Roots of Empathy (ROE) is an evidence-based classroom program that started in Toronto, Canada.
The program consists of guided observations of an infant's development and emotions by elementary school children.
Students are asked to complete both classroom curriculum tasks, such as measuring the height and weight of the baby and reading with the baby, and tasks designed to improve emotional intelligence, such as reflecting on their feelings about the interactions and on their classmates' displays of emotions.
[3] A study using a quasi-experimental control-group conducted in Vancouver and Toronto in 2012 found similar results, and that children had an improved understanding of infant crying.
[7] Roots of Empathy has since been introduced to 11 countries including Scotland, Wales, Republic of Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Costa Rica and the Netherlands in the fall of 2018.