Hawaiian Gardens Woman is PETA’s Teacher of the Year Runner-Up

Hawaiian Gardens Educator Teaches Kids Respect for Animals and Their Own Bodies by Introducing Them to Healthy Vegan Foods

For Immediate Release:
May 22, 2013

Contact:
Shakira Croce 202-483-7382

Los Angeles – Cat Hugar, who teaches seventh and eighth grades at Fedde International Studies Academy in Hawaiian Gardens has been chosen as the runner-up in a contest for 2013 Teacher of the Year held by TeachKind—PETA’s humane-education division. The contest was timed to coincide with Teacher Appreciation Month.

“Cat Hugar’s students learn the most important lesson of all—showing kindness to others,” says PETA Director of Youth Outreach and Campaigns Marta Holmberg. “Teaching children empathy for animals is an important part of combating violence and molding kids into caring adults.”

After succeeding in getting her school to implement “Meatless Mondays,” Hugar is now lobbying the entire district to follow suit. Her Cause for Paws program teaches kids about the cruelty of factory farms, fur, wildlife captivity, dogfighting, and experimenting on animals. Many of her students have followed her example and gone vegan, and after some of the kids’ parents challenged her and learned about all the benefits, they, too, started moving toward going vegan. Hugar’s power of persuasion isn’t to be underestimated: She even succeeded in getting PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk to come speak at the school.

Hugar will receive a framed certificate and be featured on PETA’s TeachKind website. For more information, please visit TeachKind.com.