What is Roots & Shoots?
Roots & Shoots® engages and inspires youth through community service and service learning. Founded by Dr. Jane Goodall, this global program emphasizes the principle that knowledge leads to compassion, which inspires action. All Roots & Shoots groups show care and concern in three areas: the human community, animals, and the environment.
Mission
To foster respect and compassion for all living things, to promote understanding of all cultures and beliefs, and to inspire each individual to take action to make the world a better place for people, animals, and the environment.
Goals
- To implement positive change through active learning about, caring for, and interacting with the environment
- To demonstrate care and concern for all animals
- To enhance understanding among individuals of different cultures, ethnic groups, religions, socio-economic levels, and nations through our global communications network
- To help young people develop self-respect, confidence in themselves, and hope for the future
History
The Roots & Shoots program began when 16 students gathered with Dr. Goodall on her front porch in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in 1991. The students were fascinated by animal behavior and concerned about the state of the environment. But their schools didn’t cover these topics. The students wondered if they could further these interests through out-of-school activities. Their conversation ranged from how to help chimpanzees to how their actions might affect their communities. The sixteen returned to their schools with a task: find other interested young people and take action. And so the Roots & Shoots program was born. Since then, Roots & Shoots has spread rapidly. More than 7,500 groups – ranging in size from two to 2,000 – have registered in more than 90 countries.