VANCOUVER, WA & LOS ANGELES, CA — September 16, 2020 — InStride, the premier global provider of strategic enterprise education™, and Banfield Pet Hospital®, a pioneer in preventive veterinary care, have partnered to launch the Banfield Educational Pathways Program.

Banfield’s program aims to provide meaningful career growth and pathing by offering a select group of paraprofessionals Banfield-paid tuition to complete an online STEM-related undergraduate degree.

The program’s first group of participants includes 26 paraprofessionals from across the practice who will have the opportunity to pursue a bachelor’s degree from their choice of more than a dozen science and health-focused programs offered at Arizona State University (ASU), one of the partners in InStride’s growing academic network.

“Support for paraprofessionals -- as well as our credentialed veterinary technicians -- has long been a priority for us at Banfield,” said Dr. Daniel Aja, Chief Veterinary Relations and Transformation Officer at Banfield Pet Hospital. “We’re thrilled to see the impact the Banfield Educational Pathways Program will have for our associates and look forward to growing the program in the future.”

Banfield – part of the Mars Veterinary Health family of brands – has more than 19,000 associates across 1,000+ preventive veterinary care hospitals in 42 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. Banfield’s over 3,600 veterinarians are committed to providing high-quality veterinary care to over three million pets annually.

“Banfield has a people-first culture and is an employer of choice in the veterinary industry,” said Vivek Sharma, InStride CEO. “The practice views InStride’s strategic enterprise education approach as a competitive advantage that will help the company attract and retain high-quality talent.”

Other U.S. colleges and universities participating in InStride’s network include Harvard Business School Online, The City University of New York (CUNY), the University of Washington Continuum College and the University of Wisconsin–Madison, as well as other high-quality institutions globally.

ABOUT BANFIELD PET HOSPITAL®

Banfield Pet Hospital was founded in Portland, Ore. in 1955 and today is a pioneer in preventive veterinary care with more than 1,000 general veterinary hospitals in 42 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. More than 3,600 Banfield veterinarians are committed to providing high-quality veterinary care to over three million pets annually. As part of the Mars Veterinary Health family of brands, Banfield is committed to its purpose—A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS®—because pets make a better world for us. Press seeking additional information are invited to call the Media Hotline: (888) 355-0595.

ABOUT INSTRIDE

As the premier global provider of strategic enterprise education™, InStride enables employers to provide career-boosting degrees and credentials to their employees, through leading global academic institutions across the U.S., Mexico, Europe, and Australia. InStride helps organizations achieve transformative business and social impact by unlocking the power of education, through advanced technology-enabled experiences for learners and corporate partners alike. For more information, please visit www.instride.com or follow InStride on Twitter and LinkedIn.