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Roots of Empathy Searching for Families and Instructors

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Roots of Empathy Searching for Families and Instructors

Volunteer as a Roots of Empathy Family"Change the world, child by child" by becoming a Volunteer Family The Program is centred around you and your baby's loving relationship, with a Roots of Empathy Instructor guiding a discussion with children, encouraging them to read your baby's emotional cues and take your baby's perspective. Your baby is the "Tiny Teacher". The children learn to identify and name your baby’s feelings, reflect on and understand their own feelings, then bridge to understand the feelings of others. The development of emotional literacy helps children understand how their behaviour or words can hurt others, and enables children to make friends and build positive relationships. FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO APPLY : I would strongly recommend this program for your baby and for your community. What a way to make a difference for students by bringing the pure joy of a baby into their world. Volunteer Roots of Empathy Parent Nine times over the school year, you and your baby will visit a classroom with the Roots of Empathy Instructor and join the children around the “Green Blanket”. You will help the children learn all about your baby and in turn they will learn about themselves, their feelings, and their temperament traits. The children will celebrate your baby's milestones such as rolling over, clapping, sitting and more, which are captured in a photo book for you and your baby. The children show their love of the baby at the end of the program with wishes for the baby's future. For more information on what is involved and to apply, please see below What's involved in being a Roots of Empathy Family: *Babies must be between 2 and 4 months old in October. Apply: Lisa Kiriakopoulos 905-527-5092 lkiriako@hwdsb.on.ca

Are you a proud parent with a new baby? Will your baby be between two and four months old in October? If so, you and your baby could be a Roots of Empathy Family!

Roots of Empathy is a program for elementary school children. The program’s aim is to increase empathy – the ability to understand how another person feels. Children learn to care for and respect each other, and there is less bullying and aggression.

To be a Roots of Empathy Family:

  • Nine times over the school year, you and your baby will visit a classroom with the Roots of Empathy Instructor and join the children around the “Green Blanket”. You will help the children learn all about your baby and in turn they will learn about themselves, their feelings, their temperament traits and their relationships with family and others.
  • At the moment, we expect to have our babies on “Green Blankets” in classrooms, however if public health or schools restrict visitors, you may be asked to participate virtually from home in our Roots of Empathy Recovery Program through photos and videos.
  • Babies must be between two and four months old in October.

For more information, please contact Lisa Kiriakopoulos at [email protected]. You can also visit the Roots of Empathy website to learn more about the program.

Volunteer as a Roots of Empathy Instructor 

The Roots of Empathy Instructor role is ideal for retired educators or existing school volunteersInstructors attend a 3-day in person training on delivering the program in the Fall of 2023. A fourth day of training will be scheduled midway through the school year. Programs are delivered by the trained Instructor in their local community school starting in the fall and going to the end of the school year. We have volunteer Instructors that have been delivering for over 10 years! All new Instructors are matched with a Mentor who will support them in and out of the classroom. Also, volunteer Instructors are provided Professional Development workshops and e-learning opportunities through our Virtual Training Institute. All candidates are encouraged to find out more information about participating (see below) and to apply, however experience with children is an asset. To apply, contact: Lisa Kiriakopoulos 905-527-5092 lkiriako@hwdsb.on.ca looking for a new opportunity. All candidates are encouraged to apply, however, experience with children is an asset.

  • Instructors attend a four-day in-person training, with three days at the beginning of the school year and a fourth day midway through the school year.
  • Programs are delivered by the trained Instructor in their local community school starting in the fall and going to the end of the school year.
  • All Instructors are matched with a volunteer family, a classroom of students and their teacher and a Roots of Empathy Mentor who will support them in and out of the classroom.

Find out more about what is involved and listen to Instructors share their experiences on the Roots of Empathy website.

For more information and to learn how to get involved at HWDSB, please contact Lisa Kiriakopoulos at [email protected].

 

Updated on Thursday, June 08, 2023.
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