AAVS News
September 13, 2021
Did you hear? The Science Bank Turns 25!
While AAVS celebrates humane science education every day, we are especially excited because The Science Bank has reached its milestone 25th anniversary! A free lending library of dissection alternatives, as well as other humane education tools, The Science Bank was created by AAVS’s Animalearn department in 1996 as a solution for students and educators needing non-animal resources in science education.
Watch our fun video honoring The Science Bank’s 25 years!
Today, The Science Bank also receives inquiries from parents, teachers, school boards, university professors, science camps, and more, offering hundreds of animal and human anatomy resources, from hands-on models to the latest virtual reality technology, so that students at all education levels can learn biology without harming animals. Now, there’s not just interest in alternatives, there’s excitement!
We’re also so proud how The Science Bank became the go-to resource for educators facing the challenge of teaching remotely during the pandemic by developing a special resource guide on its website, featuring virtual alternatives that are available online, many for free or at a low cost. Additionally, to help under-resourced schools in Philadelphia, the Animalearn Philly Schools Partnership was launched, teaming up with Science Bank partner, Merge, to provide two public schools with the popular Merge EDU platform, an augmented reality science education system.
Every year, The Science Bank continues to introduce more and more students and teachers to humane science education—that’s worth celebrating!
Other News
Despite a ban on animal-tested cosmetics that came into full effect in 2013, the European Chemicals Agency is now calling for new animal testing on ingredients used in cosmetic products. To voice opposition, The Body Shop, Dove, and many animal organizations are mobilizing European citizens, urging them to sign the European Citizen’s Initiative petition. LEARN MORE
A perfect example of how science education has changed can be found in this story about medical training during the COVID-19 pandemic. Looking at options for remote learning, educators at the Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine found that virtual dissection can provide students with a quality educational experience, reinforcing what we’ve known for a long time: animals don’t need to be harmed to study the life sciences. LEARN MORE
Organs-on-Chips have come of age and are becoming the scientific tool of choice in many biomedical research labs. Companies are sprouting up and multinational pharmaceutical firms, government agencies, and disease researchers are eager to see what the chips might do to improve the outcomes of their work. A trade publication reviews some of the prominent players and the potential for these non-animal alternative methods. LEARN MORE
Sanctuary Moment
Primates Incorporated
Maddie is Partial to Pigs
Primates are social and inquisitive and enrichment plays an important role helping sanctuaries provide these animals caring, fulfilling lives. Enrichment can come in many different forms, including food foraging boards, climbing platforms, and even stuffed animals, like this pig that Maddie loves so much. Just like human children are attracted to different toys, so are nonhuman primates. Out of all her enrichment, Maddie has shown that she is partial to pigs! Maddie even has her collection of pigs and shares them with her mate, Noah. What a good friend!
Maddie lives at Primates Incorporated, a Wisconsin sanctuary that provides safe haven to monkeys retired from research, as well as those who were once kept has pets. AAVS has supported the sanctuary since it welcomed its first residents who were released from a lab in 2018. To meet the other monkeys who call Primate Inc home, check out their social media, including tiktok, to see all the monkey fun!
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