Tennessee High School Seniors Keeyanah Foote, left, and Arianna Rowell, right, groom the school’s service dog, Jingle, during the new dog grooming program offered at Tennessee High.
Agriculture teacher Lori Givney talks about their new dog grooming program for students to have work base learning.
BRISTOL, Tenn. – Students at Tennessee High School now have an opportunity to participate in a new dog grooming program, part of the school’s expanding animal science curriculum.
Launched in January, the program allows students to develop grooming skills while also preparing for careers in veterinary science and animal care.
Deidre Pendley, CTE Director at Tennessee High School, talks about the benefits of their new dog grooming program for students that began this semester.
The program is an extension of Tennessee High’s animal science pathway, which began with a grant from the Innovative High Schools initiative. According to Bristol Tennessee Schools Career and Technical Education Director Deidre Pendley, the program has grown rapidly.
“Our animal science program started with a pilot grant called Innovative High Schools that led to the Innovative School Models grant,” Pendley said. “Our instructor had an animal science degree from Cornell, and we saw an opportunity to expand our curriculum beyond engineering and incorporate agriculture and animal science. The program has grown exponentially.”
Deidre Pendley, CTE Director at Tennessee High, talks about about the agriculture program began and how it has grown over the last couple of years.
Members of the Tennessee Department of Education had a chance to visit the classroom on Friday morning and meet Jingle, the school system’s therapy dog.
Tennessee High School Seniors Keeyanah Foote, right, and Arianna Rowell, middle, and teacher Lori Givney, left, encourage Jingle, the school’s service dog, on the grooming table for a demonstration in their dog grooming program at Tennessee High.
Senior Arianna Rowell is one of the students participating in the capstone class, focusing on dog grooming.
Tennessee High Senior Arianna Rowell talks about taking the new dog grooming program at the school this semester.
“This class is our capstone SAE (Supervised Agricultural Experience), and we have the option to choose different placements,” Rowell said. “One student is working at a veterinary clinic, but we chose dog grooming. This prepares us for a career straight out of high school if we want to be dog groomers.”
Students not only learn technical skills such as grooming techniques, animal behavior and handling methods, but they also manage the financial aspects of the business, keeping track of income and expenses.
The dog washing station that helps students learn skills during the hands on experience in the dog grooming program at Tennessee High School.
“We’ve learned so much about the business side of things, too,” Rowell said. “I never realized how involved dog grooming was. I thought it was just washing dogs, but there’s so much more to it, and it’s reassuring to know we could enter this career right after high school.”
One special participant in the program is Jingle, the system’s therapy dog. As part of their training, the student groomers regularly work with Jingle, providing her with baths and grooming services.
“We’ve groomed Jingle twice before, and this is our third time,” Rowell said on Friday. “She’s very well-behaved, and I think she’s getting used to the process. It also helps her training as a therapy dog because she’s learning to be comfortable with different handling experiences.”
Lori Givney, Agriculture teacher at Tennessee High School, stands with the school’s service dog, Jingle, while talking about their new dog grooming program.
Animal science teacher Lori Givney transitioned from teaching engineering to leading the animal science program and has seen the benefits of the program.
“The grooming program has really enhanced our curriculum by improving students’ handling skills,” Givney said. “We have other dogs brought in by Tennessee High staff, and the students get to interact with them throughout the day. It’s been incredible to see the impact.”
The response to the program has been overwhelmingly positive, with students, faculty, and staff eager to participate. Givney noted that student interest has been so high that there may not be enough dogs to groom next semester.
“Everybody wants to be part of this,” she said. “I think I may have too many groomers and not enough dogs! The faculty and staff have been super supportive and trust us with their pets, which we really appreciate.”
Givney said many students think the only option for working with animals is becoming a veterinarian.
“But there are so many different career paths, from grooming to animal care and veterinary assisting,” she said. “Even if a student doesn’t become a groomer, the handling skills they develop here will be invaluable in any animal-related career.”
Jingle, a Goldendoodle, came to Bristol in 2024 thanks to a $10,000 grant from the state. She generally works with students at Viking Academy.
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Now that the snowy season and the need for school makeup days appears to be in the rear-view mirror, the Washington County, Virginia School Bo…
Tennessee High School Seniors Keeyanah Foote, left, and Arianna Rowell, right, groom the school’s service dog, Jingle, during the new dog grooming program offered at Tennessee High.
Lori Givney, Agriculture teacher at Tennessee High School, stands with the school’s service dog, Jingle, while talking about their new dog grooming program.
Deidre Pendley, CTE Director at Tennessee High School, talks about the benefits of their new dog grooming program for students that began this semester.
Tennessee High School Seniors Keeyanah Foote, right, and Arianna Rowell, middle, and teacher Lori Givney, left, encourage Jingle, the school’s service dog, on the grooming table for a demonstration in their dog grooming program at Tennessee High.
The dog washing station that helps students learn skills during the hands on experience in the dog grooming program at Tennessee High School.
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