Chickens Boost School Attendance

Showing up to school can be tough for young children, but at some Tulsa Public Schools campuses, fluffy chickens are helping make the decision a little easier.

Veronica Foster, student recruitment and community engagement coordinator for Early Childhood Education, has found an unexpected way to motivate young learners to show up: her flock of “bougie chickens.”

Foster first brought chickens into the classroom while working at Clinton West Elementary, where she helped launch a chicken club alongside other enrichment efforts. The idea was simple but memorable.

“A chicken has to sit on its eggs every single day to hatch—just like you have to go to school every day,” Foster said. “Students need to come to school consistently to grow and learn.”

The concept stuck—especially on hatch days. Attendance data showed noticeable improvement on days when chicks were expected to emerge, and students with strong attendance records were awarded with special visits and photo opportunities.

Now working in early childhood enrollment and family engagement, Foster occasionally brings her Silkies—known for their soft, fur-like feathers and feathered feet—to campuses including John Hope Franklin Elementary and Unity Learning Academy. Many students have never seen chickens like hers.

“Is that a stuffed animal?” they ask.

The visits spark conversations about responsibility, routines and showing up. Foster says it can be difficult for young children to grasp abstract concepts like time, but they understand waking up with the rooster and caring for something every day.

For Foster, who grew up in West Tulsa and now raises chickens with hopes of starting a 4-H club with her daughter, the visits are about more than chickens. They’re a memorable way to remind students that showing up every day matters.