Paws to Learn is a nonprofit organization that pairs rescued dogs with children and adults with special needs or learning disabilities to provide an engaging learning experience. The CEO, Alicia Tilson, discusses how she was inspired to start Paws to Learn after her own rescued blind puppy, Ginger, taught her compassion and strengthened her commitment to helping vulnerable populations. Paws to Learn will host its first outdoor "Books & Biscuits" carnival on September 8th to introduce the organization to the public and collect book and dog treat donations to support its programs.

1.
Alicia
Tilson
SC
4493
27
August
2013
Mission
Statement:
Paws
to
Learn
improves
the
lives
of
rescued
dogs
while
creating
an
engaging
and
unique
learning
experience
for
children
and
adults.
Paws to Learn
(See Spot teach)

2. Letter
from
the
CEO
I’ve
always
been
one
to
root
for
the
underdog.
It
brings
me
so
much
satisfaction
when
the
unlikely
champion
steps
to
the
occasion,
overcome
his
or
her
tribulations
and
rises
victorious.
It’s
for
this
reason
that
I
would
take
every
opportunity
to
help
out
the
unlikely
heroes
I
come
into
contact
with
daily.
Recently,
I
adopted
a
puppy
from
a
rescue
group
out
in
Broken
Arrow;
she’s
an
Australian
Shepherd
mix,
her
name
is
Ginger
and
she
was
born
completely
blind
in
both
eyes
as
a
result
of
irresponsible
breeding.
I
adopted
her
under
the
impression
that
I
would
save
her
and
give
her
the
she
deserved
because
it’s
no
secret
that
special
needs
pets
are
the
last
ones
to
find
homes,
if
they
ever
do.
This
was
last
November.
Today,
I’ve
come
to
realize
that
Ginger
was
the
one
who
saved
me.
She
taught
me
patience,
compassion
and
gave
me
friendship
at
a
time
when
I
was
vulnerable.
This
experience
led
me
to
the
conclusion
that
we
don’t
save
the
dogs
we
rescue;
we
are
rescued
and
taught
by
the
dogs
we
save.
Our
country’s
special
education
students
are
vulnerable
and
those
adults
affected
with
learning
disabilities
are
vulnerable
too.
It’s
an
unpleasant
truth,
but
after
students
with
special
needs
graduate
high
school,
our
society
falls
short
of
giving
them
an
adequate
chance
to
be
successful.
Like
rescued
dogs,
they
too
deserve
the
highest
quality
of
life
possible
for
teaching
us
invaluable
lessons.
I
created
Paws
to
Learn
to
do
just
that.
Part
of
our
mission
is
to
pair
a
child
or
adult
with
one
of
our
dogs
so
that
they
may
learn
and
grow
together.
For
children,
this
means
class
time.
For
adults,
this
means
work
experience.
That
special
bond
engages
the
minds
of
our
students
and
volunteers
and
they,
in
turn,
become
the
unlikely
champions
of
future
generations.
The
success
of
our
Books
&
Biscuits
event
has
opened
up
the
prospect
of
giving
our
amazing
volunteers
a
sufficient
workspace.
I
am
so
grateful
to
the
city
of
Sand
Springs
for
giving
us
more
than
enough
resources
to
kick
start
our
program.
I’m
also
indebted
to
our
volunteers
who
worked
tirelessly
to
run
Books
&
Biscuits,
take
care
of
our
dogs
and
help
out
with
our
building
and
getting
our
message
out
to
the
public.
Without
them,
I
wouldn’t
be
here
to
say
that
we
have
been
invited
to
three
different
classes
in
the
past
month.
I’m
excited
to
report
our
progress
in
next
month’s
newsletter.
-­‐
Alicia
Tilson,
Paws
to
Learn
Founder
&
CEO

3.
NEWS
RELEASE
27
August
2013
FOR
IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
Contact
Information:
Jim
Bob,
director
of
communications
Office:
(555)
321-­‐6789
Cell:
(555)
123-­‐9876
Email:
jim.bob@ptl.org
Paws
to
Learn
brings
“Books
&
Biscuits”
to
local
park
An
outdoor
carnival
for
all
to
attend
TULSA,
Okla.
-­‐
Paws
to
Learn
is
hosting
its
first
“Books
&
Biscuits”
outdoor
carnival
Sept.
8
at
River
City
Park
in
Sand
Springs.
“Books
&
Biscuits”
will
be
held
on
Sept.
8
from
1:30-­‐3:30
p.m.
“Books
&
Biscuits”
will
include
face
painting,
a
bounce
house,
carnival
games
and
concessions;
pets
are
encouraged
to
attend.
Entrance
to
the
carnival
will
be
one
book
or
box
of
dog
treats
per
family.
These
donations
will
be
used
to
help
train
the
newly
recruited
dogs,
as
well
as
provide
book
options
for
the
students.
Alicia
Tilson,
founder
and
CEO
of
Paws
to
Learn,
is
eager
to
introduce
the
organization
to
the
public.
“I’m
really
excited
to
see
how
our
first
event
turns
out,”
Tilson
said.
“I
think
this
will
be
a
great
way
to
not
only
ensure
we
have
the
resources
we
need
but
also
to
show
the
community
what
we’re
about
and
how
we
plan
to
serve
it.”
Raffle
tickets
will
be
sold
at
the
event
for
$3.
The
prizes
for
the
raffle
event
include
themed
gift
baskets,
gift
certificates
and
local
restaurant
vouchers.
The
proceeds
from
the
raffle
will
go
toward
renovating
the
Paws
to
Learn
facility;
the
facility
will
be
expanded
to
provide
a
more
spacious
training/play
area
for
the
dogs.
Paws
to
Learn
is
a
nonprofit
organization
that
improves
the
lives
of
rescued
dogs
while
creating
a
unique
and
engaging
learning
environment
for
students
with
learning
disabilities.
To
inquire
about
volunteer
opportunities,
make
a
donation
or
to
find
out
more
about
Paws
to
Learn,
contact
Alicia
Tilson
at
alicia.tilson@ptl.org
or
visit
the
organization’s
website
at
www.pawstolearn.org.
###
Paws to Learn
(See Spot teach)

4.
MEDIA
ALERT
Contact:
Jim
Bob
Jim.bob@ptl.org
(555)
321-­‐6789
(office)
(555)
123-­‐9876
(cell)
FOR
IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
27
August
2013
What:
Paws
to
Learn
is
hosting
its
“Books
&
Biscuits”
outdoor
carnival.
The
event
is
open
to
the
public.
Families
are
required
to
bring
one
book
or
one
box
of
dog
treats
to
enter.
Donated
books
will
be
utilized
in
learning
sessions.
A
raffle
event
will
be
held;
proceeds
from
this
event
will
go
toward
improving
the
Paws
to
Learn
facility.
Who:
Paws
to
Learn
When:
Saturday,
Sept.
8,
1:30-­‐3:30
p.m.
Where:
River
City
Park
S.
River
City
Park
Rd.
Sand
Springs,
OK
74063
About
Paws
to
Learn
Paws
to
Learn
is
a
nonprofit
organization
dedicated
to
improving
the
lives
of
rescued
dogs,
while
creating
a
unique
and
engaging
learning
experience
for
students
with
learning
disabilities.
Paws
to
Learn
also
offers
high
school
graduates
with
learning
disabilities
job
opportunities
to
give
them
a
competitive
edge
in
today’s
job
market.
###
Paws to Learn
(See Spot teach)

5. Paws
to
Learn
“Books
&
Biscuits”
Talking
Points
“Books
&
Biscuits”
! “Books
&
Biscuits”
will
be
held
in
River
City
Park
Sept.
8
from
1:30-­‐3:30
p.m.
Pets
are
welcome
to
attend.
Admission
costs
one
book
or
one
box
of
dog
treats
per
family.
Raffle
tickets
are
optional,
but
encouraged.
! “Books
&
Biscuits”
is
Paws
to
Learn’s
first
event
open
to
the
public.
The
goal
of
this
event
is
to
raise
awareness
of
our
organization,
acquire
supplies
for
the
dogs
and
students,
and
to
raise
money
through
raffle
ticket
sales
to
go
toward
renovating
our
facility.
! There
will
be
carnival
games,
face
painting,
a
bounce
house,
arts
&
crafts,
food
and
refreshments.
General
! Our
goal,
as
an
organization,
is
to
save
the
lives
of
shelter
dogs,
give
students
with
learning
disabilities
a
fun
opportunity
to
learn
and
grow,
and
to
give
high
school
graduates
with
learning
disabilities
some
job
experience.
! Each
dog
we
rescue
is
given
a
permanent,
loving
home
with
their
respective
trainer
or
Paws
to
Learn
volunteer.
The
time
to
train
each
dog
varies
depending
on
the
dog’s
activity
level,
behavior
and
compatibility
with
people.
! The
graduates
that
we
recruit
have
the
option
to
assist
with
the
basic
care
and
handling
of
our
dogs
or
help
mentor/tutor
the
students
that
we
teach.
This
gives
them
a
competitive
edge
in
the
job
market
and
something
to
put
on
their
resume.
! Paws
to
Learn
offers
services
to
both
public
and
private
schools.
Although
we
emphasize
improving
literacy,
the
subjects
we
teach
range
from
art,
science,
math
and
history.

6.
Pitch
Letter
27
August
2013
Leeroy
Jenkins
Features
Reporter
News
Stuff
Weekly
Hometown,
OK
1234
Dear
Leeroy,
An
innovative,
forward-­‐thinking
nonprofit
organization
will
be
making
its
debut
in
the
community
of
Sand
Springs,
Okla.
Sand
Springs
will
be
given
an
opportunity
to
contribute
to
improving
the
lives
of
dogs
in
shelters,
helping
students
who
struggle
with
learning
and
allowing
graduates
with
learning
disabilities
to
give
back
to
their
community
while
gaining
valuable
job
experience.
“Books
&
Biscuits”
is
going
to
be
the
event
that
introduces
Paws
to
Learn
to
Sand
Springs.
This
outdoor
carnival
will
include
fun
for
the
whole
family:
games,
crafts,
food,
raffle
prizes
and
then
some.
All
of
this
entertainment
comes
at
the
cost
of
one
book
or
one
box
of
dog
treats
per
family
attending.
However,
raffle
tickets
will
cost
an
additional
$3
per
ticket,
a
small,
but
effective
donation
for
a
one-­‐of-­‐a-­‐
kind
cause.
The
books
donated
will
be
used
during
classroom
interactions
between
students
struggling
with
literacy
and
the
dogs
that
assist
them.
Obviously,
the
treats
will
be
for
the
benefit
of
our
dogs.
All
cash
donations
are
contributing
to
the
renovation
of
the
Paws
to
Learn
facility.
This
will
allow
for
more
space
for
training,
administration
offices
and
a
transportation
vehicle.
Alicia
Tilson,
founder
and
CEO
of
Paws
to
Learn,
will
be
available
to
discuss
the
mission
of
the
organization
Sept.
6
and
7.
She
will
also
be
in
attendance
for
“Books
&
Biscuits”;
she
will
be
speaking
before
the
festivities
begin.
I’ll
contact
you
for
a
date
and
time
for
an
interview
promptly.
Thank
you
for
your
time.
Sincerely,
Jim
Bob
Director
of
Communications
Paws to Learn
(See Spot teach)

7. Paws
to
Learn
The
purpose
of
my
organization
is:
One
of
the
purposes
of
my
organization
is
to
provide
exemplary
shelter
and
care
for
rescued
dogs
from
various
shelters.
My
organization
will
also
utilize
the
skills
the
dogs
have
acquired
to
assist
young
adults
and
children
with
learning
disabilities.
My
organization
will
provide
the
following
products
or
services:
Our
organization
rescues
dogs
from
local
shelters.
Each
trainer
is
given
at
least
one
dog
to
adopt,
train
and
love.
They
may
choose
to
adopt
up
to
two,
however,
each
Paws
to
Learn
facility
is
only
allowed
a
maximum
of
five
dogs.
The
rescued
dogs
will
then
be
trained
by
professional
trainers
to
behave
in
a
classroom
setting.
My
organization
will
reach
out
to
high
school
graduates
with
learning
disabilities
to
give
them
the
opportunity
to
gain
valuable
work
experience
with
animals
and
children,
so
they
may
have
a
competitive
edge
in
today’s
job
market.
These
recruits
will
assist
in
the
basic
training
and
handling
of
the
dogs.
After
the
dogs
have
been
sufficiently
trained,
the
dogs
and
young
adults
will
travel
to
classrooms
to
assist
children
with
learning
disabilities,
particularly
literacy.
So,
not
only
will
the
rescued
dogs
be
given
a
happy,
permanent
home,
they
will
also
fulfill
an
educational
need
in
most
public
and
private
schools.
The
cost
for
these
products
or
services
is:
The
cost
for
each
visit
will
vary
depending
on
class
size.
Each
school
district
will
pay
for
a
week
of
learning
sessions.
Small
classes
that
have
four
to
five
students
will
cost
$40/week.
Classes
of
six
or
more
students
will
be
charged
an
additional
$30.
If
a
student
wishes
to
have
a
private
learning
session
with
one
of
the
dogs,
it
will
cost
an
additional
$40.
Although
these
prices
seem
high,
my
organization
must
make
enough
money
to
meet
the
adoption
fees,
vet
bills,
provide
adequate
nutrition
for
the
dogs,
fair
wages
for
our
trainers
and
enough
for
transportation.
We
will
actively
seek
corporate
level
sponsors
for
each
dog
and
potentially
for
each
school.
This
will
off-­‐set
expenses
and
allow
us
to
offer
services
at
a
more
affordable
level.
My
organization
is
located
in
this
city:
My
organization
will
be
based
in
Sand
Springs.
However,
our
services
will
be
offered
to
public
and
private
schools
in
the
state
of
Oklahoma.
My
organization’s
biggest
annual
event(s)
will
include:
My
organization
will
host
two
annual
events
per
year.
The
first
event
will
be
a
BBQ
picnic
fundraiser.
The
proceeds
from
this
event
will
go
toward
buying
new
books
for
students
to
read.
Pets
are
encouraged
to
attend
the
picnic.
The
second
event
will
be
a
gala/art
auction
fundraiser.
This
event
will
be
exclusive
to
major
donors
and
parents
of
the
young
adults
who
help
train
the
dogs.
The
art
to
be
auctioned
will
be
art
completed
by
both
the
children
we
work
with
and
the
dogs.
The
proceeds
for
this
event
will
help
care
for
the
dogs
that
work
with
the
children
(food,
treats,
toys,
etc.).
Donations
collected
will
help
fund
the
event
and
offer
prizes
for
the
silent
auction.
My
organization’s
event(s)
will
take
place
in
(month)
in
(city/state):
The
first
event
will
be
held
in
the
middle
of
June.
By
then,
the
weather
will
be
warm,
but
not
unbearably
hot.
The
picnic
will
be
held
in
Joe
Station
Bark
Park
in

8. Tulsa.
We
will
be
showcasing
success
stories
at
this
event.
The
second
event
will
be
in
the
middle
of
January.
The
gala
will
take
place
in
Tulsa,
Oklahoma,
preferably
inside
an
event
center.
My
organization’s
audience
could
include:
My
organization’s
audience
has
a
wide
range.
Our
primary
audience
will
be
children
between
the
ages
of
six
and
17.
The
services
that
our
dogs
and
tutors
have
to
offer
will
be
primarily
benefitting
these
children.
My
organization
will
also
be
reaching
out
to
recent
high
school
graduates
with
learning
disabilities.
This
will
allow
these
young
adults
to
utilize
the
skills
they’ve
learned
to
help
children,
give
them
work
experience
and
a
chance
to
work
with
animals
and
children.
As
far
as
partners
are
concerned,
we
would
love
to
have
the
opportunity
to
partner
with
research
teams
to
show
the
effectiveness
of
what
we
do.
Our
final
audience
would
be
various
nonprofit
animal
rescue
shelters.
All
of
the
dogs
that
we
train
and
work
with
will
be
adopted
from
a
local
animal
rescue
group.
We
also
hope
to
partner
with
these
groups
in
our
fundraising
events
held
throughout
the
year.
The
most
effective
communication
channels
for
my
audiences
will
be:
Our
organization
will
be
highly
active
in
social
media,
particularly
Facebook
and
Twitter.
Of
course,
we
will
also
advertise
in
local
magazines
such
as
Urban
Tulsa.
We
will
advertise
in
the
form
of
human
interest
stories.
Our
group
will
also
send
out
a
letter
to
all
special
needs
educators
in
the
state;
this
letter
will
explain
our
services,
the
science
behind
our
services,
how
to
request
permission
from
school
administrators
and
our
vision.
My
organization’s
message
is:
The
people
at
Paws
to
Learn
believe
everyone
deserves
a
chance
at
a
high
quality
of
life.
We
save
the
lives
of
dogs
in
shelters
and
give
them
happy,
permanent
homes.
In
turn,
we
give
back
to
the
children
of
our
community
by
allowing
our
dogs
to
enhance
their
learning
experience.
Our
dogs
are
trained
by
professionals,
while
being
handled
and
cared
for
by
high
school
graduates
who
also
struggled
with
learning
disabilities.
Our
dogs
and
the
children
we
work
with
will
be
given
a
unique
opportunity
to
learn
and
grow.
The
colors
of
my
organization
will
be:
Our
colors
will
be
light
orange,
blue
and
light
green.
Each
color
is
associated
with
a
principle
that
our
organization
promotes.
Orange
is
often
associated
with
creativity,
fascination
and
enthusiasm.
Blue
is
typically
associated
with
knowledge
and
integrity.
I
wanted
to
go
with
a
lighter
shade
of
green
because
dark
greens
have
been
associated
with
greed
and
money
in
the
past
and
this
is
not
what
we’re
about.
Light
green
represents
growth
and
safety.
Green
is
also
a
color
recently
associated
with
being
eco-­‐friendly.
Our
dogs
will
be
eating
organic
food
and
the
modes
of
transportation
will
also
minimize
our
carbon
footprint.
The
slogan
for
my
organization
will
be:
Our
organization’s
slogan
will
be:
“See
Spot
teach.”
I
envision
my
organization’s
logo
looking
like:
For
our
logo,
I
wanted
to
go
with
a
colorful,
yet
minimalist
approach.
The
logo
will
be
an
orange
silhouette
of
a
sitting
dog,
facing
forward.
The
dog
will
be
wearing
a
blue
graduation
cap
with
a
light
green
tassel.
Underneath
the
dog
will
be

9. the
words
“Paws
to
Learn”.
“Paws”
will
be
orange,
“to”
will
be
blue
and
“learn”
will
be
light
green.
Additional
information:
I
am
confident
that
this
organization
will
prove
to
be
a
success.
In
one
clinical
study
with
22
children,
kids
were
more
talkative
and
socially
engaged
with
a
service
dog
present.
In
another
study,
of
12
students,
the
students
were
less
aggressive
and
smiled
more
when
a
service
dog
was
present.
Several
service
dog
groups
offer
a
service
similar
to
what
we
provide,
however,
these
dogs
are
usually
adopted
through
AKC
certified
breeders,
thus
greatly
increasing
the
cost
of
services.
Also,
the
popularity
of
these
services
causes
the
organizations
to
have
month,
even
yearlong,
wait
lists.
Although
our
organization
rescues
dogs
from
local
shelters,
we’re
unfortunately
unable
to
adopt
high-­‐risk
breeds
such
as
the
American
Pit
Bull
Terrier,
Rottweiler,
Chow-­‐Chow,
Doberman
and
German
Shepherd;
this
is
primarily
for
the
safety
of
our
handlers
and
students.
Before
each
session,
the
student(s)
will
complete
a
questionnaire.
Each
student
will
be
paired
with
a
dog
based
on
behavioral
traits,
educational
needs
and
activity
level.
This
will
optimize
the
learning
experience
for
the
student
and
the
dog.
Previously,
I
had
mentioned
facilities.
Given
that
our
first
project
is
a
success
and
it
becomes
as
popular
as
I
predict,
Paws
to
Learn
will
open
up
facilities
nationwide.
These
facilities
will
be
used
for
the
purpose
of
training
the
dogs
and
educating
our
graduates.
The
dogs
will
be
living
with
their
respective
trainers.
The
reason
we
limit
five
dogs
per
facility
is
for
cost-­‐effectiveness,
adequate
training
time
for
each
dog
and
not
to
overwhelm
our
graduates,
as
some
could
become
overwhelmed
from
excessive
barking
from
several
dogs.
Each
teacher
can
determine
if
they
want
to
provide
the
books
for
each
student
or
if
the
organization
provides
books.
The
amount
of
training
each
dog
receives
before
being
exposed
to
the
students
will
vary
from
each
dog.
Factors
that
determine
this
include
the
dog’s
past
living
situation,
reception
to
basic
tricks
and
compatibility
with
humans.
The
training
our
handlers
will
receive
will
be
on
an
individual
level
and
under
close
supervision
unless
the
graduate
displays
the
ability
to
function
with
little
supervision.