By Phillippa Freeman

Oct. 2, 2024: Thanks to a generous grant from the Bronxville School Foundation, students in the Bronxville School's Special Education classes experienced the transformative power of Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) as part of their summer camp program this summer.

This innovative approach to learning and personal development is gaining popularity in the educational community, offering students unique opportunities to enhance their social-emotional skills, build relationships, and gain confidence.

What is Equine Assisted Learning?

Equine Assisted Learning is an experiential program that creates a safe environment for participants to interact with horses, fostering personal growth and skill development. Unlike traditional horseback riding lessons, this "unmounted" program takes place entirely on the ground, allowing students to learn about horses and their behaviors through a variety of exercises and activities.

Bronxville staff members who led the program, Jenna Fanelli, Patrick Clarke, Melissa Wood, and Alexa Vafeades, described the program and its benefits:

“Our Special Class students loved working with Ms. Heather and her staff this summer during EAL sessions. The students enjoyed completing various activities such as greeting, grooming, and leading the horses through obstacle courses. The students also were able to enjoy and complete follow-up art projects.

The grounds program gave the students an opportunity to work on improving their self-confidence, executive functioning, social-emotional learning, and physical motor skills. With this program, we saw students grow and challenge themselves, allowing them to step out of their comfort zone.

The EAL sessions provided a multi-sensory approach to capture students' engagement and target the underlying skills that Bronxville teachers and therapists are working on. Various recreational/leisure opportunities were provided in the program to facilitate skill development. We hope to partner with Ms. Heather in the future.”

The Impact on Students

The program has already shown remarkable results, as evidenced by the enthusiastic response from both students and parents. Tara and Spyros Makras, parents of Jax, a student participant, shared their experience:

"At summer camp, our son Jax is thoroughly enjoying the equine therapy sessions he's participating in. He talks animatedly about the horses, expressing his love for them and his desire to keep coming back for more sessions. It's heartwarming for us as parents to witness Jax petting the horses and gradually building a bond with both the gentle animals and his dedicated trainers.

Seeing him eagerly anticipate each session and witnessing the positive impact it has on him fills us with joy and gratitude. Equine therapy has truly become a special and cherished part of Jax's summer camp experience. We hope to continue it even when camp is over."

This testimonial highlights the program's ability to engage students on multiple levels, fostering emotional connections, building anticipation for learning, and creating lasting positive memories associated with educational experiences. Soheil, a student who participated in the program, said “I love to brush and pet the horses. It makes me feel happy and excited.” And another student, Luis, said “when visiting the horses I enjoy greeting and brushing them.”

As the program concludes its successful summer run, the Bronxville School community extends its heartfelt gratitude to the Bronxville School Foundation. The Foundation's commitment to supporting innovative educational initiatives continues to make a significant impact on the lives of Bronxville students, with the Equine Assisted Learning program serving as a shining example of the power of experiential learning.

To learn more about the Foundation’s work, watch our latest video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITeNvSNDyTI. To see past grants or make a donation, please visit www.bronxvilleschoolfoundation.org.