Wild Heart Scholars Progam

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Give Your Students Real-World Impact

Give your students meaningful, credit‑worthy, real‑world experience in animal welfare, nonprofit operations, and community engagement. Wild Heart Haven (WHH) and the Wild Heart Foundation (WHF) host structured internships, service‑learning, and practicum placements led by experienced supervisors.

Wild Heart Haven (WHH) is a dog sanctuary and education site; Wild Heart Foundation (WHF) advances public education, advocacy, and humane practices. Together, we provide hands‑on learning that connects coursework to impact.

Who We Are

Program Leads:

Kristin Cooke -Co‑Founder & Board Member, Program Co‑Lead

Sara Russell - Board Member, Program Co‑Lead

General inquiries: wildhearthavenrescue@gmail.com

Placement Tracks

We support multiple academic pathways, depending on your institution’s policies:

  • Internship / Practicum Credit (department‑approved learning plan + supervisor evals)

  • Service‑Learning Hours (documented service with defined outcomes)

  • Independent Study / Capstone Projects (faculty‑mentored deliverables)

  • Portfolio Development (reports, campaigns, media, SOPs)

We’re happy to map our outcomes to your department’s rubric or syllabus.

What We Offer

Choose one primary track; cross‑training is available by approval.

  1. Communications & Community Engagement
    Social media, short‑form video, press notes, email/newsletters, tabling/outreach, donor storytelling, analytics.

  2. Business & Operations
    Trading Post retail ops, inventory, basic bookkeeping support, vendor coordination, process improvement, KPI dashboards.

  3. Events & Hospitality
    On‑site pop‑ups, micro‑fundraisers, tours, “volunteer days,” partner activations; run‑of‑show and post‑event reporting.

  4. Animal Care Foundations (non‑clinical)
    Daily enrichment schedules, behavior logging, kennel organization, sanitation protocols, intake documentation.

  5. Land, Sustainability & Facilities
    Habitat/landscaping projects, composting and waste‑reduction pilots, signage, safety walk‑throughs, maintenance logs.

Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

  • Plan and execute a scoped project with clear milestones and a written post‑mortem.

  • Communicate to public audiences with brand‑safe messaging and ethical storytelling.

  • Use basic analytics to evaluate outreach or operational changes and present findings.

  • Follow written SOPs for animal welfare, safety, and site operations.

  • Collaborate in a multi‑disciplinary team and incorporate supervisor feedback.

Structure & Supervision

Schedule: 8–15 hrs/week typical; flexible hybrid options by track.

  • Onboarding: site orientation, safety briefing, role‑specific training.

  • Supervision: weekly check‑ins; midterm and final evaluations.

  • Documentation: time logs, deliverables folder, and a final reflection or report.

Designated Site Supervisors: Assigned per track (Kristin, Sara or a delegated Site Supervisor will coordinate).

FAQ

  • Nice to have, not required. We provide role‑specific training. However, we currently are interested in working with juniors and seniors.

  • Most roles are for academic credit or service hours. Limited paid roles may be posted when available.

  • Yes, team projects are welcome with a single faculty mentor.

  • Yes, especially in Communications/Business tracks.

  • We follow site safety protocols. Institutions typically cover students under existing experiential‑learning policies; confirm with your risk office.

  • We recognize that students’ academic schedules come first. Wild Heart Scholars follows the academic calendar by observing school recess periods and all federally recognized holidays. Our curriculum and project timelines are designed with these breaks in mind, ensuring that students can fully participate without conflict.

Safety, Ethics & Accessibility

Animal‑first protocols: humane handling, enrichment‑before‑exposure, and strict sanitation SOPs.

  • Risk management: task‑appropriate PPE; no high‑risk duties for students.

  • Privacy: no identifying details of previous owners or sensitive rescue data in public posts.

  • Accessibility: we will make reasonable accommodations; many roles are hybrid or desk‑based.

  • Background checks: may be required for certain roles or external events.

(Institutions remain responsible for determining student eligibility and credit policies.)

Credit & Accreditation Process

Fit call (30 min). Confirm track, hours, dates, faculty sponsor, and assessment method.

  1. Learning plan. We finalize a brief plan with outcomes and deliverables.

  2. Agreement/MOU. We’ll sign your school’s standard form or provide ours.

  3. Onboarding & start. Orientation, safety, and schedule set.

  4. Midterm check. Quick progress review + faculty pulse check.

  5. Final eval. Supervisor evaluation + student reflection/report; time log submitted.

Turnaround: We can onboard within 2 weeks of receiving your paperwork

Assessment & Documentation

  • Timekeeping: digital hours log (we can use your system or ours).

  • Supervisor evals: midterm + final with 3–5 competency ratings and narrative notes.

  • Deliverables: attach campaign links, reports, or before/after metrics.

  • Faculty feedback loop: optional 10‑minute midpoint touch‑base.

Current Semester Opportunities

Communications & Marketing Track (8–12 hrs/wk, hybrid) Annual program

Help shape the voice of Wild Heart Haven across digital and public platforms. Students in this track may focus on:

  • Managing social media calendars and creating engaging posts.

  • Designing branded graphics and campaign visuals.

  • Drafting press releases and public announcements.

  • Building awareness campaigns to grow our following and strengthen our public reputation.

Skills gained: digital marketing, branding, PR/media relations, analytics.

Development & Research Track (8–12 hrs/wk, hybrid or remote) Semester program

Support the backbone of our future growth through research and development. Students in this track may focus on:

  • Identifying grants, sponsorships, and donor opportunities.

  • Assisting with donor communications, thank-you templates, and newsletters.

  • Compiling advocacy research on Florida’s kill-list practices and animal welfare policies.

  • Drafting reports or briefs that support awareness and fundraising campaigns.

Skills gained: nonprofit fundraising, grant research, policy writing, donor relations.

How to Partner

Option A — Use your standard internship/service‑learning template.
Email it to wildhearthavenrescue@gmail.com (subject: “School Partnership – [Your Institution]”).


Option B — Use our short MOU.
We’ll send a 1‑page agreement covering scope, supervision, safety, and reporting.

Preferred info to include:

  • Course/credit type and required hours

  • Start/end dates and breaks

  • Faculty sponsor & evaluation method

  • Any institution‑specific policies (insurance, background checks, forms)

Contact

Program Leads: Kristin Cooke & Sara Russell
Email: wildhearthavenrescue@gmail.com
Location: St. Cloud / Kissimmee, Florida (with partner activations across Central FL)