Dave’s Marketplace, which has a reputation of community work, has teamed up with the Ocean State Animal Coalition (OSAC) to bring an important message to elementary school students.

OSAC, through their educateHUMANE project, offers 11 state programs directed at educating a range of age groups about everything from choosing a pet to pet safety and responsibility. According to executive director of OSAC Liz Skrobisch, it costs $75 to bring just one of these programs to a classroom, and many schools in Rhode Island communities are hindered by the cost. However, thanks to a sponsorship from Dave’s, OSAC will work with 36 classrooms in six to 10 different schools in the state to bring animal education to students.

Skrobisch said presentations work to teach kids other values, like empathy, compassion and citizenship, as well.

A large concern pertaining to pet safety and responsibility is the risk of dog bites to children.

According to Skrobisch, in the last three years in Rhode Island, about 1,100 people on average have reportedly been victims of a dog bite. Hundreds of these victims are children. This does not account for incidents that go unreported, either, she said. Skrobisch explained that because of the height of younger children they are more susceptible to being bitten. She said 70 percent of dog bites are to the head.

These are alarming statistics, and it comes as no surprise that Skrobisch and OSAC are dedicated to not only raising awareness of the risk but preventing it, too.

“We are absolutely committed to the dog bite program,” she said.

The educateHUMANE dog bite program, called “Playing it Safe with Dogs,” is aimed at students in kindergarten through 2nd grade. The hour-long presentation allows children to view a film put together by OSAC director of education Jane Deming, who has more than 30 years of experience in animal welfare, humane education and zoo management. The film teaches children how to have safe interactions around dogs, including their own.

“We never say ‘bite,’” Deming said.

After the film, the students often meet a hypoallergenic dog brought in by the presenter, where the students can demonstrate what they have learned.

The organization also offers a program called “We Can Fix It!” which focuses on why many shelters are overpopulated with animals and what can be done to “fix” the problem.

It is a program that hits close to home for OSAC as an organization. The Rhode Island Community Spay/Neuter Clinic is an affiliate of OSAC and seeks to lower the overpopulation of feral cats and the need for euthanasia by providing high-quality, subsidized spay and neuter services.

Skrobisch explained that “We Can Fix It!” is reserved for 4th grade students because it encourages them to use critical thinking skills and problem solving.

“We’re trying to reach the next generation,” Skrobisch said. “We reached to over 4,000 children last year across the state.”

However, there are still anywhere from 900 to 1,000 children of schools in the community that could benefit from this education, she said.

With the help of the sponsorship from Dave’s Marketplace, OSAC will now be able to reach out to many of those children in Rhode Island classrooms this fall.

“Dave’s Market has stepped up and said, ‘We want children to have this information,’” Skrobisch said. “The fact that [they] have generously offered to sponsor is exceptional.”