If you would like to book Mary Gordon, Founder and President of Roots of Empathy for a virtual presentation now, or an in-person presentation at a later date, contact: Irena Trajkovska, itrajkovska@rootsofempathy.org.
Watch some of Mary’s talks HERE. You can follow Mary on Twitter @MaryGordonROE and on LinkedIn. And Roots of Empathy on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn – @RootsofEmpathy
November 17, 2022 ”Fireside Chat: Parents and Educators are Heroes”
Mary Gordon, Founder/President talks to parents and educators in an online event about why they are the heroes in developing Emotional Literacy in young children.
November 8, 2022 “Addressing Longevity through the development of empathy resulting in warm and lasting relationships”
Our founder and President Mary Gordon presented at the New Longevity Summit in Bilboa Spain, organized by Ashoka and BBK. She highlighted the importance of developing empathy early in life as it provides a base for connection which nurtures relationships throughout the lifespan. Relationships are the secret sauce of longevity.
See our article about longevity here.
November 3, 2022 ”Building a Culture of Empathy”
At the 73rd Annual Scientific Meeting hosted by the Paediatric Society of New Zealand, Mary Gordon, Founder/President was a featured speaker.
November 2022, Radio Interview in Bellingham, Washington State
KGMI’s Joe Teehan and Dianna Hawryluk talk to author Mary Gordon about her book, Roots of Empathy, and her efforts to teach empathy to young people. Listen to the interview. The interview coincided with a visit to celebrate the program in Bellingham and to a part of the first Instructor training there.
October 24, 2022 – “Crisis of Connection”
The Early Childhood Community Development Centre was delighted to host Mary Gordon, internationally respected author, founder, and president of the acclaimed Roots of Empathy program on October 24th, alongside partners from the Niagara Catholic District School Board and the District School Board of Niagara. The professional collaboration took place at the ECCDC Conference Centre in Thorold and was a unique learning opportunity for Child and Youth Workers, Mental Health Leads, and administration from both boards to explore a variety of topics to support them in their important roles, offer opportunities to develop new strategies, and time to foster relationships with peers. See the release here.
October 2, 2022 –
BBC Podcast “People Fixing the World”
June 20-23, 2022
Collision Tech Conference
The panel will focus on a full range of topics around education – from childhood to adulthood, and the role of technology, speaking live to an audience of 800.
PANELISTS:
Mary Gordon Founder/President Roots of Empathy
Martin Basiri Co-Founder & CEO ApplyBoard
Zayn Patel, a student with The Knowledge Society who is developing a program to improve English literacy amongst children in Nigeria
May 6, 2022
Department of National Defence / Government of Canada Workforce Well Being
In recognizing Mental Health Week in the Department, a variety of speaking engagements, events and activities will be accessible to the whole National Defence Team. This year’s Mental Health Week theme is “This Is Empathy”. As such, they have invited Mary Gordon to speak on empathy. Mary’s presentation #GetReal about Empathy will explore the ways our program impacts mental health.
Mary Gordon will be speaking about empathy in relation to:
Attendees will consist of:
This will be a 1.5-hour webinar with live audio translation to French
May, 2022
Government of Canada’s (Policy Horizons Canada) is currently undertaking a project on the future of the life course in Canada.
A series of virtual workshops will take place during the first three weeks of May that will bring together representatives of community organizations, academia, government, and the private sector. Participants will collectively explore the possible implications of future changes in six key areas of the life course: care, reproduction, education, living arrangements, labour, and older adulthood. Mary Gordon was invited to share her expertise.
May 4, 2022
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education
Washington DC
Mary Gordon was a panellist at the Forum for Children’s Well-Being, opened by U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. Topic: Preventing the Next Mental Health Crisis through Partnerships with Families and Communities
The panel:
• Ready Ready Guilford – Christina Dobson (Director of Navigation Services)
• Maine Resilience Building Network – Kini-Ana Tinkham (Executive Director)
• Pierce County WA Collaborative Care Model – Mary Ann Woodruff, MD, FAAP (General Pediatrics)
• Roots of Empathy – Mary Gordon (Founder/President)
David W. Willis, MD, FAAP (Senior Fellow, Center for the Study of Social Policy) will be moderating the panel.
APRIL 14, 2022Natural Awakenings produces 50 publications connecting readers to a wealth of national and local resources mapping out alternate routes to a healthier, happier, longer life. Each magazine takes a practical look at the latest natural approaches to healing, nutrition, fitness, creative expression, personal growth and sustainable living. Carrie Jackson (Marketing & Communications Specialist) interviews Mary Gordon for an article about teaching kids about empathy.
MARCH 28, 2022 “The Perspective” TV Program with Mike Sherbino
Hear Mary Gordon speak on “The Perspective” TV Program with Mike Sherbino. Mary delves into the work Roots of Empathy does and discusses empathy on a global scale and its applicability at this point in time. To watch, CLICK HERE.
February 18, 2022Keynote Speaker: Mary Gordon
A Conversation on the Power of Relationships in Building Empathy and Resilience
Mary Gordon was invited to do a repeat of her October 2021 keynote presentation, as COTA had a much higher number of registrants than they could support in October and did not want their employees to miss out on the opportunity to hear Mary speak. This presentation celebrates the power of relationships in building empathy and resilience.
january 20th, 2022Hear social entrepreneur Mary Gordon, Founder/President of Roots of Empathy and neuroscientists Dr. Sara Konrath, on CBC’s Maritime Connection at 4 – 5pm AT with guest host Krissy Holmes. Listeners will learn about empathy and compassion in Canada. This broadcast asks the questions, two years into the pandemic, how are we doing? What can we do to build empathy?
january 20th, 2022Mary Gordon was interviewed by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel journalist Mark Johnson.
Titled “Failure to understand and share feelings with each other runs counter to our nature. So why are we in a severe empathy crisis?”, the article explores how empathy is not taught, but caught. Read more about Roots of Empathy’s core values in this insightful article. Only available through a subscription to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
November 29, 2021The District School Board of Niagara, Niagara Catholic District School Board and the Early Childhood Community Development Centre in Niagara presented this special webinar: A Conversation on the Power of Relationships in Building Empathy and Resilience, with Internationally Acclaimed Mary Gordon.
This presentation will celebrate the power of relationships in building empathy and resilience. Video, story and children’s art will shine a light on children’s vulnerabilities and possibilities, identifying the roles of those adults who are the wind beneath their wings. A practical and joyful thread of hope will run throughout the session.
Target Audience: Child and Youth Workers, Youth Counsellors, Kindergarten Teams, Early Childhood Educators, Special Support Agency Staff, Ontario Early Years Staff, Students, Public Health Administrators for Healthy Babies/Healthy Children, FACS etc.
November 12, 2021The Human Climate: Conversations with Carol (Podcast) – We are experiencing a different kind of health crisis, where emotions drive our actions or inaction, our detachment or stubbornness, our hatred or fear or despair. And where our emotions drive us, especially when we haven’t learned to recognize, accept and integrate them. Carol explores with Mary Gordon, Mary’s input of above in a way that can open the pores of our curiosity, perhaps even of our hope, so that they might become a small part of getting to a tomorrow in ways not destined to be filled with destruction and denial. Podcast to be aired in the new year.
October 22, 2021Central Okanagan Teachers Association, Professional Development Day Keynote presentation – Mary Gordon spoke on empathy and its role in recovering from the pandemic. The one-hour session includes a live Q&A. The theme of the event will be Balance: Personal and Professional Equilibrium. The audience consisted of 300 attendees and all school employees (Teachers, Admin, Education Assistants, Guidance counsellors etc.).
September 3, 2021Conversation with Pluralism Thought Leaders – Alberta Foundation for the Arts (AFA) consultants reached out to international thought leaders, like Mary Gordon, in the broad areas of pluralism, empathy, equity, diversity and inclusion, with the desire to discuss best practices and learnings on these important topics, so they can help the AFA’s Pluralism Policy implementation. These conversations will help AFA put their best foot forward to open more doors for all Alberta artists.
June 2021Human Touch Talks – Watch Roots of Empathy’s Founder/President Mary Gordon speak about the importance of human touch and the roles human touch can play in our lives with Ralph Zimmerer, Vice President Global NIVEA Brand Identity & Capability. How are you staying in touch?! CLICK to view Mary’s interview.
June 9, 2021For more than 25 years, Ashoka Fellow and Roots of Empathy Founder & President, Mary Gordon has been helping us see the power of empathy as a foundational skill for all children, and by extension all adults. On June 9th, at 1pm EDT, Ashoka Welcome Change (Ashoka News Hour) speaks with Mary about empathy in the pandemic, what we’re learning from and with children in this moment. To watch the full interview CLICK HERE and to see the highlights of the interview CLICK HERE.
May 11, 2021On May 12th, Mary Gordon appeared on the CBC radio program Here & Now, hosted by Gill Deacon. Mary’s storytelling captured the hearts and minds of the listeners. In terms of promoting our brand and increasing recognition of our organization, the interview was invaluable, providing millions of CBC listeners across Canada and beyond with relevant and interesting information about our organization.
May 3-9, 2021THE MINDFUL PLAY SUMMIT is a conference for parents and educators who want to help children develop emotional resilience. Over 25 top experts, including Mary Gordon on May 6th will share their stories, struggles, and breakthroughs, emphasizing the benefits of play-based learning. Learn how to apply mindful practices to reduce stress and anxiety in children.
March 28th – April 3rd, 2021Swarthmore College and Ashoka Japan present the international Social Innovation Lab at the Lang Centre and Ashoka Japan Youth Venturer’s International Youth Social Innovator Symposium. Mary Gordon will be the keynote speaker for this virtual, three-day exchange event. Hosted by Dr. Denise Crossan (Social Innovation Lab at the Lang Centre, Swarthmore College Centre for Civic and Social Responsibility, Pennsylvania) and Nana Watanabe (Director, Ashoka Japan). Mary will address “Empathy: platform for social innovation.”
March 4, 2021The ANNUAL SOCIAL ENTERPRISE FOR A DAY at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax is a collaborative event focused on providing student with knowledge of social enterprises. Guest Panelists with expertise in social enterprises will speak to their histories and views on how entrepreneurs can make a positive impact on people and society. Hear Mary Gordon, Founder/President ROE, Lori Barker of Ronald McDonald House Charities and Nick Sharpe of Big Brothers Big Sisters.
February 22-26, 2021Presenting at the4th ANNUAL PRESCHOOL MINDFULLNESS SUMMIT, Founder/President Mary Gordon addresses social-emotional learning, and well-being strategies to use with students, teachers or parents. Past summits have attracted audiences from over 72 countries around the world and have featured speakers such as Dr. Daniel Siegel, Dr. Daniel Goleman and Dr. Rick Hanson.
February 19, 2021“BUILDING EMPATHY: The Missing Piece in Violence Prevention”
Presenting to school counsellors and mental health professionals at the Melissa Institute, Mary Gordon will focus on the role of empathy in the prevention of violence and aggression; executive functioning capacities; using the lens of Temperament to understand periods of child development, and ways to nurture empathy. Additionally, Mary Gordon will outline the differences between cognitive empathy and affective empathy and how these distinctions are important in the function of empathy development. Participants will be able to utilize this knowledge to assist children and families they work with to encourage empathy and prevent later incidences of violence. This presentation will be used to offer continuing education credits to participants.
January 18, 2021“WHERE PARENTS TALK” Interview with journalist Lianne Castelino. Mary Gordon presents to an award-winning digital community created to educate and empower parents. Click here to hear the podcast.