If you’ve ever met Georgia — our gentle, curly-haired doodle — you know that she is more than just a beloved presence at the Bermuda Centre for Creative Learning. Georgia is our school comfort dog, and her impact on our students is both deeply emotional and backed by science.

Georgia is more than our school mascot. She’s part of our team. Whether she is lying quietly beside a child while they need a brief break from lessons, or greeting students at the door with joyful anticipation, Georgia helps worries melt away.

For students who learn differently — including those with dyslexia, ADHD and auditory processing disorders — school can be stressful. The emotional toll of feeling “behind” or misunderstood can weigh as heavily on a child’s progress as the learning difference itself.

Georgia helps to lighten that load. She shifts the classroom climate. Her presence alone reduces anxiety and invites calm. In those moments, we see students breathe easier, self-regulate more quickly and find the courage to try again.

Science backs what Georgia shows us every day.

A growing body of research affirms the powerful role comfort animals can play in education:

• A study published this month in Early Child Development and Care confirmed that dogs in classroom settings help to reduce stress, improve emotional regulation, and increase student participation and engagement. The researchers concluded that therapy dogs foster positive relationships and promote wellbeing in ways that directly support learning

• A 2011 study from the University of California, Davis found that children who read aloud to dogs once a week for ten weeks improved their reading fluency by 12 per cent, while peers who read without dogs showed no improvement. The reason? A non-judgmental listener can turn anxiety into motivation.

• A 2024 Pet Partners review of its “Dogs in the Classroom” initiative found that 95 per cent of participating teachers observed reduced anxiety in students, while 98 per cent reported increased empathy and emotional awareness.

This past May, Georgia also played a unique role during Bermuda’s first official Mental Health Anti-Stigma Month. She joined our students and staff at events across the island — including the City Hall event launch, youth-led round-tables and at Harbour Nights — offering quiet comfort in loud, busy spaces. Adults and children alike were drawn to her. It was yet another reminder that sometimes the most meaningful connections are the simplest ones.

We were proud to stand alongside other community partners, including Community K9, whose work demonstrates the broader value of dogs in fostering public safety, trust and emotional connection with adults and children. It shows us how much healing and reassurance a four-legged companion can bring.

We have seen the ripple effect first-hand. On tough mornings, students pause to stroke Georgia’s ears before picking up a pencil. A once-reluctant reader now asks to read aloud — as long as Georgia is curled at their feet. During group work, her quiet presence diffuses tension and helps students to practise patience and empathy.

Georgia does not replace skilled educators or personalised interventions in the classroom. But she amplifies their impact by creating the emotional safety needed for learning to take root. She reminds us that education is not about information alone; it’s about connection, trust and the courage to try, fail and try again.

As we enter our tenth year, BCCL remains committed to championing inclusive education for all students in Bermuda. Our mission is to ensure that every student who learns differently feels seen, understood and empowered. Georgia helps us do that — one calm breath and one quiet paw at a time.

She may be our comfort dog. But to our students, she is so much more. She’s a friend, a presence and a daily reminder that learning can feel as warm as her welcome.

• Cindy Corday is the Head of School at Bermuda Centre for Creative Learning