BC was one of the first provinces to embrace Roots of Empathy programs for elementary school children and BC co-piloted the Seeds of Empathy program for children 3-5 years old in childcare centres.
Since 2000, we’ve reached children in 81% of BC’s school districts, across all five health regions.
Click here to download Roots of Empathy’s history and impact in BC.
Roots of Empathy supports the Core Competencies outlined in the redesign of the BC curriculum and the BC Ministry of Education endorses Roots of Empathy.
Roots of Empathy works in partnership with school districts across British Columbia to achieve optimal social and emotional well-being and positive mental health.
Grade 2/3 Student, Abbotsford
“This 8-year-old child from Abbotsford has understood the Roots of Empathy message that our actions can hurt or help people and that they hold power because they influence younger children. Here we see the building of an empathic responsible citizen, just what we are looking for in BC.” – Founder/President Mary Gordon
Grade 6 Student, Lloyd George Elementary School, Kamloops, B.C.
To me, bullying means “someone is saying/doing something to someone that hurts that person, mentally or physically. Bullying is a show of humiliation for both sides.”
“In Roots of Empathy, we particularly use art to access student’s deepest and most vulnerable feelings as sometimes words fail them in explaining the depth of their pain, humiliation, or shame. These are all emotions that no child should face alone, and Roots of Empathy draws the curtain on bullying, allowing students to draw for one another, what they understand about bullying and its collateral. Shame and humiliation are on the agenda at school and it’s great that Roots of Empathy shines a light on it. We can’t stop cruelty unless we name it first. And who better than the students themselves. Roots of Empathy is evidence based on three continents to reduce bullying.” – Founder/President Mary Gordon
Grade 1/2 Student, Victoria, B.C.
“What can Roots of Empathy teach the world? “to be kind to everyone no matter how they look or talk.”
Speech bubbles: Right “It’s okay to be small.” Wrong “It’s too bad you’re small”
“Young children are acutely aware of differences. Giving them the opportunity to discuss how we are the same because we share the same feelings eclipses the physical differences they notice. The prosocial behaviour exhibited by this little girl from Victoria gives us faith in humanity that at such a young age she is able to stand up against cruelty and not just talk about the importance of being fair and inclusive, but to demonstrate it. We are very proud of her and all of the children who have participated in the program.” – Founder/President Mary Gordon
BC was one of the first regions to do research on Roots of Empathy.
Dr. Kimberly Schonert-Reichl of the University of British Columbia and Director of the Human Early Learning Partnership measured the efficacy of Roots of Empathy as a social emotional learning (SEL) program and found that teachers considered students in Roots of Empathy classrooms to be less aggressive and that students were more likely to say their peers exhibited prosocial behaviours.
Darcy Morgan