MLI Team Visits Connecticut

From Left: Anne, Rico, Tamara, and Elise are excited to be in Connecticut

Elise Becker (Executive Director), Tamara Klingsheim (CHAMPS Coordinator), Anne Wooleyhand (Educational Programs Director), and Rico Cosby (MLI's K9 Ambassador) traveled to Connecticut for the Spring CHAMPS (Children Against Mines Program) visit.

During the visit, the team reached:

6 Locations

559 People (including 495 school children)

9 Presentations/Demonstrations

Day 1 ~ First Stop: The Hill House Senior Residents Community

It is always wonderful to visit our senior friends and watch Rico interact with everyone. After discussing the humanitarian impact of landmines, Rico demonstrated his amazing sniffing skills. The residents give Rico plenty of love and attention.

Day 2 ~ Second Stop: The Boys and Girls Club of Greenwich

What a great group of young people! MLI was honored to have such an attentive audience as the team shared an introductory presentation on CHAMPS. Following the presentation, the boys and girls watched Rico use his nose to locate his training device, leading to many amazing questions from both the adults and young people.

Day 2 ~ First Stop: Brunswick Upper School

Upper School students met with the MLI staff to discuss ways to start an MLI club to benefit all age groups of students at the school. The Upper School students will take the lead and mentor the younger students. Rico did a demonstration for the boys, showing them how MDDs make a positive difference in the world. Rico was sponsored by the Brunswick School in 2014; it is always great to be back on campus.

Day 2 ~ Second Stop: Lunch with The Rotary Club of Greenwich

Rico and the team enjoyed lunch with the local Rotary Club before providing a presentation about the impact of the CHAMPS Connecticut Schools over the years. The schools in the Greenwich area have sponsored 20 life-saving dogs to date and have successfully connected with hundreds of students in Bosnia-Herzegovina through virtual exchange calls.

Day 2 ~ Third Stop: North Mianus Elementary School

This is the annual visit to present information about CHAMPS and talk about Rico. The kids are always full of energy and ask great questions. This year, the 5th graders participated in CHAMPS, connecting with students in Bosnia-Herzegovina during monthly calls to learn about each other's cultures and share about their schools.

Day 3 ~ All Day: Brunswick Middle School

What an honor to spend the entire day at the Brunswick Middle School teaching science classes that focus on the differences between human and dog noses. Connecting the lesson to the Sustainable Development Goals made for an interesting discussion with the 7th graders. Rico provided a demonstration to each of the five classes, which is a new record for him!

We are grateful to the teachers, students, and organizations who welcome the MLI team to their community each year. Throughout the over 20+ years of CHAMPS, the Greenwich, Connecticut area has been one of our biggest supporters.