The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA) and the American Humane Education Society held an annual poster contest for school children. These events were thought to be especially beneficial for children because the students participating in these contests “learns how to care for pets while improving his art skills through portraying what he believes in on a poster.” In other words, training in the arts, creative expression, and Humane Education were understood to go hand-in-hand.
Brochure for annual poster contest sponsored by the American Humane Education Society and the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Collection of MSPCA Angell.
A list of topics that the MSPCA and the AHES were particularly interested in seeing expressed in poster form included:
- Feed Pets Regularly
- Vacation–Arrange for Care of Pets
- Keep Fresh Water on Hand at All Times
- Kindness Brings True Happiness
- Be Gentle and Patient with Animals
- Care of Farm Animals
- Shoot with a Camera Instead of a Gun
- Protect Wildlife
The contest was open to all students (both public and private schools) who were in the fourth grade or higher. Only one poster per student and only five posters from each school class would be accepted which necessitated a process of internal jurying on the part of the teacher before the submissions were sent on to the contest. Originality of design was emphasized, and the contest rules explicitly stated that “posters made from an enlargement of another picture, stencils, tracing, or other pictures pasted on will be disqualified.”
Be Kind: A Visual History of Humane Education 
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