Paws Up Projects provides project ideas, step-by-step instructions, and helpful resources for anyone who wants to help animals in their community. Projects support local animal shelters and rescues and include materials lists, planning tips, and everything you need to get started. They can be used by teachers and students, Scout troops and youth groups, families, homeschoolers, and animal lovers of all ages. And they’re always free!
YES! paws Up Projects is completely FREE for everyone!
Not at all! Paws Up Projects can be used by individuals, families, homeschoolers, Scout troops, youth groups, clubs, community organizations, and anyone who wants to help shelter and rescue animals. Use the Who Is Doing It? search option to find projects that work well for you or your group.
There are 5 different ways to search for a project that fits your needs. Search by Project Time, Planning Level, Grade Level, Who Is Doing It?, or Project Type. Use as many—or as few—filters as you’d like, or simply browse all the projects.
- Project Time — estimated time needed to complete the project
- Planning Level — how much preparation and coordination the project may require
- Grade Level — suggested grade range
- Who Is Doing It? — who the project works well for, such as individuals, partners/small groups, whole classes/large groups, families/homeschoolers, and Scouts/youth groups
- Project Type — the kind of project or activity
Planning Level refers to the amount of preparation and coordination involved—not how difficult the project is for students.
Easy — Minimal planning or preparation. Gather the materials and get started.
Moderate — Some advance planning, materials, or coordination may be needed.
Advanced — More preparation and coordination may be needed, possibly involving multiple steps or days.
Every Paws Up Project includes step-by-step instructions, a materials list, planning tips, standards connections, reflection and discussion questions, extension ideas, and a Student Reflection worksheet. Projects follow a consistent format, so once you’ve used one, you’ll know what to expect from the others.
It depends on the project. Some projects can be completed without contacting a shelter or rescue first, while others may require coordination or approval. Each project’s instructions will let you know if contacting a shelter or rescue is recommended before you begin.
Not at all! Paws Up Projects are designed to be flexible. Use the instructions as a guide and adapt the project to fit your time, group, available materials, and the needs of the shelter or rescue you’re helping.
Yes! The grade levels and group sizes listed with each project are suggestions to help you find a good fit. Many projects can be adapted for different ages, ability levels, group sizes, and settings. Projects may work with individual students, partners or small groups, whole classes, or larger groups.
Paws Up Projects are designed to be flexible and easy to use in classrooms. Projects can be used for service learning, cross-curricular learning, SEL and character education, STEM/STEAM, real-world learning, and leadership or schoolwide projects. Choose a project that fits your students, schedule, and learning goals, and adapt it to work for your classroom.
Yes. Every Paws Up Project includes a Standards Connections section that shows how the project connects to Common Core ELA, Common Core Math, SEL Competencies, and Service Learning. The connections are specific to each project and include relevant Common Core standards where applicable.
Yes! Many Paws Up Projects can be a great fit for community service, Scout projects, badges and awards, and other service-learning opportunities. Be sure to check the requirements of your school, organization, troop, or award program before getting started.
Absolutely! We love seeing Paws Up Projects in action. If you’ve completed a project to help a shelter or rescue, we’d love to hear about it. Share your project, photos, and story with us for a chance to be featured on Paws Up Projects and inspire others to help animals in their communities.
Please contact us at info@pawsupprojects.org and we will email you a change form and make the updates for you!
Yes! We hope you’ll share what you purchased to encourage others to do the same. You can also purchase an item from a shelter or rescue wish list and have it sent directly to them.
We’d love to hear from you! Contact Us