Disconnection with nature is at an all time high; disconnection with the world’s animals is arguably higher. Only 4 percent of mammals alive today are wild; 60 percent are farmed. Meanwhile, we are losing the natural world we rely on faster than ever.

Could our love for animals help us to reconnect and make the change we need to see?

Why Animals Matter is a 90 minute workshop, aimed at children ages 9-11, which hopes to support and encourage young people’s love of animals, by celebrating what they share, highlighting difficult ways the animals are sometimes treated and highlighting different ways of thinking about our friendships with them.

Through gentle storytelling, powerful short videos, open discussion, children are invited to step into the experiences of animals - to imagine their emotions, struggles, and joys.

Instead of focusing only on facts and figures, the sessions bring empathy to life by encouraging students to see animals as sentient beings with their own personalities, families, feelings and needs - just like us.

The workshops have been commissioned by The Empathy Project, a cultural platform re-imagining the relationship between humans and animals and will be delivered by Gen Earth, a social enterprise with extensive experience in developing and implementing engaging climate programmes for young people.

Each child will choose a species to learn about, discovering inspiring reasons to care for and protect them - from whales, the “teachers of the ocean,” to everyday creatures they may encounter in their own lives. They will be encouraged to imagine lives as those animals and, in group activities, to speak on their behalf.

Sensitive topics, such as farmed animals, will be explored thoughtfully and with care.

The workshops culminate in a creative opportunity where students imagine a kinder world for all living beings through art and craft. Space will be given for every voice to share and reflect on what compassion looks like in action.

At the same time, studies have repeatedly shown real benefits to children who share affectionate bonds with animals: from strengthened perspective-taking and increased kindness towards others, to reduced stress and anxiety.

Successfully caring for an animal can make a child feel capable and valued. Kids who love animals are more socially competent and confident; showing a stronger affinity for nature, greater empathy towards their peers and, in another study, a greater willingness to enter pro-social and pro-environmental professions.

The 2023 State of Naturereport reveals that UK wildlife is in decline, with average species abundance dropping by 19% since 1970 and nearly one in six species (16.1%) threatened with extinction.

Key drivers include intensive farming, climate change, and habitat loss, with only 14% of important habitats in good ecological condition.

And yet the UK also claims to be an animal-loving nation, home to one of the world’s oldest animal charities, the RSPCA.

Films like My Octopus Teacherhave shown there is a hunger for stories that shine a light on our relationship with other species on this planet.

Why Animals Matter hopes to accelerate that conversation, putting animals in the centre of the conversation, not as a side issue, where they belong.

Animals are starting to emerge, from activism into culture and into how we imagine our future. Earlier this year, the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens hosted a seminal year-long exhibition Why Look at Animals; four floors of contemporary art dedicated to our relationship with other species. The Jeremy Coller Centre for Animal Sentience at the London School of Economics (LSE) - the world's first research centre dedicated to studying animal consciousness and sentience - was formally opened on September 30, 2025.

This workshop joins these conversations at the right moment, when our children need support in reconnecting to the world’s other species, and in imagining new worlds of peace and equity for all.

Bel Jacobs is an advocate for climate and nature justice and for animals. She is founder of commissioning agent The Empathy Project. For five years, she delivered talks about animal rights and veganism to primary and secondary school children; much of her learning comes from that valuable experience. She also trained and, for two years, volunteered as a child counsellor with Place2Be.

Gen Earth is a non-profit social enterprise which helps young people feel inspired, empowered and better informed through increasing their access to conservation education. They work in partnership with the best conservation and climate justice organisations to boost their educational outreach.

What we would like to see in the future: Early iterations of the workshop will focus on primary school level children but we plan to adjust the content for schools, colleges and universities.

What we're committing to: With comprehensive outreach and marketing, we will bring this workshop into as many primary schools as possible, giving them a chance to engage with this issue alongside compassionate, experienced facilitators.

A successful crowdfunding campaign strengthens our case for this expanded programme, demonstrating public support for funders.

The workshops will be rolled out in June and throughout the rest of the academic year.

If we achieve our funding, we will expand the programme to hosting workshops in respected farmed animal sanctuaries, alongside animal behaviourists, so that students can meet the animals in person, taking their learnings into the real world.

If you’re a school, community organisation, sanctuary or funder and would like to know more, please sign up below.

We wish to thank all those who have directly inputted into the workshop or provided valuable resources or inspiration that have contributed to the project's development