WAB Receives Global Inclusion Award  


WAB Receives Global Inclusion Award  

WAB is pleased to announce that we received the Global Inclusion Award for our Therapeutic Riding project.    

Presented by the International Forum of Inclusion Practitioners (IFIP), this award recognizes the social impact achieved through the Therapeutic Riding Pilot Project, a collaboration between WAB and Horses Offering People Enrichment (HOPE). 

Numerous evidence-based research studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of animal-assisted therapy. The WAB-HOPE project was initiated last year with the aim of bringing equine therapy to WAB's neuro-diverse students, who have needs and would greatly benefit from this form of therapy.  

Over the years, WAB's parent community and student advocacy clubs have undertaken various fundraising initiatives to support HOPE, a non-profit organization that provides Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapies. Last year, the collaboration with HOPE progressed and HOPE started to offer therapeutic riding for neurodiverse Elementary School students at WAB.  

As part of this program, HOPE's riding instructor visited the campus during after-school sessions to assess the suitability of eligible students. The assessment process involved observing the students in class, exploring riding gear as a group, consulting with teachers, and meeting with families.  

The program prioritizes the safety of the riders and the welfare of the horses, requiring each student to be accompanied by a horse trainer and two volunteers. To address staffing limitations, HOPE trained High School students to serve as volunteers, which allows them to fulfill their Community and Action Service (CAS) requirement.  

  The WAB Therapeutic Riding Impact Project brought together various members of the school community: 

  • A psychology student intern assembles sensory packs containing hay, feed, horse hair, and bedding from the stable. They also created a social story featuring a horse puppet, which explained what riding feels, looks, and sounds like.  
  • Learning support teachers utilized the social story to familiarize student riders with the experience through sensory exploration using the "See, Think, Wonder" and 5-senses approaches. 
  • Bus monitors prepare activity packs (books, pictures, and sorting cards about horses) for the student riders to enjoy during the bus ride to and from the stable. 
  • A school counselor attended some riding lessons to assist student riders in processing their experiences through drawings, pictures, and oral recordings.  
  • High School volunteers played a role in collecting data using an "I Can" checklist to measure the program's efficacy. They also established a club to recruit more volunteers and raise funds to subsidize transportation costs to and from the stable. 
  • Parents showed their support by attending riding lessons whenever possible and bringing family members and siblings to share in the experience.  

The student riders' process journal was transformed into a memory book at the conclusion of the pilot project.  

Head of Student Support Services, Dr. Christin Topper, who led this project shared that the end-of-year progress review showed that all student riders had made progress in body awareness, motor development, attention, emotional regulation, and verbal communication.  

This outcome is a testament to the collaboration among WAB teachers, students, parents, staff, and partners. The collective effort of the community has been recognized and celebrated through the Global Inclusion Awards 2024.