Kindling Minds

02/19/2026

📚🐾 Come see us this Saturday, February 21st at the Carmel Clay Public Library! 🐾📚

Join Kindling Minds at the Volunteer Fair at Carmel Clay Public Library from 1:00–3:00 PM!

We’ll be hanging out, chatting about Kindling Minds and our volunteer opportunities — and yes, a few of our PAWS dogs will be there too for extra smiles and tail wags. 🐶💙

The fair is free and a great opportunity for anyone looking to get more involved in the Carmel and Hamilton County community. Stop by anytime, say hello, and learn how you can be part of this meaningful work.

We hope to see you there! 👋🐾

02/17/2026

We love being invited by our school partners to join picture day! It’s always a fun reminder of how our PAWS dogs have become part of the school community, not just visitors, but trusted members of the team.

Thank you, University High School of Indiana , for including us in this special opportunity! 😃 How cute are Kingsley, Archie, and Angel in their pictures?!

Interested in being part of this kind of school-based support? Learn more about volunteer with us by visiting our website and turn your love for dogs into support for students. 🐾💛
https://www.kindlingminds.org/

02/13/2026

💖🐾 You Make Our Hearts Wag 🐾💖

Last night, we had the joy of celebrating our incredible volunteers at our Valentine’s appreciation party — and our hearts are still so full. It meant so much to be together, connect, and reflect on the profound impact this community is making through our mission.

From shared laughs and meaningful conversations to handing out brand new Kindling Minds dog vests and volunteer t-shirts (plus a few extra goodies!), the night was all about showing our love and gratitude for the people who make this work possible.

A very special "THANK YOU" to for donating a large portion of the food provided last night and to for donating the gorgeous bouquet for our giveaway. We are so grateful for the wonderful generosity of our community! 🩷

To our volunteers: thank you for your time, your hearts, and everything you do to support Kindling Minds. We truly couldn’t do this without you. 💙🐾

02/12/2026

A new partnership, a first visit, and a great start! 🐾💜

We recently kicked off our PAWS Team partnership with Avondale Meadows Middle School. Our first official PAWS Team visit offered a glimpse of what it looks like when wellness support is thoughtfully introduced into a school community. PAWS dog Charlie helped set the tone creating calm, connection, and positive first interactions with students and staff.

02/11/2026

🎨🌿 Spring Semester Mindful Arts Program — Now in Session! 🌿🎨

We’re thrilled to kick off our spring semester Mindful Arts Program at Options Noblesville, led by our amazing facilitator, Angi. With more than 25 years of experience working with children, teens, and families, Angi brings a unique blend of expertise as an art therapist, educator, and mental health professional.

Our Mindful Arts Program supports students in exploring connection, self-expression, and self-regulation through creative, nature-inspired activities. Led by a licensed art therapist and counselor, the program creates space for students to slow down, reflect, and express themselves through art—fostering resilience and emotional well-being along the way.

We’re grateful to continue offering programs that meet students where they are and support their mental wellness in meaningful, creative ways. 💙

02/10/2026

Behind every wagging tail is a volunteer who chose to show up. 💙

We are endlessly grateful for the humans who share their time, their dogs, and their hearts to support student mental wellness. The impact they make is real — and felt long after the visit ends.

If you’ve been looking for a way to give back that feels personal, purpose-driven, and deeply rewarding, this is your sign.

✨ Love dogs
✨ Care about youth mental wellness
✨ Want to be part of something meaningful

👉 Comment VOLUNTEER below and we’ll DM you with more information on how to get involved with Kindling Minds.

We’d love to welcome you to the team. 🐾💙

02/05/2026

💜 Happy National School Counselors Week! 💜

This week, we want to take a moment to say thank you to the incredible school counselors at our partner schools who support our work and, most importantly, the students they serve every single day.

School counselors are often the primary point of connection for our programs and are instrumental in supporting teens and pre-teens through both everyday challenges and life’s hardest moments. They are the ones who consistently advocate for students, championing innovative, student-centered wellness supports and saying yes to new ideas when students need them most.

From welcoming PAWS Team support dogs into schools, to embracing mindful arts programming, and coordinating nature-based experiences like field trips to alpaca farms, school counselors lead with creativity, compassion, and courage. Their willingness to think beyond traditional approaches helps ensure students feel seen, supported, and connected.

We are deeply grateful for their partnership, trust, and unwavering dedication to student mental wellness. Thank you for all you do, this week and always! 🐾🎨🦙

02/03/2026

💛🐾 In loving memory of Rufus 🐾💛

With heavy hearts, we share the passing of Rufus, one of our beloved PAWS Team wellness support dogs. Rufus embodied the classic golden retriever spirit — calm, sweet, and gentle — and shared that steady presence with countless school students over the years.

Rufus was one of our very first PAWS Team dogs, supporting students from the early days of our mission and helping shape the heart of the work we do today. His quiet comfort, kind eyes, and unwavering love left a lasting impression on everyone he met.

We are deeply grateful to Rufus’s family - including his golden brother Finley, his alpaca brothers, and his humans - who continue to generously support Kindling Minds and our mission.

Rufus’s spirit will live on in our program for many years to come, in every moment of calm, connection, and compassion we’re able to offer students because of dogs like him.

Thank you, Rufus, for everything. 🤍💐

01/29/2026

🛍️ Our Kindling Minds Apparel Store is OPEN!

T-shirts. Hoodies. Travel mugs. OH MY! ☕👕
All with one purpose: supporting youth mental wellness.

💙 Every purchase helps fund our mission
🛒 Shop via the comments below or on our website

Thank you for being part of the Kindling Minds community. 💙

Check out Kindling Minds on Bonfire and shop official merchandise today! Featuring limited edition custom apparel, printed with care in the USA just for you.

01/27/2026

✨ 2026 is off to a great start! ✨

Our handler–dog teams were so excited to reunite with students after winter break and have already been busy catching up, building connections, and creating a little magic during our school programs. 🐾💙

Moments like these remind us how powerful connection can be for student mental wellness—and how meaningful it is to be back together in our schools.

Drop a 🐾 in the comments to welcome our teams back!

🐾

01/22/2026

Please join us in welcoming Kirstin Foster and her dog, Harley Ann, as our newest handler–dog team! We are so excited to have them join the team and know they will make meaningful connections with students and community partners. 💙

We’re also celebrating Lauren and April, who just passed their PAWS renewal evaluation and look forward to continuing their impact on student mental wellness in 2026.

Interested in volunteering with Kindling Minds?
👇 Comment VOLUNTEER below and we’ll DM you a link with more information on how to get involved! 🐾

🐾

01/20/2026

🎉 We’re thrilled to share some exciting news! 🎉

Kindling Minds has received a $5,000 support grant from The Alan & Linda Cohen Family Foundation!

This generous funding will directly support our mission and help strengthen our impact on youth mental wellness in our community. We are deeply grateful for partners who believe in the importance of connection, resilience, and mental health support for young people! 💙

Thank you, Alan & Linda Cohen Family Foundation, for investing in our work and the students we serve.