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Roots & Shoots

By Jackie Conciatore

Imagine millions of children around the world trying to live sustainably, devoted to correcting the mistakes of earlier generations, showing compassion to people and animals. This is Jane Goodall's vision for Roots & Shoots, a global youth program she began with 16 Tanzanian students in 1991, under the auspices of the Jane Goodall Institute.

Although the heart of Roots & Shoots is the creative action young people take to solve problems that impact their communities, in its reach Roots & Shoots is a global program. There are now more than 6,000 Roots & Shoots groups in 87 countries, all undertaking projects to benefit people, animals and the environment. The R&S program model is highly adaptable, and groups exist in schools from prekindergarten through university, as well as in community centers, clubs such as Girl Scouts, and in families.

Roots & Shoots students in Florida volunteering at a local animal shelter [Will Pearsall]

With the help of teachers or other adult leaders, Roots & Shoots groups identify environmental or other problems that impact their communities, learn about the issues and take action to make a difference. Projects are wide-ranging: In Guayaquil, Ecuador, students participated in an International Bird Count, paddling canoes through swamps and identifying birds. In Bunnell, Florida, students promoted pet adoption by collecting stories from people who had adopted from local shelters. Roots & Shoots also fosters respect and exchange between individuals of different cultures. Students in Ithaca, New York, for example, established a multicultural education board to focus on teaching elementary school students about Islam and other cultures.

Conflict Resolution

Students in Tanzania took on a decades-old conflict between farmers and the baboons who raided their crops by planting a buffer area of fruit, nuts and grasses for the baboons. They also taught local farmers that burning habitat after baboon raids only served to destroy food sources and make the primates more likely to steal crops.

Grounded in the belief that knowledge leads to compassion, which inspires action, Roots & Shoots furthers the service learning model in K-12 schools. Tools for teachers and other Roots & Shoots leaders include a new web-based curriculum, "Lessons for Hope." It explores Dr. Jane Goodall's life and work and uses her experiences to help students think about their own lives, hopes and dreams. Other tools include Roots & Shoots teacher training, a "TapRoots" K-12 curriculum developed with BellSouth emphasizing the importance of habitats and a Roots & Shoots Global Peace Initiative.

Refugee Youth

Through a partnership with UNHCR, R&S has started groups in refugee camps in Tanzania, Ethiopia and Uganda. It promotes in the camps an active student community, self-esteem, mutual respect and conservation awareness. Most of all, the program seeks to inspire hope. Meaningful change can begin small, such as starting a sports program so the children can experience the joys of play and competition, as well as a sense of connection to the larger world.

Another emphasis is developing tomorrow's leaders. The program offers opportunities such as a Youth Leadership Council and the College Leadership Council, through which R&S members have a voice in the direction of the program. R&S members also participate in national and international youth events such as the Earth Summit, where they can convey their ideas and concerns to world leaders.

"Roots creep underground and everywhere and make a firm foundation," says Jane. "Shoots seem small, but to reach the light they can break through brick walls. Imagine the brick walls are all the problems we humans have inflicted on the planet: overpopulation, deforestation, poverty, hunger, disease, pollution, crime, warfare. The message of Roots & Shoots is one of hope: hundreds and thousands of roots and shoots--young people--can break through these walls."

For more information, go to www.janegoodall.org

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