Roots & Shoots

Roots & Shoots was founded by Jane Goodall, DBE in 1991, to bring together youth from preschool to university age to work on environmental, conservation, and humanitarian issues. The organization has local chapters in over 140 countries with over 8000 local groups worldwide that involve nearly 150,000 youth. Many of the chapters operate through schools and other organizations. Participants are encouraged to identify and work on problems in their communities affecting people, animals, or the environment. Charity Navigator has awarded Roots & Shoots and its parent non-profit organization, the Jane Goodall Institute, its highest four-star rating for accountability and transparency, with 78.1% of its expenses going directly to the programs.

Origin
Roots & Shoots was founded in 1991 when Dr. Goodall started giving talks at local schools in Tanzania. A group of 12 of her students, selected by their classmates, met with Goodall at her home to discuss their local environmental concerns and figure out what they could do to help. These 12 students became the first members of Roots & Shoots, and the organization grew from there. Of the original 12 students, one eventually went on to serve as the Minister of Environment for Tanzania. Another became the Roots & Shoots' National Director for Tanzania.

Curricula
The Roots & Shoots curriculum serves as an educational program designed for teachers and community leaders to implement with students and young people. Its primary objective is to facilitate the development of environmental, conservationist, and humanitarian initiatives aimed at enhancing local communities. The curriculum is structured for elementary, middle, and high school levels, with a focus on encouraging students to engage in service projects to cultivate a sense of service and leadership.

The program promotes the creation of projects aligned with various campaigns and provides resources to assist in the integration of these initiatives into local communities. A core principle of the Roots & Shoots model involves utilizing science and technology to assess community needs and identify areas where campaigns or service projects can make a positive impact on people, animals, or the environment.

Roots & Shoots also incorporates technology into its training methods, offering an online course titled "Turning Learners into Leaders: Empowering Youth Through Service Innovation." This professional development course is designed for community leaders, providing training in community mapping, fostering leadership skills in young individuals, collaborating with community stakeholders, and guiding young leaders toward practical solutions for community campaigns.

Branches
There are active Roots & Shoots branches in at least 27 countries, with offices in Abu Dhabi, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, China, Canada, Columbia, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Puerto Rico, Nepal, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, Tanzania, Uganda, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

China
China has four main Roots & Shoots branches in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, and Hong Kong that support over 600 primarily school groups.

Taiwan
In Taiwan, Roots and Shoots has been established in many schools and universities.

Tulsa, Oklahoma
Riverfield Country Day School in Tulsa has implemented the Roots & Shoots program.

Tucson, Arizona
Empire High School in Tucson has also implemented the Roots & Shoots program.