Roots of Empathy launched in Nova Scotia in 2003-2004.
Read here about our most recent celebration in November 2023 that brought together Roots of Empathy Instructors, Mentors, KPP, staff, supporters and volunteer Families, thanking them for their profound impact on children in Nova Scotia.
Read this Our Children Magazine article from Halifax. It beautifully describes a Roots of Empathy program and shares stories that show how the program is helping the students, the teachers, and the volunteer family – Baby Tessa and Mom Allison.
Consider these compelling statistics that underscore the connection between Roots of Empathy and positive mental health and wellbeing:
We offer our programs in French and English and in Indigenous communities.
In the report “Respectful and Responsible Relationships: There’s No App for That,” the Nova Scotia Task Force on Bullying and Cyberbullying states, “School personnel also must develop enhanced competencies in mental health literacy, suicide prevention and forms of learning that promote empathy and positive relationships. Programs under the umbrella of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and specific programs like Roots of Empathy would be two examples.”
Roots of Empathy programs in Nova Scotia are supported by the provincial government of Nova Scotia as well as regional agencies and community funders.
Grade 2 Student, Sydney, Nova Scotia (2021)
I was feeling “sad because I didn’t get to see my cousins for a year!”
Speech bubble: “me and my sis”; “my cousins”
“The Roots of Empathy Recovery Program gave children the opportunity to speak about what happened to them and how they felt about it. Although only 7 years old, this little girl was able to identify that she was feeling sad because she missed her cousins. In the program, children identify their own feelings, and by hearing their classmates share their feelings, they realize that they are not alone. It is easier to make friends when you know that you share similar feelings. This is all mental health and resilience promotion.” – Founder/President Mary Gordon
Grade 2 Student, Maryvale, Nova Scotia (2021)
I helped someone who was feeling “sad.”
Speech Bubble: “Are you okay?”
“Democracies develop in classrooms, not in boardrooms or war-rooms. Children in Roots of Empathy classrooms are encouraged to find themselves in the ‘other.’ The empathy that results makes them advocate for their classmates. The empowerment of being able to help a classmate is reinforcing and makes the child a card-carrying citizen.” – Founder/President Mary Gordon
Grade 5 Student, Liverpool, Nova Scotia (2021)
To me bullying means “something that someone said or did and it doesn’t matter if they say sorry, because what they did was wrong.”
Bullying can look like…“you’re not stronger than me, you’re just FATTER!”
“The Roots of Empathy Recovery Program helped children articulate their experience of bullying and to be reassured that it was unjust and that they have every right to be upset. When children define what bullying is, adults have an opportunity to see it and take it seriously. Research from three continents have shown that Roots of Empathy reduces bullying and aggression, and this frees the children up to learn and to relate.” – Founder/President Mary Gordon
To learn more about our Nova Scotia programming, contact: