On Wed 10th June 2026 member heard from Marlene (and Nisha) who support students at Lal Lal Primary School as members of the Story Dogs program.
Story Dogs was founded in 2009. It supports over 3000 children nationwide and there are approximately 600 volunteers partnering with 400 plus schools. Minimum training is required to be a volunteer. The dog needs to listen and obey commands and be comfortable around children. The organisation pays for insurance and regular Vet Checks. It costs approximately $550 to set up a dog and program in each school.
Witnessing the success in improved reading skills of a student over 6 – 12 months is encouraging and rewarding. The same students are targeted each week in 20-minute sessions. At Lal Lal most of the 39 students transition through the program.
AIM: To make reading fun for children.
MISSION: To create a safe, supportive, non-judgemental environment for student to improve their reading skills.
In 2025, the organisation gathered feedback from volunteers, teachers and families across the Story Dogs program, and the results are incredibly encouraging.
Here’s what our Volunteers, Schools, Supporters and Staff are helping make possible:
- A love of reading - 96% of parents say their children talk about Story Dogs at home. And when they do, they most often say they “enjoy reading with the dog”.
- Stronger literacy skills - 84% of teachers agree that Story Dogs contributes to improvements in children’s literacy.
- Greater engagement at school - 62% of parents say their child shows more interest in school since joining the program.
- Growing confidence - 92% of teachers agree that Story Dogs helps improve children’s general confidence.
- Community connection - 93% of volunteers feel they are making a meaningful contribution through Story Dogs
Nisha and Marlene are funded by RWBC and are very grateful to the Club for our support.
