MPCSD wins Kent Award for PAWZitivity Facility Dog Program

Menlo Park City School District has received a 2024-25 J. Russell Kent Award from the San Mateo County School Boards Association for its district wide program PAWZitivity: Wellness Facility Dogs Serving TK-8th Grade Students.

The Kent Awards began in 1980 to recognize innovative and replicable programs that are being implemented in a school district, county office of education, or in the community college district in San Mateo County.

The award will be presented at the 2025 Annual J. Russell Kent Awards & Emily Garfield Award Celebration on May 2, 2025 in Foster City. Duke (pictured far right), one of the MPCSD dogs, plans to attend.

PAWZitivity was founded to address concerns reported across the district from student, family, and staff survey data on student academic performance, social acceptance, and how to adjust to the rapid pace of the world. Empirical evidence shows that trained facility dogs can enhance children’s psychological development, improve social skills, increase self-esteem, calm fears, and relieve anxiety, among other benefits.

Besides their training, facility dogs bring their lovable and comforting characteristics. These friendly companions are good listeners and offer judgement-free companionship. Students can bond readily with facility dogs, feeling more connected and confident.

After a pilot program in the fall of 2021 with one full time facility dog, the comments from students and staff immediately validated the research about how assisted animal activity in a classroom can benefit children. With that encouraging data, and financially supported by the Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation, the district was able to purchase six trained dogs from 4 PAWZ Strong out of Michigan.

Photo courtesy Menlo Park City School District