Nurturing Social-Emotional Learning for a Brighter Future with Cara Zelas (EP159)

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Cara Zelas is an early childhood educator, social and emotional learning expert, and curriculum creator. Cara founded Big World of Little Dude, an educational platform that focuses on teaching social and emotional skills to children aged 3-6 through a captivating book series and comprehensive “humanKIND Curriculum.†Through dog therapy and the focus on embracing kindness, Cara’s goal is for children to thrive and have a brighter future. 

Your WHY

My WHY is to empower children with the essential social and emotional skills they need to thrive in today’s world.

Background

With a Bachelor of Media and Bachelor of Education degrees from Macquarie University, along with an Early Childhood Montessori (AMS) teaching certification from West Side Montessori School, I bring a strong educational foundation to my work.

After relocating from Sydney, Australia to New York City, I actively engaged with The Good Dog Foundation. Together with my dog, Little Dude, we underwent training to become a therapy team, visiting hospitals and schools across the city. 

The Good Dog Foundation

The Good Dog Foundation harnesses the dog-human bond to ease human suffering and support learning with Animal Assisted Intervention. 

The oldest love affair on Earth has been going on for 30,000 years.
It’s the bond between dogs and humans.

Big World of Little Dude was born out of a transformative experience I had while volunteering with Little Dude, my therapy dog, through The Good Dog Foundation. During this time, I discovered the incredible power of kindness – that even small acts of kindness can have a profound impact on others. Inspired by this realization, I started bringing Little Dude into an early childhood classroom to teach children about the importance of kindness. This experience sparked a deep interest in social and emotional learning for young children, leading me on a journey of research and exploration.

Big World of Little Dude

At Big World of Little Dude, we are driven by the belief that nurturing the social and emotional well-being of children is paramount to building a brighter future. We have created this platform to make social-emotional learning accessible to every child and family, as a guiding light for parents and teachers alike. Together, let’s forge a path where every child thrives, learns, and flourishes, equipped with the indispensable skills of resilience, empathy, and limitless potential.

Our mission is to spread kindness and provide support to those in need. This experience of fostering kindness within my community inspired me to teach this invaluable concept to young children.

“humanKIND†Curriculum

I created engaging and free activities suitable for the classroom, homeschooling, or even the kitchen table. These hands-on and enjoyable activities are designed for children aged three to six, offering a play-based approach to foster social and emotional growth. Start exploring these sample lessons today and embark on a journey of learning, connection, and fun with your little ones at home or in the classroom. https://worldoflittledude.com/free-activities/ 

Our discussion in the podcast included these points:

1. Why I started, Introduction to Social-emotional Learning (SEL) and its importance in education.
2. Strategies for integrating SEL into the classroom and home environments.
3. The impact of SEL on student well-being, behavior, and relationships.
4. Dog therapy as an innovative approach to teaching SEL

Cara’s Contact Information

Email: cara@worldoflittledude.com
Website: worldoflittledude.com
IG: @worldoflittledude
FB: https://www.facebook.com/WorldofLittleDude/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carazelas/
Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/GoodDogTherapy

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I hope you enjoy the conversation with Cara Zelas on my virtual porch. I met Cara at SXSW EDU and was excited to have her on my show to learn more about her journey. I love that her focus is on kindness and the “humanKIND†curriculum with Little Dude. Her story of how she started dog therapy touched my heart. Enjoy the podcast and check out her resources, books, activities and services. Please share this podcast and the post with your friends.

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