In many schools, afterschool programs, and libraries, children in middle school, junior high school, and high school have formed clubs to help shelter pets, with educators or librarians serving as advisors. The goal for these Mutt-i-grees^® clubs is to provide opportunities for children and teens to participate in a variety of service learning activities. The Mutt-i-grees^® Cat Club Activities are a series of ideas for community outreach and service learning that complement Cats Are Mutt-i-grees^® 2.

Although the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, community service and service learning are different. Community service is just that: service to the community. Service learning, on the other hand, includes planning and thinking about the activity before initiating action and following up after the activity with discussions and opportunities to reflect on the experience and its value on personal and academic growth.

A primary focus of the Mutt-i-grees^® Curriculum and Cats Are Mutt-i-grees^® 2 is social change. Many of the core lessons enable students to think about and participate in activities conducted in and out of the classroom.

The Cat Club Activities are designed to extend this goal and encourage students to connect formally to their community. Included in the Cat Club Activities are opportunities for students to engage in longer-term projects that promote community awareness of shelter cats and their needs. Although some students are too young to volunteer, we include various other ways for students to become involved in helping shelter pets. Some activities are best suited for individual outreach and others require group participation.

The list of activities is not meant to be exhaustive, nor is it expected that every class will conduct every activity. Rather, we suggest that teachers review the possibilities with students and, as a class or individually, make a selection and/or use the activities to inspire other ideas. Given individual differences, teachers may allow several groups of students to undertake different activities rather than choosing one to be completed by the entire class. Additional ideas for service learning activities may be found online: http://education.muttigrees.org/.

Teachers may want to document student efforts or encourage students to do so themselves by taking notes,
photos, or video of their progress. Consider inviting local journalists to cover students’ experiences.

We encourage educators to recognize all students who participate in Cat Club Activities. Recognition can positively influence reluctant students and can contribute to increased self-esteem. We also encourage teachers to institute an awards program for those students who participate in multiple activities. For example, students who engage in more than two Cat Club Activities may receive a Mutt-i-grees^® Silver Award and students who engage in five or more Cat Club Activities may receive a Mutt-i-grees^® Gold Award. Award templates are available for download at http://education.muttigrees.org/mutt-i-grees®-club-activities.

When introducing each activity to students, address the following issues and prompt for discussion:

• Is it needed in our community?
• How do we determine need?
• Who is it helping?
• What are our goals?
• How can we achieve our goals?

Reflection is especially important in-service learning, as it allows students to think critically and evaluate the impact the activity has had on themselves, others, and the environment. Reflection can be verbal or written, and when it occurs within the group setting can be especially valuable and broaden students’ perspectives. Encourage students to think about the following:

• What lessons did you learn from your participation?
• Is there anything you would have done differently?
• How did you benefit from participation?
• Did your participation influence your self-confidence? Did it help you identify some of your personal strengths and weaknesses?
• How do you think others benefitted from their involvement?
• How did you feel about your role?
• Do you think you made an impact?
• How did this relate to the lessons we’ve learned about Mutt-i-grees®?
• What’s next?

Worksheet templates are included to assist students with planning and reflection. These can be completed as a class or individually.