New empathy learning program sets roots in Blaine

A new program coming to Blaine Primary School in October focuses on fostering empathy in some of the community’s youngest members.

Roots of Empathy started 27 years ago in Toronto, and was designed to bring emotional awareness into classrooms to build a future of peaceful and civil societies, according to its website.

Unlike most classroom lessons, the leader of the young learners does not fit the typical vision of an educator, rather, the “tiny teacher” is a baby. 

“Everybody’s first question is definitely ‘Where do you get the babies?’” said Sara Airoldi, the Whatcom County program manager for Roots of Empathy.

The babies, who are accompanied by at least one guardian at all times, are community volunteers and a vital piece of the program. 

After a family volunteers at the beginning of the school year and establishes physical boundaries for students to follow with their baby, they visit the same classroom once a month from October through June.

The first visit includes a welcome song and time for observing the baby’s actions, noises and facial expressions. The students then try to understand what those reactions could mean for the baby’s emotional state. Airoldi said the experience allows students to become aware of how others feel whether that is in the classroom, at home or on the playground.

In between family visits, students receive pre- and post-visit lessons from a volunteer instructor who works with Airoldi throughout the school year to craft a weekly lesson plan. The lessons aim to help students hone in on what they learned from spending time with the baby and how they can use those emotional skills in other areas of life. 

The lessons follow general themes that align with the baby’s development to create a learning opportunity for everyone involved.

“An early lesson might be about crying, something in the middle when the baby is close to crawling might be around safety, and one at the end of the year might be about likes and dislikes because the baby is starting to eat solid food,” Airoldi said.

The program first appeared in Whatcom County last year after Airoldi started the local branch in Bellingham schools.

The feedback she receives from students, families and teachers is one of Airoldi’s favorite parts of Roots of Empathy. 

She’s inspired by the large following the program has in Canada, where she said families will ask when the best time for a baby to be born is so they can become tiny teachers. After a multi-decade track record, some tiny teachers have grown up to see their own children enter the program.

Airoldi said she hopes to see support for Roots of Empathy in Whatcom County grow to a similar level of community engagement and excitement. 

Blaine Primary School principal Michelle McKeown came across Roots of Empathy years ago as a teacher and recognized the life-long skills it could bring to her classroom. After last year’s successful run in Bellingham, she’s excited to see the program come to Blaine. 

“This evidence-based initiative focuses on nurturing empathy and emotional understanding in young children, and its effects extend well beyond the classroom,” she said in an email, listing improved social skills, emotional literacy and classroom atmosphere as potential benefits.

Depending on how this school year pans out, Roots of Empathy could return to Blaine classrooms next year, McKeown said.

Roots of Empathy can currently support 33 classrooms in Whatcom County, Airoldi said – given there is enough interest from family and instructor volunteers.

This year, the program is expanding to Ferndale, Blaine and Mount Baker school districts. Blaine Primary School hopes to welcome seven families and instructors for the year so there will be one for each second grade classroom.

Those interested in volunteering as a family or an instructor can contact Airoldi about opportunities at sairoldi@rootsofempathy.org. Instructor training sessions will be held Tuesday, October 3 through Thursday, October 5 and Wednesday, October 25 through Friday, October 27.