ROOTS OF EMPATHY

"The children light the footpath to the future."
Mary Gordon, Founder/President, Roots of Empathy

Roots of Empathy is an evidence-based classroom program that has shown dramatic effect in reducing levels of aggression and violence among schoolchildren while 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.

The focus of Roots of Empathy in the long term is to build capacity of the next generation for caring and compassionate citizenship and parenting. In the short term, Roots of Empathy focuses on raising levels of empathy, resulting in more respectful and caring relationships and reduced levels of bullying and aggression. Part of our success is the universal nature of the program; all students are positively engaged instead of targeting bullies or aggressive children.

Roots of Empathy strives to break the intergenerational cycle of violence and poor parenting.

OUR GOALS

To foster the development of empathy
To develop emotional literacy
To reduce levels of bullying, aggression and violence, and promote children's pro-social behaviours
To increase knowledge of human development, learning, and infant safety
To prepare students for responsible and responsive parenting

WHAT WE VALUE

Empathy

Empathy is the ability to identify with another person's feelings. The ability to see and feel things as others see and feel them is central to competent parenting and successful social relationships in all stages of life.

Culture of Caring

The classroom is a window on the future. Children learn to care for one another, their world and their future. Building good citizens in the classroom today will lead to a civil society tomorrow.

Respect

In the Roots of Empathy classroom respect encompasses appreciation of the uniqueness of each individual, their opinions, beliefs and contributions, the importance of voice, the role of place and a respectful sense of our environment as a gift for our shared use.

Power of Parenting

At all income levels, parenting has a powerful impact on children's learning and behaviour, on who they become. Roots of Empathy teaches the crucial role of parenting for optimal early childhood development leading to healthy human development The children of today are the parents and citizens of tomorrow."

Participatory Democracy

Roots of Empathy builds participatory democracy through consensus in the classroom. Activities are designed to help children work on consensus building and collaboration, to become fearless contributors to classroom discussions.

Inclusion

The Roots of Empathy program focuses on "setting the table for everybody, whether that person comes to the table in a wheelchair or a rocking chair or a high chair". Inclusion means identifying our differences and celebrating our sameness; it allows us to build on our common human experience.

Diversity

Roots of Empathy celebrates diversity. Enlarging our perspective brings learning to everyone; this perspective includes other races, religions, languages, cultures and people who are different in their lifestyles, economic levels, political beliefs, parenting styles, family configurations, abilities and disabilities.

Infant Safety

The Roots of Empathy program creates awareness of risk factors to babies and has a strong focus on abuse prevention. Children are never too young to learn about Shaken Baby Syndrome, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and the dangers of second-hand smoke.

Non-violence/Anti-bullying

Roots of Empathy has been identified as an anti-bullying program. Because children are taught to understand how others feel and are encouraged to take responsibility for their actions and inactions, pro-social behaviours rise and incidents of bullying and aggression fall.

http://www.rootsofempathy.org/