How do you grow a more caring society?

You create better citizens, citizens who recognize that the needs of others are equal to their own. It's simple really. Simple enough for the youngest children to learn. Basic enough for a baby to teach. That's Roots of Empathy!

Roots of Empathy is an evidence-based program that has shown dramatic effect in reducing levels of aggression among school children while raising social and emotional competence and increasing empathy. The program reaches elementary school children from Kindergarten to Grade 8. The mission of Roots Of Empathy is to build caring, peaceful, and civil societies through the development of empathy in children and adults.

Seeds of Empathy

Because of the success of Roots of Empathy in Waterloo Region and the unique approach of the YWCA child care centres, YWCA Cambridge was chosen as 1 of 12 early childhood centres in Ontario to pilot the Seeds of Empathy program, which is designed for preschool-aged children, and with a greater focus on literacy.

You could be a Roots of Empathy Volunteer!

You and Your Baby Could be a Roots of Empathy Family

A Roots of Empathy Family is a mother and/or father who visits a classroom in a local school with a Roots of Empathy instructor. The visits are about 30 minutes long, once a month from October to June. Babies must be 2 to 4 months old in October.

The program helps children to learn about a baby's needs and how babies develop and lets children observe the loving relationship between a parent and baby.

Download an Application of Interest form

You Could be a Roots of Empathy Instructor

The Roots instructor coaches the children to observe the baby's development, celebrate milestones, interact with the baby and learn about an infant's needs. The instructor also visits the classroom before and after each baby visit to prepare and reinforce teachings, using a specialized curriculum that is developmentally appropriate for each of four age ranges, kindergarten (JK/SK), primary (1-3), junior (4-6) and intermediate (7-8).

As an instructor you commit to 4 days of mandatory training, 3 – 40 minute classroom visits per month from October to June, preparation of lesson materials, travel time and must be comfortable presenting to children in a classroom setting.

There is no cost to the volunteer instructor for the training; however the cost to the program is $3000 per person. Due to this investment we ask instructors to make a two year commitment to the program.

Who to contact

For more information about Roots of Empathy, including volunteer opportunities please contact:
Sharon Burzotta, Roots of Empathy Coordinator
55 Dickson St., Cambridge, N1R 7A5
(519) 267-6444
Email Sharon