Welfare education programs in schools and communities are essential for building the next generation of welfare-conscious citizens — with evidence on what approaches are most effective.
Effective welfare education shapes attitudes that persist into adulthood, creating the social norm infrastructure for better welfare outcomes at population scale. However, educational programs using live animals must themselves meet welfare standards — classroom animals often experience chronic stress from handling and noisy environments. Virtual and materials-based welfare education can achieve educational goals without imposing welfare costs on the teaching animals themselves.