School District No. 46 in British Columbia celebrated Roots of Empathy in 2016:
Six groups took the stage to highlight their specific partnership programs: Roberts Creek Community School, Capilano University, Sunshine Coast Community Services, Habitat for Humanity Sunshine Coast, Ruby Lake Lagoon Society and the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts.
The community school spoke to its Roots of Empathy program, which matches a baby with a classroom for a year to help teach social-emotional learning to students. Through watching and relating to the baby, students can also relate to their own emotions and talk about them openly.
“In the school setting we often ask kids what they think, but in Roots of Empathy we go to what they feel,” said presenter Ursula Hardwick. “We do this through following the baby – how do you think the baby is feeling? The baby is magic in this program.”