Greater Good Science Center Celebrates the 'Wisdom of Babies'
Tiny Teachers Effecting Change on an International Scale
The University of California, Berkeley' s groundbreaking scientific research and social change organization, the Greater Good Science Center (GGSC), featured Mary Gordon and Roots of Empathy on its website in August, facilitating awareness of the potential for the program to effect change through the development of empathy in children.
Roots of Empathy has expanded more than eightfold in the four years it has been in Seattle, Washington, and will be introduced to schools in California, this fall. Including students in Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man, more than 373,000 children have been influenced by the program since its inception in 1996.
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Mary Gordon introduces baby Mei
Extended independent research has shown that participants in the Roots of Empathy program exhibited a higher decrease in proactive aggression than those not exposed to the program – 88% compared to 50% – and a multi-year evaluation indicated that 16% of program participants showed a decrease in teacher-rated aggression as compared to only 9% of students without the program.[1]
On the pro-social scale, the same multi-year evaluation indicated a 61-65% increase in teacher-rated pro-social behavior among program participants, compared to only 47-49% in those students who did not experience the program. The tiny Roots of Empathy babies at the center of each classroom-based program really are effecting change: one child at a time – and one country at a time!
Watch segments from Mary Gordon's presentation to the Greater Good Science Center, University of California, Berkeley, and read the feature article found here.
[1] Schonert-Reichl, K. A., & Vergel de Dios, C. (2009). A multi-year evaluation of the “Roots of Empathy” program: Effects on the social-emotional competence of pre- and early adolescents. Report prepared for Roots of Empathy, Toronto, Canada.
Roots of Empathy Founder Celebrated as Social Innovator
October 6, 2011: Innovation comes in many forms and this year, for only the third time in its 30-year history, the Ernest C. Manning Awards Foundation has recognized social innovation, placing a spotlight on the contribution of Roots of Empathy President/Founder Mary Gordon.
Roots of Empathy Profiled by Euronews’ Learning World
Aug. 1, 2011: Euronews’ Learning World presents Roots of Empathy as an innovative model for promoting social change as part of a feature on Ashoka, the global association of the world’s leading social entrepreneurs.
