RELEASE: September 5, 2003

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Warren Project TEACH/TEC picnic and graduation features WTC therapy dogs

PORT MURRAY/MANSFIELD TWP, NJ – The annual family picnic and graduation for the young mothers and
mothers-to-be of Warren County’s Project TEACH/TEC turned out to be much more than a celebratory picnic. The young students and their children met real heroes and learned the true meaning of community service, as therapy dogs and National Guard members who helped at the World Trade Center joined in this summer’s festivities.

The Department of Human Services (DHS) Regional School, Warren Project TEACH/TEC, (Teen Education And
Child Health/Technical Education Center) located in Port Murray, Mansfield Township in Warren County, is an
alternative high school for pregnant and parenting teens and at-risk students that offers a full component of high school courses. Job shadowing, community service and personal empowerment are blended into the school program, and it was through these components that the students learned about Rusty, one of the American Red Cross therapy dogs involved in rescue and recovery at the World Trade Center.

During a job shadowing class to a local photography store, teacher Jean Pollock and a student met Carl Maier of
Oxford, NJ. He was having a picture of a collie enlarged. They learned that the collie, Rusty, was in the bloodline of
Lassie. Later, Miss Pollock ran into Maier at the local Vo-Tech library where he was doing a presentation with
Rusty, his American Red Cross therapy dog, on how they were involved in Rescue and Recovery at the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001. Pollock explained the Project TEACH program to Maier and asked if he could incorporate his presentation into their Service Learning and Personal Empowerment Classes.

Warren Project TEACH had another tie-in to the World Trade Center. Its students played basketball with the “guys” and did “military sit-ups” at the National Guard Armory as part of their Physical Education class. These Guard members had also been part of the World Trade Center rescue operation, so the school decided to hold its family picnic and graduation at the Armory and invited them. During the picnic, the National Guard members teamed up with the students for volleyball.

Carl Maier brought two therapy dogs, Rusty and Amanda, to the picnic. “The students all wanted to work with and
walk the dogs,” said Principal Stacy Becker. “Mr. Maier explained how he came about receiving his first dog and
presented Warren Project TEACH/TEC with an autographed copy of his book, The Collie at Castle Hill. He then
explained their work with the American Red Cross, going into schools and nursing homes. At the World Trade
Center and Pentagon in September, they were there as “comfort” dogs for the rescuers, survivors, family members
and search dogs! As this was- an historical event we will all remember, we thought it would be an interesting story for our students to hear from Mr. Maier,” said Becker.

One of the students took digital pictures and created a PowerPoint presentation of the picnic. As part of their
computer classes, the students later typed thank you letters to Mr. Maier, Rusty and Amanda, and the National
Guard. “Our students learned in a variety of ways after meeting these self-less, brave individuals and animals,”
concluded Becker. “We are in contact with Mr. Maier and are told that there is a possible postage stamp in the
future with Rusty at Ground Zero,” she said.

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Renee, daughter of a Project TEACH mom, makes friends with therapy dog Rusty.		Therapy dogs Amanda and Rusty get friendly with teacher Jean Pollock and Renee, a daughter of one of the Project TEACH students.
Therapy dogs Amanda and Rusty flank their owner Carl Maier, of Oxford, New Jersey, at the Project TEACH family picnic and graduation, held in Warren County’s National Guard Armory.
		Rusty, who works for the American Red Cross, may be featured on a postage stamp honoring his work as a comfort dog at Ground Zero.

Project TEACH (Teen Education and Child Health) is an alternative, year-round education program for pregnant or
parenting teens who have typically dropped out of high school and are at risk of never going back. Teens in this
program also often lack the kind of guidance and support that might help them become better parents and
self-supporting adults. The program strives to make sure that each girl will either receive a diploma from her local
high school while at Project TEACH or return to school and graduate with her class. In any event, they do not leave
the program until a support system is in place for them at home or in the community.

The first Project TEACH program opened in Atlantic County in 1998. Project TEACH programs are now located in Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Mercer, Monmouth, Morris and Warren Counties. Each program:

In addition to an education, Project TEACH provides a variety of support services including:

Girls can enroll in Project TEACH anytime after they find out they are pregnant. For more information about Project
TEACH, call the Office of Education at 609-588-3157 (TTY - 609-584-4355) or Fax: 609-588-7237.

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