The Elite Program Inc.’s Groom Elite Certification School is conducting a 3-day Teacher/Volunteer/Staff Certification and Information workshop on January 28-30 at the Florida Parishes Campus of Northshore Technical and Community College in Greensburg, Louisiana, with the third day (Jan. 30) at Louisiana Office of Juvenile Justice headquarters in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The workshop is open to anyone involved in teaching horse related activities as well as individuals that volunteer with or that serve as staff for horse-related charities or businesses. A nominal registration fee of $15 per day or $30 for all three days will include all handout materials and lunch each day.
Nationally recognized equine educator, Dr. C. Reid McLellan, a native of Baton Rouge currently residing in Lexington, Kentucky, will conduct the workshop. McLellan was Head of Louisiana Tech University’s Animal Industries Department and founded that school’s award winning equine training program of the 1980s. Currently Executive Director of The Elite Program and Senior Instructor in the nationally recognized Groom Elite certification program, McLellan recently taught a Groom Elite 101 Certification class at Fair Grounds in New Orleans. Dr. McLellan will be assisted by others as they discuss their specific fields of interest. Just as are Groom Elite courses, this workshop will be a mixture of classroom discussions, outdoor demonstrations with live horses, hands-on practice and use of electronic and other teaching aids. Attendees will be invited to participate through an interactive question and answer format plus “team demonstration exercises.”
Day 1 (Tuesday, January 28) starts with registration at 8:30 a.m. at the beautiful new Florida Parishes campus of NTCC located at 948 Hwy 1042 in Greensburg, La. In addition to a discussion of the Groom Elite program’s history and teaching philosophy the day’s lesson will focus on teaching horse behavior and safe handling of horses. Development, editing and use of Power Point shows as teaching aids will be demonstrated and discussed.
Day 2 (Wednesday, Jan 29) lessons will be “Teaching Proper Application of Bandages” and “Teaching Mouth, Hay &Digestive System” and will include bandaging practice and a discussion of the written and practical final exams necessary for students to become certified.
Day 3 (Thursday, Jan 30) will be held at Louisiana’s Office of Juvenile Justice headquarters at 7919 Independence Blvd, Baton Rouge, La. This session will focus on the Second Chances High School Groom Elite program to be taught at LJJ’s Jetson Center for Youth in North Baton Rouge. Lessons will include how retired racehorses are used to teach incarcerated individuals in adult facilities in other states and how this program will be implemented at Jetson.
This program is designed to help individuals improve their understanding of the horse and techniques of teaching the uniqueness of horses as compared to other animals and humans. The methods can be used by those teaching equine lessons as a profession and non-profits that depend on many volunteers to help with their programs. The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance awards grants to non-profit “after racing” programs that retire, rehabilitate and/or retrain Thoroughbreds. One of their considerations for certification is the training and awareness of volunteers and staff that work with each program. This program will fulfill one of those requirements.
This program was made possible by the Northshore Technical Community College through a grant from the MacArthur Foundation. Dr. Sharon Hornsby, Dean of NTCC’s Florida Parishes Campus in Greensburg, and members of the NTCC faculty, students and staff will be participating and available to discuss ongoing equine program opportunities at the Greensburg campus as well as the Second Chances High School Groom Elite Program and Retired Racehorse Center at Jetson Center for Youth.
To see a complete outline of the full three day workshop and to register for this workshop go to www.groomelite.comor call Northshore CCat 225-222-4251 or Dr. McLellan at 859-321-4377.