Who said that getting to play with animals can’t be part of a great education?
For Naomi Floyd, a 19-year-old graduate of the Hudson County Schools of Technology (HCST), her love for animals is what attracted her to a new internship program at Jersey City’s animal shelter.
“My father is a big part of my love for animals,” said Floyd, who began her internship at the shelter Monday. “They are so pure, so any chance I get with them, I will take. Any chance to help the animals, I will.”
Whether its feeding peanut butter to dogs or taking cute pictures of cats, the program between Jersey City and HCST is being conducted with the goal of improving student learning and career readiness skills. The shelter was recently taken over by the city government for the first time in decades.
“A lot of our goals with this type of work-based learning is not just working on (students’) technical skills, but their employability skills,” said Amy DeGise, the workplace learning coordinator for HCST. “Learning responsibility, teamwork, good communication, those are skills that are going to assist anyone in any kind of career path.”
The shelter, located across the street from Liberty Science Center, has been under the city’s control since the beginning of this year, along with animal control services, after the city severed ties with Liberty Humane Society, the previous contractor that handled it.
“I think students might learn that (an animal control officer) might be a career opportunity they never heard of before,” said Stacey Flanagan, the city’s Health and Human Services director. “(It) requires training and an exam, and it’s a certification that is a civil service title that can provide them with great career advancement.”
The program will first be open to diploma students, who are those between the ages of 16 to 24 who dropped out of high school but are now seeking to earn their diploma, before later extending it to high school students in the fall.
DeGise, who is also a city councilwoman, said the idea for working with the animal shelter came from a student who was “really” interested in working with animals. But she added that the program isn’t limited to those who are pursuing a career in animal services.
Floyd, who has pets at home and is interested in the medical field, wants to learn how to properly handle and care for animals better, as well as the medical side of animals, with the internship creating an opportunity to explore different medical careers.
“The foundation to my career would be based on helping people,” said Floyd, who will be working 20 hours per week for seven weeks with a $15.13 per hour wage. “The animal shelter is a great starting point to help me with those real situations.”
Between 20 to 30 students are expected to work at the shelter through next year. City Health Officer Paul Bellan-Boyer said the city is “always looking for a good match between the work that we have and students’ interests.”
“For someone that does some administrative work, they learn the specifics of the work that they also learn how to function in an office environment and how to organize work,” Bellan-Boyer said.
DeGise says the partnership will be a “win-win for everyone,” with the shelter benefiting from enhancing its volunteer program and helping students gain career experience.
“We always drive home that it’s important to pick a career that you’re passionate about, but also something that you can give back to,” DeGise said, adding that another part of the part of the program is civic engagement. “This is a good example of that.”
Other councilmembers expressed optimism toward the new program. Councilman Frank Gilmore said it will be “therapeutic” for kids and help them get into community service.
“Just from an emotional standpoint, I have animals myself,” Gilmore said. “They’re good companions, sometimes I talk to my dog and cat, they never talk back, but I talk to them, so I just think it’s a good dynamic.”
