The next generation of animal welfare professionals is already getting started.

The kids at the Jacksonville Humane Society (JHS) summer camp sure are a talented and compassionate bunch. Every week, they were tasked with coming up with a video on the topic of their choice.

“The kids love being creative and working as a team to find clever ways to promote our animals,” says Savanna New, Education and Outreach Manager at JHS. “It’s so rewarding for them when one of the animals we’ve worked with at camp is adopted as a result of their efforts.”

“Our humane education camps for children allow us to engage with families who might not normally stop by to visit our adoption center or take advantage of our services. We’ve found our camps to be a wonderful means of reaching future volunteers, foster parents, and donors,” New adds.

Not only do the kids benefit from these camps, but so does the JHS staff. “We also enjoy the opportunity to educate the youngest members of our community, as the kids who participate in these programs truly do represent the future of animal welfare (and looking at the hundreds of campers we’ve worked with over the last year, that future is very bright!). Seeing such kindness and compassion in children is incredibly inspiring,” says New.

Check out these videos from last summer. The videos range from parodies to original songs, meant to promote adoption and highlight specific dogs for adoption. We look forward to seeing what this summer’s kids create!

In My Felines Challenge
Cat adoption promotion, in a parody of the In My Feelings challenge.

JHS Tonight Show
Telos, a 13-year-old long stay dog, is the guest on this Tonight Show-esque video.

Generosity Breeds Joy
This song promotes pet adoption and features Jake the dog.

Champ Champ Ninja Warrior
Adoptable Champ Champ is guided through their agility course.

The Circle of Felines
This parody of The Circle of Life promotes cat adoption.