Canada Programs Roots & Shoots Inspiring and equipping the next generation of conservation leaders. Find Your Path How It Started Dr. Jane Goodall started Roots & Shoots over 30 years ago when she met with some young people who were eager to fix local problems. She was struck by their energy, their optimism, and their willingness to tackle crises they didn’t create. Roots & Shoots helps young people harness this energy and become the community leaders not just of tomorrow, but of today. Watch Jane talk Roots & Shoots with Jimmy Fallon. Today, Roots & Shoots is a globally-recognized youth leadership program. In Canada, over 12,000 young people are actively involved in projects. Over 80,000 community members are being directly impacted. How It Works Roots & Shoots is open to young activists from pre-school to post-secondary. Anyone 18 and older can become a member and start their own project today. Adult champions who work with youth under 18 can start a project for their classroom, youth group, community centre, or anywhere youth gather. There are 4 steps to every Roots & Shoots project: Get Inspired Map Your Community Take Action Celebrate Your Impact! Using our online guide, and available support from JGI Canada staff, Roots & Shoots teaches young people how to design projects that tackle the intersection of biodiversity loss (animals), environmental inequity (people), and climate change (the environment). Oh, it’s free! Are you an adult champion? Get started here. Young advocates 18+, get started here. What It’s All About Hear from other Roots & Shoots members who changed the world, and were changed in return. That’s what it’s all about. What Others Have To Say Sara Rana, Grade 11 Student, Ontario “The program provided me with the opportunity to translate my ideas into action. Through Roots & Shoots, I have been able to channel my passion into implementing initiatives that bring Indigenous culture to life.” Jennifer Ward, Teacher, British Columbia “I am so honoured to be part of this program. Roots and Shoots and the APE grant allows for the students to have a voice, be heard, and allow them to share the knowledge they have received from local elders with our entire community. This program is invaluable. I am so grateful to be associated with such positive steps toward acknowledging the truth of the experiences of others, injustices of people in our community and injustices toward land/animals so we can move ahead to begin to move towards reconciliation within our community.” Robyn Matthews, Teacher, Newfoundland “Letting students choose what they want to learn about completely changed the goals of this project. Students became invested in beekeeping more than I ever thought possible. They conquered their fears of talking to the public as well as their fear of bees. The project has also created a lot of buzz throughout the community and initiated other families and community members to join the bee community.” Sophie Bordeleau Kent, student, Quebec I like that it encourages youth to help the environment, animals and people across the globe. I also like the fact that the organization encourages and supports many types of projects, however big or small. Find Your Path to Get Started Young Leaders (18+) If you’re 18 or older, you can start your own Roots & Shoots group or project in your community, on your campus, or in your home. Get Started Adult Champions Are you an educator, parent, or adult community leader who works with youth? You can start a Roots & Shoots project or group with the young people in your life. Get Started Our Program Partners Roots & Shoots Projects Across Canada Resources Our Resource section includes things like our Climate Change Curriculum Guide and our Biodiversity Guide. These can be helpful tools for any project! Discover Resources Current Projects Environmental Inequity (People) CJBS – Knowledge and Nutrients Farm The CJBS – Knowledge and Nutrients Farm has been established to promote healthy eating and living, provide access to quality produce, and improve science outcomes from K-12. The produce will be shared with the community in order to address food insecurity in the region. Biodiversity Loss (Animals), Climate Change (Environment) Climate Change Challenge Students in grade 6/7 will complete a series of activities to teach their peers about climate change and how their actions can help make a difference. They will lead a campaign for change in our community by hosting events such as OLCS Earth Hour and recycling items into new products. Biodiversity Loss (Animals), Climate Change (Environment), Environmental Inequity (People) Coming Together This project is to help build closer ties between the community of Pincher Creek and the local Blackfoot community to help build a better understanding of Indigenous Ways of Knowing. This project will also help promote a better knowledge of place for our students. Biodiversity Loss (Animals), Climate Change (Environment), Environmental Inequity (People) Communities of the Future: Growing Sustainable Food Together Working with the two grade six classes, we will be participating in the Brilliant Labs The Community of the Future Innovation Challenge! This will inspire our students to explore their empathy and ingenuity to realize how our environment can impact a community’s wellness, economy and longevity. Climate Change (Environment) Community Gardens and Sustainability We want to use our Tower Gardens and outdoor garden boxes to grow nutritious food supplies and learn about healthy eating. This would also enable the students to learn how to grow their own food and take care of plants and plant life. During this process, we would also visit our local greenhouse. Climate Change (Environment) Compost gardening and visit waste management site The eco-school team wants to set up a composting program within the school to use compost as fertilizer for our school gardens and vegetable gardens. We need to buy two composters. we want to plant fruits and vegetables. We want to visit Halton waste management. The money is for bus transportation Biodiversity Loss (Animals), Environmental Inequity (People) Connecting to our Roots Providing youth with the opportunity to explore nature and learn about traditional pants and medicines. Allowing them to experience firsthand the wonderful and diverse world found outside the city. While strengthening their understanding of biodiversity loss and fostering a drive to support change. Biodiversity Loss (Animals), Climate Change (Environment) Cultivating Connection & Empathy Through Wildlife Our grade 4/5 class has expressed interest in supporting wildlife and animals. They will visit the Wildlife Haven Rehab Centre and help support a local animal animal shelter, developing empathy and strengthening their connections with nature. Climate Change (Environment) Diverting our School’s Food Waste from Landfills The intention of this project is to bring green bins to each classroom in the school, in order to more effectively divert food waste from landfills. The green bin program will be a great addition to our existing blue and grey bin recycling program at the school. « 1 2 3 4 … 10 »
