Imagine a world without climate change…without wildlife trafficking, biodiversity loss, poverty, and violence. Though such a place can be difficult to imagine, Roots & Shoots members are working towards making this happen every single day! Through local community service campaigns, more than 600,000 Roots & Shoots youth around the globe take on some of our world’s greatest challenges all while developing their compassionate leadership skills. It is these young people that will inherit the Earth and when they take on leadership positions in education, business, and government, their compassion-driven decision making will lead us to a better world.
Here’s how we’re “cooking up” a better world with Dr. Jane’s “recipe” for change:
2016 Highlights
25th Anniversary
On February 19, the Roots & Shoots global community celebrated 25 years since Dr. Jane created the program and started us on our journey to make the world a better place. Roots & Shoots groups in more than 100 countries participated in the “Growing Together” celebration by planting something to commemorate the occasion. You can read all about the 25th Anniversary Campaign here or connect with the global community here.
3rd Annual Online Course
More than 2,000 educators from around the world registered for the 3rd annual Roots & Shoots free summer online course, “Growing Compassionate Leaders: Empowering Youth Through Service in Education.” Those who completed the course are out there right now in their communities leading service campaigns with their students, colleagues, and peers.
National Youth Leadership Council Summit
Redlands, California served as the backdrop for the 2016 U.S. National Youth Leadership Council Summit where some of the highest caliber youth leaders got together for a week of training and service. They visited Esri to explore the powerful practice of digital community mapping and were left nearly awestruck by a visit from Jack Dangermond, the “godfather of digital maps.” They installed an irrigation system at a local elementary school’s garden, shared news of their individual service campaigns, and so much more.
Projects of the Month
Of the more than 1,000 projects shared in the Project Database on rootsandshoots.org this year, 12 were chosen as Project of the Month. From pollinators to petitions to peace gardens, these projects have it all. Check them out here.
