Essential Messaging
For work in animal care and well-being
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May 2025
Mondays, 3 - 5 pm EST
This course will take place on 3 Mondays in May.
- May 5th, 3-5pm EST
- May 12th, 3-5pm EST
- May 19th, 3-5pm EST
August 2025
Fridays, 12 - 2 pm EST
This course will take place on 3 Fridays in August.
- August 8th, 12-2pm EST
- August 15th, 12-2pm EST
- August 22nd, 12-2pm EST
Too often mainstream messages lead to shame and blame. They contribute to stereotypes and villainizing. The result is endless frustration, overwhelm, and burnout. Too many animals still need homes; too many pet families lack access to care.
We need different stories and messages to build a better reality for animals and people.
This course is about the stories and messages we need now.
What We Cover
There are three sessions that each focus on an essential SPARC messaging principle. You will take a deep dive into each principle and learn how to apply it in your work.
You'll Leave With...
- A deep understanding of how messaging shapes the way we think about problems and solutions for pets and people.
- Practical skills to put better messaging and storytelling into practice - on social media, with donors, staff, Board members, your community, and other people in our sector.
- Ongoing access to resources, examples, and tools you can use in your everyday work.
- Three, 2-hour online sessions with live instructors. Sessions are held over three consecutive weeks.
- Small cohort of participants ~ 20 people
- Invitation to our Community so you can stay connected, continue practicing, and receive new resources after the course is complete.
Staff or volunteers at animal shelters, rescue groups, municipal animal services, veterinary clinics, community organizations, neighborhood networks, national nonprofits, or anyone caring for animals in their community.
This course is for all of us in animal care and well-being.
The cost for this course is on a sliding scale, $75-$225. Our sliding scale honors different abilities to pay while helping us continue to offer training programs and resources. The true cost for SPARC is $225 per participant.
We ask organizations and individuals with large budgets to pay at the higher rates to support the sustainability of the training and help us accept folks who pay lower amounts. Lower fee options are for participants who are not able to pay at a higher rate.
We have scholarships available for a limited number of participants. Fill out this form if you're interested in a scholarship to attend.
All sessions are hosted on Zoom with live instructors and interaction with other participants.
You will join a cohort of participants and take all three sessions as a group.
We ask everyone to come prepared to participate fully, just as you would an in-person training.
Get Your CE Credits
NACA
Our Essential Messaging for Animal Care & Well-being training has been approved for Continuing Educational Units by the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA). National certificate holders can submit for credit consistent with the NACA CEU policy.
CAWA
SPARC is an approved provider of content which enhances professional competence and aligns with the Certified Animal Welfare Professional (CAWA) Exam Specifications.
Be the First to Know!
Seats are limited. Use this form if you would like to be notified when new course dates open for registration.