact same thing on a wider level within a sustainable frame of working hours..!
Lee Read with his daughter at a local Forest School. Exploring a bog for wildlife and learning more from educators about ways they teach about animals.
Could you describe what a typical day looks like for an animal welfare educator?
Lee Read: I would say a typical day consists of three areas:
On one level, it is about creating learning opportunities for educators to deliver to young people.
On a second level, it is about offering support and advice to wider RSPCA projects to determine what people might (or could) be learning as a result of content.
On a third level, we have a fantastic project team which I love being a part of to develop our educational offering. On my part, that involves carrying out some level of user experience research and setting the vision for RSPCA education.
What are some of the main objectives and goals of your educational programs?
Lee Read: There are three broad categories of learning.
Underpinning knowledge, such as remembering the five animal welfare domains (nutrition, environment, behaviour, health, and feelings)
Application of knowledge, such as evaluating whether a pond is safe for hedgehogs
Using knowledge to do something, such as actually creating a safe home for hedgehogs
Overall, we want people to be able to follow that journey and have opportunities to make animals’ lives better. It’s an inclusive goal which literally everyone can achieve for animals of every kind.
We want to see a world where every animal is treated with kindness, compassion and respect and hope to inspire the next generation of animal lovers.
As the RSPCA marks its 200th anniversary this year, it’s a time of reflection but also a time to look to the future of animal welfare and education plays a critical part in that future.
In terms of communication, what are some of the biggest challenges you face in promoting animal welfare education and how do you deal with them?
Lee Read: We started exploring a broader sense as to ‘why’ educators would come to us. Generally, it was to teach young people about how to care for animals and why the RSPCA exists, which is fantastic, as it focuses on intrinsic reasons for education.
We want to explore how we can evolve this over time, such as sharing inspiring stories, developing a sense of belonging, or emphasising we are part of this positive change together.
All animals deserve our kindness and respect and the first step to changing the way we treat animals is changing how we see and feel about them so part of our work is encouraging educators, as well as children and young people, to see the benefit in learning about animal welfare. Ultimately, a world that is better for animals, is better for us all.
Can you share any strategies or creative media you've incorporated into your educational initiatives to engage learners more effectively?
Lee Read: When we engaged with educators, it became clear that they wanted a short and snappy way to grasp the concepts of animal welfare before delving into our resources. They also wanted this solution to be fun and inspiring, something which could be shown to young people to kick-off a lesson.
We carried out some user experience research and it was determined that animations by Motion Aptitude were top voted by both adults and children (especially the use of vibrant colours).
Since then, we have also used the animation internally, as an opportunity for people joining the RSPCA to learn more about the five animal domains.
How do you measure the success of your campaigns and educational programs? And how do you evaluate whether a campaign has been well received by your target audience?
Lee Read: We use a range of indicators, with the main ones including:
Engagement rates on our website
Number of people signing up for accounts
Theory lessons completed
Checking correct vs. incorrect answers for knowledge
Thematically analysing words used for how animals feel
Number of practical activities completed (and whether people are following instructions)
We also just generally listen to comments. One of my FAVOURITE, which is very important to me, was from a single mum of three who said our resources were accessible because we offer a suite of ideas for anyone to be able to participate.
Programme of learning for an introduction to animal welfare. Our five domains animation explains the underpinning concepts about the resources being delivered.
What age groups or demographics do you primarily target with your educational initiatives, and how do you tailor your approach to different audiences?
Lee Read: Our theory lessons are pitched for 5-11 year olds whilst our practical activities are for everyone (including adults). That being said, I do not agree with creating content for age groups, so I want to shift this mindset towards ‘which level of learning suits you best?’.
For example, we have young people at the age of six asking some deeply ethical questions, such as:
‘Why are there low standards for farm animal welfare? Shouldn't all farm animals be treated the same if we really love them?’
Equally, we could have a 14-year-old who isn’t able to define animal welfare or compassion. So, over time, we are going to frame our programmes of learning as ‘themes’ rather than ‘targeted age groups’ as there is such a range of understanding within one age group.
As it turns out, educators also prefer this approach, whether they are teachers, home educators, or social group organisers.
Currently, we are designing two programmes of learning which will be released throughout 2024:
An introduction to animal welfare (what are animal feelings?)
Responsibility and ethics (why do we do what we do with animals?)
Front page of our education website. Our first steps trialling whether inspiring stories and togetherness instils intrinsic motivation to want to make animals’ lives better.
Lastly, what advice would you give to individuals or organisations looking to implement educational initiatives and develop animal welfare campaigns?
Continuously carry out user-experience research and be prepared to shift directions when new insights emerge so you are always creating better experiences.
Remember that learning opportunities exist everywhere and everyone can be an educator. Find educators and partnerships that share your vision to help achieve your goals.
Focus on positive messaging. It is better for people (and animals) when we teach what ‘should’ be done, rather than what ‘should not’ be done.
Education is an infinite game. Capture every moment for your monitoring and evaluation where people have improved their knowledge, attitudes, confidence, or behaviour. It will all contribute towards a long-term narrative about how society shifts to make a better world for animals.
That's all for this week!
I hope you enjoyed this first episode of "Conversations with the Experts"
Stay tuned for more interviews, tips, insights, and inspiring stories in the coming editions of this newsletter.
Learning opportunities
📚Books:
Tickets for the Ark by Rebecca Nesbit
📺Videos:
Inside the minds of animals - Bryan B Rasmussen
📑Educational Resources:
RSPCA Education Learning Programmes
Let's connect
Whenever you are ready I can help you find the best ways to explain science and communicate environmental issues through engaging animations and infographics.
Such an interesting read! Love how the animation is involved in education can totally see how that can bridge the gap
Fascinating interview and insights. I like the approach of not themes rather than age groups; children can be extremely knowledgeable about animals and philosophical questions, too. I am not surprised that Motion Aptitude videos are so popular - they are brilliant!