Inclusion Archives - Karen Pryor Academy https://karenpryoracademy.com/category/inclusion/ Karen Pryor Academy Wed, 26 Feb 2025 17:01:26 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.1 Update from Karen Pryor Clicker Training 2024 https://karenpryoracademy.com/update-from-karen-pryor-clicker-training-2024/ Mon, 30 Dec 2024 20:26:23 +0000 https://karenpryoracademy.com/?p=26842 As we approach the end of 2024, we would like to provide an update on our ongoing initiatives to foster inclusivity in training and behavior.

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AN UPDATE FROM KAREN PRYOR CLICKER TRAINING

As we approach the end of 2024, we would like to provide an update on our ongoing initiatives to foster inclusivity in training and behavior.

Our scholarship programs have continued to increase access to our educational offerings at every stage of the learning journey, from foundational courses for beginners through professional certification within the Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) program. In 2024, 16 students enrolled with the scholarship program, up from 9 in 2023. The number of scholarships offered increased slightly, and we saw a significant increase in the students accepting and enrolling with scholarships. In 2024, we also expanded the number of on-demand courses to which scholarships can be applied. With our other expanded scholarship initiatives for KPA courses at The Karen Pryor National Training Center - The Ranch and ClickerExpo educational conferences, we anticipate that about 40 students will have enrolled in one of our educational programs through scholarship funding in 2024.

In 2025, we will maintain our commitment to providing scholarship programs for KPA and the 2025 ClickerExpo conferences and courses at The Ranch in Graham, Washington. 

In addition, in response to increases in 2024 scholarship requests for the Dog Trainer Professional program, we will increase the number of series with scholarship opportunities available in 2025. Although there will be a slight decrease in financial support with each scholarship, we believe expanding the opportunity to be more widely available is the right choice based on the feedback we've received.

In 2024, we expanded our content and featured speakers and faculty from a broader range of communities through our KPA LIVE classes, ClickerExpo conference programs, and Live from The Ranch broadcasts on YouTube. We will continue to evaluate our programming, operations, and offerings for additional opportunities for improvement and to implement changes that improve accessibility and engagement through our various platforms and brands.

Lastly, throughout 2024, we continued our support through cash donation to Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity Inc (CARE). CARE prioritizes and amplifies BIPOC and other Marginalized Voices through Narratives, Research, and Community-Centered investments. You can find an example of how CARE integrates animals, animal welfare, and education into their excellent programmatic work here.  

We look forward to sharing more updates as they become available.

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]]> Update from Karen Pryor Clicker Training 2023 https://karenpryoracademy.com/update-from-karen-pryor-clicker-training-2023/ Fri, 29 Dec 2023 15:59:00 +0000 https://karenpryoracademy.com/?p=24074 As we near the end of 2023, we wanted to share an update about our ongoing efforts to make the field of training and behavior more inclusive.

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AN UPDATE FROM KAREN PRYOR CLICKER TRAINING

As we approach the conclusion of 2023, we would like to provide an update on our ongoing initiatives to foster inclusivity in the field of training and behavior.

Our scholarship programs have continued to increase access to our educational offerings at every stage of the learning journey, from foundational courses for beginners through professional certification within the Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) program. In 2023, we offered 13 scholarships for the DTP program, resulting in 9 scholarship recipient students enrolling in the course. When combined with our other scholarship initiatives for KPA courses, offerings at The Karen Pryor National Training Center - The Ranch, and ClickerExpo educational conferences, we anticipate that more than 40 students will have enrolled in one of our educational programs through scholarship funding in 2023.

In 2024, we will maintain our commitment to providing scholarship programs for KPA, as well as for the 2024 ClickerExpo conferences our virtual conference ClickerExpo LIVE in January, our in-person conference ClickerExpo in Portland, Oregon in April, along with our programs and programming from The Ranch in Graham, Washington.

We will continue to evaluate our programming, operations, and offerings for additional opportunities for improvement, and to implement changes that improve accessibility and engagement through our various platforms and brands. In 2023, we expanded our content and featured speakers and faculty from a broader range of communities through our newly launched KPA LIVE classes, ClickerExpo conference programs, and Live from The Ranch broadcasts on YouTube.

Lastly, throughout 2023, we continued our support through cash donation to Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity Inc (CARE). CARE prioritizes and amplifies BIPOC and other Marginalized Voices through Narratives, Research, and Community-Centered investments. An example of how CARE integrates animals, animal welfare, and education into their excellent programmatic work can be seen here

We look forward to sharing more updates as they become available.

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]]> Update from Karen Pryor Clicker Training 2022 https://karenpryoracademy.com/update-from-karen-pryor-clicker-training-2022/ Wed, 21 Dec 2022 14:14:56 +0000 https://karenpryoracademy.com/?p=20806 As we near the end of 2022, we wanted to share an update about our ongoing efforts to make the field of training and behavior more inclusive.

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AN UPDATE FROM KAREN PRYOR CLICKER TRAINING

As we near the end of 2022, we wanted to share an update about our ongoing efforts to make the field of training and behavior more inclusive.

Our scholarship programs have continued to increase access to our educational offerings at each step of the learning process, from foundational courses for beginners through professional certification in our Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) program. In 2022, we offered scholarships to the DTP program in 17 locations, and 12 students enrolled in the course as scholarship recipients, an increase in both offered and accepted scholarships.  From generous outside donations, we were also able to award an additional 6 scholarships toward the DTP program. In combination with our other scholarship programs for KPA courses, for courses at The Karen Pryor National Training Center - The Ranch, and for ClickerExpo educational conferences, we project that in 2022 more than 50 students will have enrolled in one of our educational offerings using scholarship funding.

In 2023, we will continue to offer scholarship programs for KPA, as well as for our virtual conference ClickerExpo LIVE, our in-person conference ClickerExpo Washington, DC, and our programs at The Ranch- in Graham, Washington. 

We will continue to evaluate our programming, operations, and offerings for additional opportunities for improvement and to implement changes that improve access. In 2022, operational changes included adding captioning and alt text across our properties and brands, continuing a program of staff and teacher education, and solidifying content-review processes. The last effort resulted in the addition of new speakers to our 2023 conference roster and a first-time panel on diversity and inclusion at ClickerExpo LIVE. 

We are continuing our active participation in fellow training organizations’ initiatives, including IAABC’s Listening Series, and look forward to sharing more of what we learn together.

Finally, through 2022 we supported organizations on the front lines of change and will continue to do so. We made cash donations to two organizations in 2022. We donated for the second year to The Community Justice Exchange, which produces tools and resources for organizers to creatively tackle multiple drivers of criminalization and incarceration, including the National Bail Fund Network. The second recipient was the  Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity Inc (CARE), which “prioritizes and amplifies BIPOC and other Marginalized Voices using Narratives, Research, and Community-Centered investments.” You can see an example of how CARE integrates animals, animal welfare, and education into their excellent programmatic work here.  

We look forward to sharing more updates as they become available. 

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]]> Update from Karen Pryor Clicker Training https://karenpryoracademy.com/update-from-karen-pryor-clicker-training-2/ https://karenpryoracademy.com/update-from-karen-pryor-clicker-training-2/#respond Thu, 30 Dec 2021 15:52:46 +0000 https://karenpryoracademy.com/?p=18088 As we near the end of 2021, we wanted to share an update about our ongoing efforts to increase the presence of positive reinforcement trainers who are Black, Indigenous, or otherwise of Color:

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AN UPDATE FROM KAREN PRYOR CLICKER TRAINING

As we near the end of 2021, we wanted to share an update about our ongoing efforts to increase the presence of positive reinforcement trainers who are Black, Indigenous, or otherwise of Color:

This year we created a scholarship program for our flagship Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) program. The addition of this scholarship program, in combination with other previously established scholarships, enabled increased access across our educational offerings and at each step of the learning process, from foundational courses for beginners through professional certification. 

We offered scholarships to the DTP program in 14 locations and 10 students enrolled in the course as scholarship recipients. In combination with our other scholarship programs for training courses and for our ClickerExpo educational conferences, we project that in 2021 more than 75 students will have enrolled in one of our educational offerings using scholarship funding.

In 2022, we will continue to offer our scholarship programs for Karen Pryor Academy, as well as for our virtual conference ClickerExpo LIVE, with added scholarships opportunities for programs at The Ranch in Graham, WA. 

In 2021, we also began to explore a joint effort with a non-profit organization to develop and teach a program that would introduce positive reinforcement training to children in underserved communities, but the project did not move beyond the exploration stage. In 2022, we will be examining our options to continue to support initiatives that serve a similar population.

We are continuing our active participation in fellow training organizations’ initiatives, including IAABC’s Listening Series, and look forward to sharing more of what we learn together.

Finally, through 2021 we supported organizations on the front lines of change and will continue to do so. We made cash donations to three organizations in 2021; The Community Justice Exchange, which produces tools and resources for organizers to creatively tackle multiple drivers of criminalization and incarceration, including the National Bail Fund Network. The Brotherhood/Sister Sol in New York City and The Social Justice Learning Institute operating in California and Texas also received our financial support.  These two organizations are focused on youth education and empowerment with deep programming for, and roots in, their greater regions and communities.  

We look forward to sharing more updates as they become available! 

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]]> https://karenpryoracademy.com/update-from-karen-pryor-clicker-training-2/feed/ 0 Scholarship Opportunities https://karenpryoracademy.com/scholarship-opportunities/ Mon, 12 Apr 2021 17:08:39 +0000 https://karenpryoracademy.com/?p=12786 We offer scholarships for Karen Pryor Academy dog training courses, from introduction to professional trainer certification, as part of our effort to expand our community’s inclusiveness.

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Karen Pryor Academy Scholarships for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

We provide scholarships for Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) dog training courses as a part of our commitment to expanding inclusiveness within our community. Whether you are an experienced professional or just getting started, we encourage individuals who share a dedication to enhancing diversity in the dog training community to apply.

We offer scholarships for Karen Pryor Academy introductory and comprehensive dog training courses as part of our effort to expand our community’s inclusiveness.

We will award scholarships toward our Dog Trainer Foundations and Dog Trainer Foundations-Immersion courses monthly, as well as a scholarship toward our Dog Trainer Comprehensive course quarterly. Whether you are an experienced professional or just getting started, we encourage members of the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities to apply.

GET CERTIFIED
Dog Trainer Professional program
$2,000 Scholarship
($5,300 $2,800)
(Tuition Varies By Location)
Learn More
Awarded By Location On An Ongoing Basis
ON-DEMAND COURSES
Experience the joy of learning together on your time and schedule. Courses vary in duration, skill level, and price.
Better Veterinary Visits
$40 Scholarship
($139 $99)
Click to Calm for Instructors
$150 Scholarship
($495 $345)
Dog Trainer Foundations
$100 Scholarship
($249 $149)
Game-Changing Dog Training Classes for Instructors
$120 Scholarship
($395 $275)
Shelter Training & Enrichment
$100 Scholarship
($249 $149)
Train Your Cat
$60 Scholarship
($199 $139)
Apply Now

Dog Trainer Foundations

$100 Scholarship
($249 $149)
Apply Now
Awarded Monthly
Dog Trainer Foundations - Immersion
$200 Scholarship
($599 $399)
Apply Now
Awarded Monthly

Dog Trainer Comprehensive

$350 Scholarship
($999 $649)
Apply Now
Awarded Quarterly
Click here for the FAQ featuring additional information about our on-demand course scholarships.
Additional Scholarship Opportunites from Karen Pryor Clicker Training

Follow the links to learn more about additional scholarship opportunities.

• The Ranch - The Ranch Experience | Training for Professionals | Game On! Seminar

Become a Certified Dog Trainer

Additional locations will be announced throughout the year (click here to be notified)

Join the more than 2,600 certified trainers who have been educated through the Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) program. KPA employs an innovative approach to cultivate and support exceptional positive reinforcement trainers, integrating online learning with personalized coaching from some of the most experienced professionals in the field.

Scholarships are currently available for the following upcoming DTP series, reducing tuition by $2,000. Take advantage of this opportunity! More 2025 dates will be added soon. 

A limited number of scholarships are available, and they will be granted based on the applicant's ability to contribute to the goals of fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion within our training community. Financial need alone is not a qualifying criterion, and applicants must reside in the USA or Canada.

Decisions on scholarship awards will be made by KPA’s internal Inclusion Committee through an evaluation of each scholarship application submission. In cases where there are more qualified applicants than available scholarships, the committee may consider the timing of acceptance into the program, assigning more weight to earlier acceptances.

Recipients who have applied for a scholarship will be notified of the award if admitted to the Dog Trainer Professional program. It's important to note that admission to the DTP program is a separate decision from the scholarship determination.

If you wish to apply for the Dog Trainer Professional program and the DTP scholarship, click here and follow the provided steps. Make sure to express your interest in the scholarship program by answering the designated scholarship questions.

If a Series you are interested in is not listed, we encourage you to complete this form and we will reach out if a scholarship becomes available. 

Alternatively, you may apply for a $250 scholarship towards your tuition from our Crowdfund scholarship, made possible by donations from the training community. To learn more, click here.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) Program Scholarship

 CROWDFUND SCHOLARSHIP for DEI

We have received inquiries about whether there is a way to donate toward training education scholarships that share the same goals as our main scholarship for the KPA Dog Trainer Professional program. Yes, there is!

We have established a GoFundMe page to facilitate the collection and distribution of these donations. As funds become accessible, scholarships of $250 each will be awarded to eligible applicants accepted into the Dog Trainer Professional program on a first-come, first-served basis.

To donate to the Crowdfund, click here. Please note that your donation is NOT tax-deductible.

If you wish to be considered for a Crowdfund scholarship of $250, apply to the Dog Trainer Professional program and express your interest in the scholarship by addressing the relevant question on the last page of the application. In the event that you receive scholarship funds from this initiative, you remain eligible for other tuition discounts. However, it's important to note that the KPA Dog Trainer Professional scholarship cannot be combined with the Crowdfund scholarship. Additionally, please be aware that scholarship funds cannot be utilized for tuition deposits.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

On-Demand Course Scholarships

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Dog Trainer Foundations • Immersion • Comprehensive Scholarships

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]]> Update from Karen Pryor Clicker Training https://karenpryoracademy.com/update-from-karen-pryor-clicker-training/ https://karenpryoracademy.com/update-from-karen-pryor-clicker-training/#respond Fri, 15 Jan 2021 19:49:21 +0000 https://karenpryoracademy.com/?p=14729 Over the past months, we have taken steps to educate ourselves about the challenges faced by trainers from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities. We have also initiated plans to increase the presence of positive reinforcement trainers from those communities. Below is an update on our ongoing efforts.  

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An Update from Karen Pryor Clicker Training

Over the past months, we have taken steps to educate ourselves about the challenges faced by trainers from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities. We have also initiated plans to increase the presence of positive reinforcement trainers from those communities. Below is an update on our ongoing efforts.  

We have created and publicized scholarships for our foundation and comprehensive dog training courses, as well as for ClickerExpo LIVE, as part of our effort to expand opportunities for BIPOC trainers to learn or advance positive reinforcement training skills. We have awarded 65 scholarships to date. While the award process has been successful, only some of the scholarships that have been awarded have been used, so the net impact as measured by scholarship enrollments in 2020 was smaller than our goal.  Consequently, we'll be examining and refining our approach to scholarships in 2021 in order to improve on these results.

KPA, IAABC, and CCPDT assembled a diverse group of trainers to participate in an initial series of workshops centered around the idea of inclusion and exclusion. The goals were understanding the characteristics of more inclusive environments and evaluating our programs and policies against those characteristics. We are grateful to the trainers from the BIPOC community who have participated and continue to participate with us in this process.

We have embarked on an exploratory joint venture with a non-profit organization to develop a program to introduce positive reinforcement training to children in underserved communities. While still in its evaluation phase, if all goes well we expect to have information that we can share publicly in the late spring/early summer. We are also planning educational discussion events for the training community in 2021.

We look forward to sharing more updates as they are available throughout the year.

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]]> https://karenpryoracademy.com/update-from-karen-pryor-clicker-training/feed/ 0 Training & Behavior Diversity & Equality Survey https://karenpryoracademy.com/training-behavior-diversity-equality-survey/ https://karenpryoracademy.com/training-behavior-diversity-equality-survey/#respond Fri, 10 Jul 2020 14:00:45 +0000 https://karenpryoracademy.com/?p=12282 Training & Behavior Diversity & Equality Survey **We are analyzing responses from the survey, which closed on July 10. Stay tuned for more information.**Leaders in the positive reinforcement training and behavior community are asking all training and behavior professionals to share information to help take important steps to ensure equity and diversity in the field. This survey will be used ...

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Training & Behavior Diversity & Equality Survey

**We are analyzing responses from the survey, which closed on July 10. Stay tuned for more information.**

Leaders in the positive reinforcement training and behavior community are asking all training and behavior professionals to share information to help take important steps to ensure equity and diversity in the field.

This survey will be used to strengthen and improve our policies and practices, and to inform future speakers and panelists of issues that are important to our community members.

Your answers are anonymous and no answers are required. Share as much information as you like—we welcome all information that helps us take active steps toward equality in our industry.

This survey has been created by IAABC, KPA, and CCPDT; we invite other organizations to share it.

We ask that you kindly complete the survey by Friday, July 10. Thank you!

Follow this link to take the survey: https://bit.ly/2A0rRwb

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]]> https://karenpryoracademy.com/training-behavior-diversity-equality-survey/feed/ 0 An Update on Advertising https://karenpryoracademy.com/an-update-on-advertising/ https://karenpryoracademy.com/an-update-on-advertising/#respond Wed, 01 Jul 2020 07:43:00 +0000 https://karenpryoracademy.com/?p=11917 Karen Pryor Clicker Training (KPCT) supports calls for Facebook to prohibit the use of the platform for the incitement and organization of violence, hate speech, and racist ideology. To the extent that we can, KPCT is participating in the broader Stop Hate for Profit effort to communicate to Facebook that many of its advertisers are concerned about these issues.

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An Update on Advertising

by KPCT

Karen Pryor Clicker Training (KPCT) supports calls for Facebook to prohibit the use of the platform for the incitement and organization of violence, hate speech, and racist ideology. To the extent that we can, KPCT is participating in the broader Stop Hate for Profit effort to communicate to Facebook that many of its advertisers are concerned about these issues.

Like many small businesses, we have very few options for cost-effective communication with our community. Facebook has been an invaluable tool in helping us achieve our mission. Through Facebook, we can connect with those interested in positive reinforcement training and promote both the awareness and adoption of positive reinforcement training principles and clicker training methods. Considering the extraordinary challenges that the pandemic has created for our business along with the imperative to join the call to Facebook, we will be pausing 50% of our advertising campaigns on Facebook in July.

You can learn more about Stop Hate for Profit’s efforts here.

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]]> https://karenpryoracademy.com/an-update-on-advertising/feed/ 0 Black Voices in the Animal-Care Community https://karenpryoracademy.com/black-voices-in-the-animal-care-community/ https://karenpryoracademy.com/black-voices-in-the-animal-care-community/#respond Fri, 19 Jun 2020 11:17:00 +0000 https://karenpryoracademy.com/?p=11827 It is impossible to ignore the realities of racism in the world. Is the absence of people of color in the dog training world a result of racism or are there other obstacles? Personally, I strongly identify with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, so I have opinions about the lack of color in our community, but I will save those views and experiences for another time. Today, I want to focus on the experiences of black professionals in our community. Who better to share those experiences than the individuals who have lived through the challenges of being black in a largely white profession? I have been listening and reading many stories; it seems like the best thing to do is to amplify their voices and point you toward stories you may have missed.

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Black Voices in the Animal-Care Community

by Ken Ramirez
It is impossible to ignore the realities of racism in the world. Is the absence of people of color in the dog training world a result of racism or are there other obstacles? Personally, I strongly identify with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, so I have opinions about the lack of color in our community, but I will save those views and experiences for another time. Today, I want to focus on the experiences of black professionals in our community. Who better to share those experiences than the individuals who have lived through the challenges of being black in a largely white profession? I have been listening and reading many stories; it seems like the best thing to do is to amplify their voices and point you toward stories you may have missed.
KPA Black Voices in the Animal-Care COmmunity
Photo courtesy of Jordan Veasley
A Black Zookeeper
I have followed Jordan Veasley (@junglejordan23) on Instagram for almost two years. I am impressed with his passion for educating people about conservation and wildlife. His posts are fun and always informative. But he is unique in the zoo world because he is a black zookeeper. In June of 2018, long before the headlines of today would have highlighted his story, he posted on YouTube about being black in a largely white world. You can hear the nervousness in his voice because he wasn’t sure his followers would want to hear him talk about this topic. But I am glad he did. I hope you will listen to his story and follow him, because he is an enthusiastic supporter of wildlife conservation, which is a strong passion of mine as well.
Racism: A Black Dog Trainer’s Experience

Renee Erdman (@bravodogtraining) invited trainer Curtis Kelly (@petparentallies) to her podcast, Bravo Dog Knowledge: Dog Training Podcast. Curtis is the owner of Pet Parent Allies in Philadelphia, PA, and he candidly discusses racism and his unique perspective as a black positive reinforcement dog trainer. Listening to his experiences was enlightening and worthwhile. Curtis posts great content on Instagram.

Listen to the podcast here.

Can Dogs Be Racist?

This is a common question that many trainers get asked at one point or another in their career. And although black trainers may not get asked that question directly, they certainly face issues surrounding this question. Here are two separate discussions of this issue from the perspectives of four different trainers of color.

Laurie C. Williams (@thecaninediva) addressed this question in an article published by Whole Dog Journal in 2016. Laurie is a successful black trainer and owner of Pup ‘N Iron Canine Fitness and Learning Center in Virginia.

Read the article here.

More recently, Jenna Romano (@dog_liason) posted a video on YouTube searching for a scientific answer to the question of racism in dogs. In the absence of hard data, she decided to seek out the opinions of three trainers of color, Taylor Barconey and Jio Alcaide of Smart Bitch Modern Dog Training (@smartbitchdogtraining) in New Orleans, LA, and Curtis Kelly (@petparentallies) of Pet Parent Allies in Philadelphia, PA.

Red Flags in the Dog World for POC

In June of this year, the women of Smart Bitch Dog Training (@smartbitchdogtraining) also appeared on Rachel Harris’ Disorderly Dog podcast. They talked about the obstacles of working in the dog world, particularly for people of color. Taylor and Jio speak passionately from their personal experiences and give good advice to those interested in a career working with dogs. While they certainly represent voices of trainers of color, they also offer the perspectives of professional young women. I found the discussion truthful, thought-provoking, and worthwhile.

Listen to the episode here.

Supporting Black-owned Business in the Pet Industry

Lindsay Somerset, owner of For the Love of Animal Rescue (@fortheloveofanimalrescue), dedicated her two most recent blogs to highlighting black-owned businesses in the pet industry. I have not had the opportunity to learn about every business highlighted, but I appreciate her putting the time into getting these names and businesses in front of a wider audience. I wanted to share those blogs here.

Part 1 & Part 2

Anti-racism and Animal Training

For us at Karen Pryor Clicker Training, learning to be anti-racist supports our mission, it is humane, and it is right. By learning to be anti-racist, we will strengthen our community of positive reinforcement trainers and become better trainers. When we are trying to change behavior, we have to hone our observation skills. We learn to observe behavior in greater detail, understand the environment where behavior occurs, and interpret what we observe with empathy. The articles, blogs, and videos above can be helpful in developing those skills. They are steps along the journey of understanding the perspectives of people of color, which is a first step toward meeting long-term anti-racism goals. We wanted to share those resources with you and hope you find them meaningful as well.

Happy Training,
Ken

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KPA Black Voices in the Animal-Care COmmunity

Ken Ramirez is the Executive Vice-President (EVP) and Chief Training Officer of Karen Pryor Clicker Training (KPCT). There he helps to oversee the vision, development, and implementation of training education programs for the organization.

A 40+-year veteran of animal care and training, Ken is a biologist and animal behaviorist who has overseen or consulted on training projects for many zoological organizations throughout the world. He began his training career working with guide dogs for the visually impaired and continues to work with organizations training dogs for service work, search-and-rescue, bomb detection, and narcotic detection. Ken has also maintained a close affiliation with pet training throughout his career.

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]]> https://karenpryoracademy.com/black-voices-in-the-animal-care-community/feed/ 0 Our First Steps to Taking Meaningful Action: Because Black Lives Matter https://karenpryoracademy.com/our-first-steps-to-taking-meaningful-action-because-black-lives-matter/ https://karenpryoracademy.com/our-first-steps-to-taking-meaningful-action-because-black-lives-matter/#respond Wed, 17 Jun 2020 19:07:35 +0000 https://karenpryoracademy.com/?p=12011 OUR FIRST STEPS TO TAKING MEANINGFUL ACTION: BECAUSE BLACK LIVES MATTER We would like to thank the community for your encouragement, thoughtful ideas, shared stories, and offers of help. What we have heard from you consistently is the need to support both actions that can lead to an end of the violence faced by BIPOC communities and actions that can ...

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OUR FIRST STEPS TO TAKING MEANINGFUL ACTION: BECAUSE BLACK LIVES MATTER

We would like to thank the community for your encouragement, thoughtful ideas, shared stories, and offers of help. What we have heard from you consistently is the need to support both actions that can lead to an end of the violence faced by BIPOC communities and actions that can lead to meaningful dialogue and impactful change in our industry. We want to avoid the performative and emphasize the substantive.

On the first front, we have supported the organizations on the front lines of change and commit to making annual contributions to these or similar organizations. We have made donations to three organizations: the National Bail Fund Network , focused on immediate support for protesters; Helping Hand - Access PR Small Biz Relief, focused on restoring minority businesses; and Black Lives Matter Global Network, focused on ongoing support for the end of police violence against black communities, protesters, and others. In addition, we instituted an employee-match program for donations. Finally, because time and non-financial support are also at least as valuable, we will be supporting our employees’ participation in social action by adding policies to enable employees to use work time for social action.

On the second front, our next step is to create an informed action plan for reducing barriers to, and increasing the presence of, positive reinforcement trainers in the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities. This next step will inform and educate us, and help us choose ideas and actions that will be impactful and sustainable. We have had many wonderful suggestions—from education scholarships to reviews of curricula to faculty diversity commitments to partnerships with community organizations and speaker suggestions. We have already begun, and will continue, outreach and dialogue around these and other ideas with members of the BIPOC training community. It is by having these thoughtful, diverse conversations, listening, hearing, and elevating the voices within our community, that we will be able to create a meaningful plan. Gathering input and data, and making informed decisions may take a bit longer, but, like all of you, we are in this for the long term.

Resources we have found valuable:

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