Roots of Empathy of Whatcom County

Mission: 

• To build caring, peaceful and civil societies through the development of empathy in children and adults.

Vision:

• To change the world, child by child.

What We Believe:

• The leaders of tomorrow are sitting in the classrooms of today and they need imagination and empathy to be able to identify and solve society’s problems.
• Empathy is foundational to helping children navigate relationships, form connections and be inclusive of others.
• We believe if children have empathy, they can change the world.

The Roots of Empathy program is delivered to elementary school children who are coached to recognize and connect with the vulnerability and humanity of a baby who visits their classroom throughout the school year with their parent(s), along with a trained Roots of Empathy Instructor using a specialized curriculum.

What We Do:

• We offer empathy-based programs in schools and childcare centers.
• We train volunteer instructors to deliver an age appropriate curriculum.
• We invite community families into classrooms to demonstrate the power of a secure attachment relationship between infant and parent – the first and most powerful model of empathy.
• We measure impact, conduct research, and share results.