High School Students Attend K9 Training Camp
Thomas College criminal justice professor Dr. Mark Marsolais held a K9 Training event called the Science of K9 Searching and Protecting Camp for high school students last week. The week-long camp was spent both inside and outside the classroom, exploring how working dogs detect scent, learn tasks, and operate alongside human handlers in real-world environments.
Students worked in small teams and gain direct, hands-on experience with trained K9s while learning the scientific principles that guide modern detection and search work.
One of the student participants, Bella Thessen, is headed into her senior year at Greely High School, said she loved the experience.
“It’s been great, everyone has been so welcoming. I’ve taken other classes like this before, but this one really stands out. I’ve been looking for a camp at this advanced level, and it’s been exactly what I was hoping for. Mark is a great instructor, and I’ve learned so much from him. I’m genuinely impressed with the camp overall, and the other campers have been incredibly friendly and supportive,” said Bella.
Another participant, Rachel Richardson, will be attending Thomas College this fall.
“I love animals and I love dogs especially, and I’ve always loved the science of kind of like the searching and detecting, and I wanted to figure out more about like how the dogs do what they do,” said Rachel.
The students also spent the week in the residence halls on campus and engaged in local activities during off-hours like visiting the Kennebec Humane Society, going bowling, and attending craft night.
Opportunities for learning, like the K9 Science camp, are made possible in part through donor support to the Thomas Fund. This operational support allows Thomas to teach real-world scenarios to its students and encourages them to learn more about what interests them most. To make a difference in every student’s education, make a gift to the Thomas Fund.