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We are happy to share that AAVS’s Animalearn division has announced its 2025 Humane Student of the Year and Humane Science Educator of the Year, recognizing their compassion for animals and their commitment to incorporating humane science in the classroom. Eight other teachers and students received honorable mentions. Jasmine Wang-Jethi, a student at Amador Valley High School in California, is the Humane Student of the Year. Jasmine is being recognized for her dedication to a campaign focused on providing alternatives to animal dissection at her school through the collaborative efforts of Animalearn and the New Roots Institute, a youth-focused advocacy organization supporting student-led campaigns for animal protection. "I was raised to value all life and to treat animals with respect,” said Jasmine. “Dissecting the carcasses of animals, under the guise of education, directly opposes what I believe in, especially when there are many viable alternatives that many are not aware of." Stacey Frankenstein-Markon of Oshkosh North High School in Wisconsin has been named Animalearn’s Humane Science Educator of the Year for her commitment to creating a compassionate classroom environment for students and animals alike. Describing her teaching style, a colleague stated that Stacey “models compassion, scientific integrity, and thoughtful stewardship every day.” “In a world where hands-on models, technology, and dissection alternatives are becoming more readily available, there is absolutely no reason why educators cannot offer students dissection alternatives that promote high-quality education, ecological sustainability, and empathy towards all life,” said Stacey. “At the end of the day, students will reach the same educational outcomes in a way allowing them voice and choice.” Humane science education and Animalearn’s work are important parts of AAVS’s mission to end the use of animals in science, as they help to provide an environment to nurture today’s students so they can grow up to be compassionate scientists.
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