Freshmen Meet with Four-Legged Friends

As part of their Civic Lab, a group of 9th grade students spent time with some furry friends at the Anti-Cruelty Society.

The Upper School Civic Lab program transforms Parker’s mission into action by promoting active citizenship and civic engagement, providing space for building relationships and connections, advocating for social justice and enriching understanding of how systems of marginalization shape institutions and structures of privilege, advantage and disadvantage in history and present-day society.

In 9th grade, the Civic Lab theme is “City as an Ecosystem,” with students using the city as a classroom on designated fieldwork days throughout the year to visit sites, conduct research and meet with community activists to deepen their understanding.

While visiting the site, students learned about the history of the Anti-Cruelty Society, which began at the turn of the 20th century, when there were no laws that protected animals. They learned about early efforts to place watering troughs for horses throughout Chicago and create awareness around animal health. Students then upcycled materials to create enrichment toys and worked with site guides to socialize the animals that were available for adoption. A highlight of the day was when students held the puppies so volunteers could clean their cages.

Enjoy photos from the Anti-Cruelty Society here.