Hope Unleashed is an uplifting six-part observational documentary series which follows sixteen Canadian high school students on a remarkable journey training future service and therapy dogs. Filmed fly-on-the-wall style, the series captures an authentic look at transformation on both ends of the leash over a five month semester.
Teacher Jane Boake’s innovative COPE Canines in the Classroom Program, the specially designed curriculum offers students a unique opportunity to learn and gain high school credits outside a traditional classroom. Each episode of Hope Unleashed shows the real-life progress and growth of the students and their dog partners. They build classroom success step-by-step or “bit by bit” — just like dog behaviours.
The students explore English concepts like trust, bonding, anticipation, consistency, responsibility and body language while learning to teach their canine partners over thirty behaviours. Training milestones include sit, lie down, go in and out of crate, shake a paw, loose-leash walking, recall, focus and opening doors. They also learn to lie down calmly to be the perfect Reading Buddies. The students use force-free positive training methods and overcome challenges, gaining much more than just dog-handling skills. They gain empathy, patience, and confidence, as well as leadership, self-regulation, organization, presentation and communication skills. The semester culminates with a powerful live event where each student showcases their dog’s new abilities on stage in front of 200 people. In the final episode, teacher Jane and the students reflect on the highlights of the course and what they learned.
Commissioned by Bell FIBE TV1 and available on FIBE Channel One and the FIBE TV App.
Produced by Hop To It Productions and Brain Power Studio.
Written and Directed by Susan Nation
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aIxia_gN3U |
