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Schools & Child Care

Roots of Empathy

Roots of Empathy is a research-based classroom program available to elementary schools. The program is designed for JK-Grade 8 classrooms with a comprehensive curriculum that is grade specific. The curriculum is divided into nine themes, with three classroom visits supporting each theme, for a total of 27 classroom sessions throughout the school year. For more information about Roots of Empathy, visit www.rootsofempathy.org.

Among children who participate, the Roots of Empathy program has been shown to:

  • Increase social and emotional knowledge, prosocial behaviour and empathy
  • Increase students’ perceptions of their classroom as a caring environment
  • Increase understanding of infant development and parenting
  • Decrease aggression.

Combined with other school-wide and classroom strategies, it can help to promote positive mental health and well-being.
  • Trained Roots of Empathy Instructor to deliver the classroom based program
  • Interested classroom teacher
  • Family with an infant who is 2 - 4 months of age at the beginning of the program (programs typically begin in mid-October).
Each school board has a key point person that coordinates Roots of Empathy programming for their schools. Please connect directly with your school board to find out who that is.
Roots of Empathy "... is a wonderful program that teaches a classroom community to see the world through the eyes of others. Gaining a deeper understanding of the development of a young child enabled my students to accept their own differences and the difference of their classmates. Students not only gained an appreciation for how difficult it is to raise a child but also how many factors influence a child’s life. Through the Roots of Empathy program we learned valued life lessons that will continue to influence our students throughout their lifetimes." Local Teacher
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