Roots of Empathy

Roots of Empathy reduces aggression/#bullying, increases sharing, caring & inclusion & promotes resilience, well-being & positive #mentalhealth. We’ve reached over 1M #children globally with our #school-based programs & we have research to prove impact! youtu.be/WSqP9Vef664

"We are born with the capacity for empathy. An ability to recognize emotions transcends race, culture, nationality, social class and age.” - Mary Gordon Let's embrace our innate capacity for empathy and build a more caring and peaceful world together. Interested in getting involved? Learn more about our volunteer opportunities: rootsofempathy.org/volunteer/ #RootsofEmpathy #WisdomWednesday #EmpathyMatters

🌍 Where is Mary? Our Founder Mary Gordon, will be speaking and participating as a thought leader at the MenCare Changemaker Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on May 29! Co-organized by Equimundo: Center for Masculinities and Social Justice and WOW – Women of the World, this global summit convenes leaders from business, media, culture, civil society, and government to build solutions around fatherhood, men's health, and new models of masculinity rooted in care, responsibility, and connection. For 30 years, Roots of Empathy has seen what can happen when empathy is nurtured early in life. We’re proud to contribute to global conversations about raising caring boys, supporting positive relationships, and nurturing the fathers and caring citizens of tomorrow for the future.

Turns out, some of the biggest lessons come from the smallest humans 💚 In Roots of Empathy classrooms, students explore feelings, friendships, and human connection through real-life experiences with a baby and parent in the classroom. The result? Increased emotional literacy, stronger perspective-taking skills, and classroom environments that support positive attitudes and interactions 🌱 Interested in bringing Roots of Empathy to your school? Sign up now: rootsofempathy.org/school/

Research continues to show that empathy is not only foundational to healthy relationships — it also plays an important role in reducing aggression and strengthening prosocial behaviour. At Roots of Empathy, children are encouraged to develop both perspective-taking skills and affective empathy through experiential learning and observation, helping them better understand the emotions and experiences of others. When children learn to see the world through another person’s eyes, and to feel with the other they build the foundation for more empathic and connected communities. #RootsofEmpathy #ResearchThursday

30 years ago, Mary Gordon founded Roots of Empathy with a powerful belief: empathy can change the way children see themselves, each other, and the world around them. Today, that vision continues to reach children around the world, reinforcing the idea that empathy is not only a human value, but a transformative force for society. #RootsOfEmpathy #MaryGordon #WisdomWednesday

One of the most powerful outcomes of Roots of Empathy is hearing children put empathy into their own words. In Roots of Empathy classrooms, every child finds their voice. As students learn to respect different perspectives and understand the impact of their actions, they develop empathy — a protective factor that can act as a brake against cruelty. 🌱

Big feelings, Tiny Teacher 💚 In Roots of Empathy classrooms, students develop empathy, and emotional understanding from the very best teacher of all — a baby. Help us grow the next generation of caring children. Be part of the story: rootsofempathy.org/donate-form/

Family Visit 6 13.3.26 @RootsofEmpathy

In classrooms around the world, educators are seeing what empathy in action can do — helping children build emotional understanding, connection, and resilience that extends far beyond the classroom. Empathy is necessary to build healthy relationships and resilience (Mehrabian, 2000; Jones et al., 2015). #RootsOfEmpathy #ResearchThursday

“Our heroes are often 3 ft tall.” — Mary Gordon At the recent @canadahelps event, Roots of Empathy Founder Mary Gordon shared moving stories of children demonstrating moral courage — standing up for others, showing kindness, and choosing empathy in moments that matter. These are the quiet acts that can change classrooms, communities, and lives. We were honoured to be part of the fireside chat about Empathy, Literacy and Growing a Generous Generation alongside Camesha Cox of The Reading Partnership and Duke Chang of CanadaHelps. Thank you to CanadaHelps for creating space for such an important conversation about raising children who care for one another and contribute to their communities.

💛 This Mother’s Day, we’re recognizing mothers’ care and empathy in shaping not only children, but the society they will grow into. At Roots of Empathy, a parent and baby help students develop emotional literacy and empathy – and it starts with witnessing the loving bond between a baby and their parent. 94% of participating parents say it gave them hope for the next generation. Honour a mother by supporting this work: canadahelps.org/en/dn/146075

Honour a mother. Help shape the world a child will grow into. At Roots of Empathy, a mother’s care and empathy reach a whole classroom. Give today 💛 canadahelps.org/en/dn/146075

Tag a mother who helped shape who you are—and tell us how. 💛 Because the care we receive as children stays with us. #MothersDay #Gratitude #Empathy

94% of volunteer parents say it gave them hope for the next generation. This Mother’s Day, invest in that hope. Honour a mother → canadahelps.org/en/dn/146075

Share your baby with a classroom. Shape a generation. If your baby will be 2-4 months old in October, become a Roots of Empathy volunteer parent 💚 For more information, visit: rootsofempathy.org/family/

What gives you hope for the next generation? We’ll start: 94% of our volunteer mothers and fathers say this experience does. If your baby will be 2-4 months in October, this could be your turn. Sign up today: rootsofempathy.org/roots-of-empat…

Mental health starts early. When children are given the space to recognize and express their emotions, those feelings become less overwhelming—and a more natural part of being human. Roots of Empathy Volunteer Parent and Olympian Heather Abdilla shares from her own experience that learning to talk about emotions can make a lasting difference. This Mental Health Week, we’re reminded that reducing stigma starts in childhood—with open conversations, understanding, and the courage to speak up. #RootsofEmpathy #MentalHealthWeek

Today and every day, let's spread love, kindness, and empathy around the world. Happy Global Love Day! 💖 #RootsofEmpathy #SpreadLove #GlobalLoveDay

Empathy is at the heart of what it means to be human— and it’s also at the centre of groundbreaking research around the world. We’re excited to share that Mary Gordon has been invited to give the keynote tomorrow for The Social Brain Lab, led by Valeria Gazzola and Christian Keysers, at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience. The Social Brain Lab is a research unit focused on understanding the neuroscience of social cognition — how our brains infer and respond to the feelings, sensations, and actions of others. Both Dr. Keysers and Dr. Gazzola spoke at Roots of Empathy’s Research Symposia — Dr. Keysers at our 2018 Research Symposium on the science behind empathy, and Dr. Gazzola in 2019 on how embodied simulation might help us care about others. This one-day online event brings together leading voices across disciplines to explore a powerful question: how do we understand empathy — from brain circuits to behaviour, philosophy, and AI? Mary will join an inspiring group of researchers, including Alex Mari, Zanna Clay, Dimana Atanassova, and Daryl Cameron.

Empathy isn't passive. It calls us to act. Dr. James Orbinski has seen what happens when the world fails to act with empathy — and what's possible when it does. A doctor, humanitarian, bestselling author, and founding Director of York University's Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research, he is one of the most powerful voices on why empathy and action must go hand in hand. At Roots of Empathy, we're building that foundation early — because the children in our classrooms today are the citizens, leaders and parents of tomorrow. 🌱 Donate to Roots of Empathy today: rootsofempathy.org/donate-form/