What Experts Say...

Roots of Empathy is endorsed by experts, professionals, participants, and practitioners from a diverse range of fields.

Former Senator Landon Pearson

"A Canada Fit for Children"

"The good news is that we now know so much more than we did when I was young about human development in childhood. This knowledge can be enormously useful in helping us nurture the compassion and respect in the children we teach. Mary Gordon's program on the "Roots of Empathy" is a good example of the kind of program that incorporates this new knowledge and has a proven track record."

Linda Reid

Former Minister of State for Early Childhood Development, B.C.

"When [Roots of Empathy] was underway in the province of Ontario, what they discovered – a completely unintended but fabulous consequence – was that the incidence of bullying went down in public schools in Toronto. Children finally understood the vulnerability of very young infants, and rather than spectate at a bullying incident, they would actually intervene. It's a huge win for school districts, for communities and for families that children won't stand by and see another soul maligned or beaten in the process."

The Honourable Kathleen Wynne

Minister of Education, Ontario

There are brilliant educators in this country who are teaching children to look at the world through another's eyes. Some of you may be familiar with Mary Gordon's work, a program called Roots of Empathy, where a baby is brought into a classroom and rough and tough grade 7 and 8 kids start to interact with the baby and start to watch and learn how the child is responding, and develop those empathetic abilities.

The Honourable Gordon Campbell

Premier of British Columbia

The Roots of Empathy program has been embraced by educators and schools across British Columbia, Canada, and the world, and has become an extremely valuable tool in encouraging children to identify with the feelings of others. Children we are involved with in this program tend to be more caring, peaceful individuals who communicate more effectively with their peers and their parents, and studies have shown that incidences of bullying and aggressive behaviour have gone down in schools that incorporate the program.

Lorne Mayencourt

Former Member of the Legislative Assembly, British Columbia

"Roots of Empathy… promotes anti-bullying messages through celebrating diversity… Children are being exposed to how other people live their lives, and they are exposed to the differences between them as well as the striking similarity that bonds us together… When kids learn about a baby's feelings and emotions, they learn how to empathize, and they learn how to be better citizens in our province. That's why I'm so proud of the work of the over 250 schools that bring us the Roots of Empathy."

Dr. Fraser Mustard

The Founders Network, The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research

"This unique program has a two-tiered effect. Firstly, it builds competencies in the involved parents and, secondly, it teaches human development and parenting to the children who will be the next generation of parents. It fulfills one aspect of the Early Years Report in helping ensure the future population has a good understanding of parenting and early child development."

Raffi Cavoukian, C.M.,O.B.C.,D.Mus.

Singer, songwriter, author, ecology advocate and global troubadour

"Mary Gordon should be the Minister of Peace for the world and Roots of Empathy should be available for every child, in every classroom, in every school, in every country in the world, in perpetuity."

Dr. Allan N. Schore

Department of Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, UCLA

"The Roots of Empathy Program is solidly grounded in both current advances in developmental psychology, and in recent findings in affective neuroscience."

Justice Edward Ormston

Chairman of the Consent and Capacity Board, OntarioCriminal Court Justice

"Roots of Empathy is an excellent program. This is exactly the type of thing we should be doing. If the lessons that children learned in Roots of Empathy could have been taught to the people I deal with every day, we'd have far less need for prisons."

Gerry Connelly

Former Director of Education, Toronto District School Board

"Roots of Empathy develops more caring siblings to younger brothers and sisters, competent babysitters, and reduces bullying and aggression in our schools and neighbourhoods…We would like to see every child in Ontario benefit from an opportunity to participate in this program during their elementary school years."

Michael Fullan

Professor Emeritus at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, at the University of Toronto

"ROE is a simple, brilliant and powerful example of how developing children's empathy can be a priority, and can be accomplished with amazing results. The heart is the way to the mind, but they have to be explicitly linked. Roots of Empathy is a model of social and academic inclusion."

Dr. Robin C. Williams

Medical Officer of Health, Public Health Department, The Regional Municipality of Niagara

"It is not often that a province is given a tool with which it can build the parenting capacity of its next generation, using existing resources. Roots of Empathy also contributes greatly to building a more caring and peaceful society. This program should be available to all the children of Ontario."