community initiatives Roots of Empathy

Pinnacle is proud of it's association with Roots of Empathy a classroom based program that has shown a dramatic effect in reducing levels of aggression among school children by raising social/emotional competence and increasing empathy.

The initiative to introduce the Roots of Empathy programme, from Canada, into schools on the Isle of Man, arose from the Early Years Conference hosted by the Department of Education last year.

Audrey Humphreys, Business Services Manager for Pinnacle was chosen as one of only 10 instructors trained to lead Roots of Empathy lessons in local schools. For Audrey this means delivering the programme to a class of 6 and 7 year olds in year 2 at Onchan School.

"Pinnacle have been very supportive and have sponsored my time each week throughout the school year to enable me to take part in this important pilot project for the children of the Isle of Man" commented Audrey. "As a trained Roots of Empathy instructor I work with a family with a young baby to develop the classroom children's emotional intelligence. As the children observe

and recognise the baby's feelings, they open up about their own feelings and reflect on the feelings of others." In Canada, research has shown a significant decrease in aggression and increase in prosocial behaviour from children who have taken part in Roots of Empathy.

Children are instinctively moved by the vulnerability of the baby and the Roots of Empathy curriculum maximises this emotional reaction as an agent of change in helping the students develop perspective-taking skills which allow them to become empathic.

Roots of Empathy turns classrooms into nurturing learning environments.