2009 Virginia Cummings Bursary Recipient

Lori Friesen is the recipient of the Virginia Cummings Bursary for the year 2009.

As a teacher/educator, Lori has devoted much of her career to improving reading habits of children both in the classroom and in libraries with the assistance of her beloved Tango.  Lori is currently working on her doctorate at the University of Alberta.

As a person who has been and who continues to be deeply involved in pet therapy programs, Lori will be conducting a case study with elementary students in the Edmonton area.  Her study will be seeking qualitative answers to the questions:

• How do children experience literacy-learning with a therapy dog in a classroom community?
• How are relationships and interactions amongst students and with their teacher influenced by the presence of a therapy dog?

Lori’s enthusiasm for pet therapy and her love for Tango and Sparky as well as the children she works with will certainly bring her success in both her studies and her life.

Congratulations, Lori, on being the recipient of the Virginia Cummings Bursary.