Roots of Empathy

Roots of Empathy is an evidence-based classroom program that has shown dramatic effect in reducing levels of aggression among school children by raising social/emotional competence and increasing empathy.

Roots of Empathy's mission is to build caring, peaceful and civil societies through the development of empathy in children and adults.

At the heart of the program are a neighbourhood infant and parent who visit the classroom every three weeks over the school year. A trained ROE Instructor coaches students to observe the baby's development and to label the baby's feelings. In this experiential learning, the baby is the "Teacher" and a lever, which the instructor uses to help children identify and reflect on their own feelings and the feelings of others. This "emotional literacy" taught in the program lays the foundation for more safe and caring classrooms, where children are the "Changers". They are more competent in understanding their own feelings and the feelings of others (empathy) and are therefore less likely to physically, psychologically and emotionally hurt each other through bullying and other cruelties.

The Roots of Empathy program runs in conjunction with the school year, beginning in September or October and ending in June.  As such Roots of Empathy is best suited for babies born in June or July so that they are 2 to 4 months old at the time of program start-up. This enables the students to observe a wide range of growth and development in the baby's first year.

The Roots of Empathy program is prescriptive and teachers who facilitate the program have to be specifically accredited to do so. This allows for statistically relevant follow-up research - and here comes the crux: the results show that children who have been exposed to Roots of Empathy demonstrate a markedly decreased incidence of aggression and bullying.

Founder Mary Gordon was an Ontario teacher who couldn't accept the levels of aggression she encountered amongst children. She decided to do something about it, and Roots of Empathy was founded in 1996.

Mary Gordon has since received numerous awards for her achievement, including Order of Canada, and has also written a book titled: Roots of Empathy: Changing the World Child by Child.  She travels across Canada to annual year-end 'Baby Celebrations' to meet and thank the teachers, babies and parents who have participated in the program that year.

Roots of Empathy can teach a lot to all people involved. The children bond strongly with the baby. The parent learns about the baby's development and interaction with the class. The teachers find new ways to demonstrate learning around emotional issues. In the words of Mary Gordon: "We normally say it takes a community to raise a child. In Roots of Empathy, we use a child to raise a community."

More information about this wonderful program (and its younger sibling 'Seeds of Empathy' for preschool settings) can be found at www.rootsofempathy.org