Unleashed recently had it's second birthday. To celebrate we've got some treats on the way for you :)

As Karen mentioned on the forum, we'll be giving Unleashed a makeover. Your ideas for the new look for Unleashed were great, and having seen a sneak peek of the new Unleashed I can tell it's hot!

But before we give the site a change of skin, we need your advice on one more thing. This year, we're not only going to give Unleashed a makeover, we're going to give you 3 wallpapers so that you can give your computer a makeover too!

So we need you to help to make the big decision. By now you've probably entered (and hopefully won) our monthly sticker give away. So you've probably worked out which of these 12 stickers is your fave. So tell us: Which of these stickers would you like to have as a wallpaper for your computer and why?

Then stay tuned... because the brand new look for Unleashed won't be long now ;)

So it's that time of year again – time to pack your bags, dust off your uniform and head back to school. I know how you're feeling ... if only the holidays could've lasted a bit longer, right? But on the up side, a new year at school is full of great opportunities to help animals. So here are a few reasons to jump out of bed and embrace the new school year with enthusiasm!

Top 5 Tips for Helping Animals at School:

1. Make Your Presentations Count
   What better chance to speak up for animals than when you've got a captive audience. Are you outraged that 10 million chicks are ground up alive or gassed to death by the egg industry each year? Or that rabbits have chemicals rubbed into their eyes to test everyday household products? Then make your class talks count and do them on issues your classmates should know about. Besides, when you're doing a presentation on something you know and care about, you'll get better grades!
   

2. Ditch Dissection
   Just because an animal is small green and slimy, doesn't make it ok to kill her and cut her open. And as for our furry friends – rats – think of them as little dogs… these little guys are smart, playful and really, really cute. There's just no need for violence in science. So let your teacher know you don't want to dissect. Then prove there's no need for dissection by using animal friendly resources (eg. text books, videos and computer simulations) to stay ahead of the class.
   

3. Make Your Uniform Animal Friendly
   I don't know about you, but there's no way I want to wear the skin of a dead cow on my feet. And seriously, with so many faux leather alternatives, there's just no need. If your school has a uniform policy with compulsory leather shoes, or woolen jumper, why not write a letter to your principal asking them to change their policy. Sometimes all it takes is one letter.

4. Sticker Your Stuff
   What else are note pads, pencil cases and laptops for except to put stickers on? Grab yourself a sheet of the best stickers in town (or enter here to win some) and get stickering! Not only will you have the most stylish school gear around, you'll have all your classmates thinking about animal issues, asking questions, and of course wanting some flashy stickers of their own (so don't forget to tell them where they can score some for themselves).

5. Veganise Your Tuckshop
   If your tuckshop is anything like mine was, then the menu is chock full of dead animals. Aside from the animal cruelty, it's not gonna do students' waistlines or the planet any favours either. Ask your tuckshop to offer more tasty vegetarian and vegan food. That won't just give you more to choose from for lunch, it'll give other students the chance to sample some cruelty free food.

So there you have it. That should keep you busy for a while. And that's just the beginning! There are heaps of other creative ways to help animals at school. We'd like to hear your ideas. Leave a comment below to share your tips for helping animals at school.