A classroom program that brings neighborhood babies into Seattle Public Schools to teach kids empathy is growing for the 2026-27 school year, and it needs two kinds of volunteers before classes start Sept. 2.

Roots of Empathy, which has operated in SPS since 2007, is recruiting trained instructors and families with infants to fill spots across the district's K-8 classrooms. The program pairs a volunteer instructor with a parent and baby who visit a classroom nine times over the school year. Students observe the infant's development and, guided by the instructor, build emotional literacy and social skills.

No teaching credential is required.

The organization says it is expanding its Seattle footprint this year but has not identified which schools will host the program. Because it relies on community volunteers rather than paid staff, Roots of Empathy can reach schools that lack dedicated social-emotional learning positions. That model matters most in under-resourced parts of the district where counselor-to-student ratios are highest and SEL staffing is thinnest.

What volunteers do

Instructors deliver 27 sessions across nine themes, according to the program's published curriculum framework. Each theme includes a pre-visit lesson, a classroom visit by the baby and parent, and a follow-up discussion. New instructors attend four days of fall training and receive mentorship through their first year.

Families volunteer their baby as a "baby teacher." Infants must be two to four months old in October, meaning families with babies born roughly between June and August 2026 are the target.

The program draws volunteers from many backgrounds: former teachers, school counselors, therapists, social workers, parents and grandparents.

Research backing

Independent evaluations have found the program reduces aggression and bullying while increasing empathy and helping behavior. A randomized longitudinal study by Queen's University Belfast found those gains persisted up to three years after participation, according to the organization's research page. A separate Manitoba study (Santos et al., 2011) showed similar sustained reductions in physical and indirect aggression.

Founder Mary Gordon, a Canadian educator who launched Roots of Empathy in 1996, has said the program measures "the affective side of children's knowledge, understanding, and attitudes" rather than academic competence alone. Globally, the organization says it has reached 1.2 million children.

How to sign up

Roots of Empathy announced the volunteer drive Aug. 11, according to West Seattle Blog. Interested volunteers should email program manager Melissa Cornwell at [email protected].