Tales of strays - ways to get involved
Tales of Strays is a heartwarming campaign that celebrates the special bond between humans and companion animals, with a focus on stray animals. The campaign was started a few years ago with the aim to teach students about our responsibilities towards companion animals and about the bond between people and dogs/cats, in order to prevent future instances of neglect, abandonment and abuse, so common in many parts of the world.
The campaign has several initiatives and a variety of ways to get involved.
Teaching
One way to get involved is by using the free lesson plans that are available on the campaign's website. These ready-to-use lesson plans have been created by friends of the campaign over the years and can be adapted to the needs of your students. Additionally, various teachers have shared posts about what they do with their students for the ToS campaign, which helps create buzz around what the campaign does and inspire others to join in. You can find lesson plan compilations from previous years here (click on each cover to download the pdf).
Materials writing
If you're feeling particularly creative, you can also write a lesson plan for the campaign. We are hoping to have at least five new lesson plans each year, and your contribution would be greatly appreciated.
Storytelling
Finally, if you're a fan of storytelling, you can use Margarita's picture books, Toby to the Rescue and Mae to the Rescue, as inspiration. These books are available on Amazon as print books and ebooks, and there are free lesson plans and resources available on the campaign's website to accompany the stories.
Projects
Taking part in the Tales of Strays ACTION! Project is another way to get involved. ToS ACTION! is an extensive project where students work over a period of time towards a common goal, such as creating a compilation of short stories, a poster, a podcast, or a series of interviews on various topics related to companion animals. If you want to find out more, do attend the open event on Zoom in April (look out for information on the website and on ToS social media), where teachers who have participated in this year’s ACTION! will talk about what their students did. This event will give you a clear idea of what you can do next year. And then, look out for a call for participation in September.
In conclusion, Tales of Strays is a wonderful campaign that celebrates the love and companionship between humans and animals. There are several ways to get involved, whether it's through teaching, writing lesson plans, storytelling or the ACTION! project. So, if you're passionate about animals and want to make a difference, consider joining the Tales of Strays campaign today!
Contact: talesofstrays@margaritakosior.com, www.facebook.com/mktalesofstrays/