On September 17, the Roots of Empathy program was showcased at the Market Lane Public School in Toronto. Countess Sophie of Wessex, Scotland visited the school and observed a mother introducing her infant (Ella) to a grade two and three class, where students had the opportunity to soothe the infant and ask the mother questions. With a focus on the baby as ‘teacher’, the program leads to reduced bullying, raises social and emotional competence and increases empathy.
“To see how the children, as soon as she (Ella) entered the room, engaged with her was truly wonderful,” said Countess Sophie. England’s first Roots of Empathy programs will launch this fall.
Created in 1996, Foundation grantee Roots of Empathy offers empathy-based programming for children, and to date has reached more than 450,000 children worldwide.
To learn more about Roots of Empathy, visit www.rootsofempathy.org.
19 September 2012