Hundreds of Toronto babies visit classrooms to teach children empathy

Have you ever noticed that when a baby enters a room, all eyes turn to her? She becomes the focus of attention. How old is she? What’s her name? Is she a happy baby? Does she smile yet?

Children are just as drawn to babies as adults, and that makes babies perfect tiny teachers. Roots of Empathy’s founder, Mary Gordon, figured this out 22 years ago, and today hundreds of Toronto babies teach children empathy.

Roots of Empathy programs, which are now in 12 countries, are strongly rooted in community and rely on volunteers. We’ve had a huge demand for programs in the Toronto area this year and we’re looking for volunteer instructors and families, especially in Scarborough and north Etobicoke. Instructors come from agencies who partner with the Roots of Empathy organization and train their staff to deliver the program, or are community volunteers.