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Wayside Waifs uses animals to teach Kansas City kids about stopping violence

An educator stands by a dog talking to a class of 20 students.
Wayside Waifs
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Wayside Waifs
Educators complete five, one-hour sessions talking to students.

Violence is nothing new to Kansas City youth. The No More Bullying! program at Wayside Waifs, a no-kill shelter, wants to stop the cycle using education and prevention.

Wayside Waifs, Kansas City's largest no-kill shelter, wants to end abuse towards animals and people with their No More Bullying! program.

The program works to prevent violence through social-emotional learning. Thousands of 3rd through 5th graders in Kansas City are taught about five core character traits: responsibility, being humane, compassion, self-control and integrity.

Since its creation in 2009, No More Bullying! has been adopted in nearly 45 cities nationwide.

"Using social emotional learning programs, students who have gone through them are much less likely to be perpetrators of violence in the community," said Ashley Stanley, Wayside Waifs' director of community education and outreach.

  • Ashley Stanley, director of community education and outreach, Wayside Waifs
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