Roots & Shoots

Hello! We are Roots & Shoots, a global program created for young people just like you. Our main purpose is to help you find ways to make a positive difference in the world. We believe that everyone has a role to play in caring for people, for animals, and for the environment that we all share. These three things—people, animals, and the environment—are connected, and helping one often means helping them all. We provide a space where your ideas for a better world can grow and become reality.

Our own story began in a small, hopeful way. It started back in 1991 in the country of Tanzania, located in Africa. A group of 12 teenagers gathered on the porch of a famous scientist named Dr. Jane Goodall. These young people were talking with her because they felt worried. When they looked around their community, they saw problems that concerned them, from animals losing their homes to people who needed help. They didn't just want to worry, though. They wanted to take action and find real solutions. That conversation on the porch was the seed from which our entire global community grew.

Dr. Goodall helped give us our name, Roots & Shoots, because it perfectly describes the power we believe young people have. Think about the roots of a giant tree. They dig deep into the earth, spreading out to create a strong and steady foundation. Without these roots, the tree could not stand tall. For us, ‘roots’ represent a strong beginning. They remind us to understand our communities deeply and to build our work on a solid foundation of knowledge and care. Our roots connect us to the earth and to each other.

Now, think about the ‘shoots.’ A shoot is a small, new part of a plant that is just beginning to grow. Shoots might seem small and not very strong, but they are incredibly powerful. A tiny shoot has enough strength to push its way through a crack in a brick wall to reach the sunlight. This is how we see the actions of young people. One person or one small project might seem like a little thing in a world with big problems. But just like a shoot breaking through a wall, your actions have the power to break through challenges. When many of us work together, our small actions combine to create huge and hopeful change.

This idea leads to our most important message: every single person makes an impact every single day. What you choose to do matters. The choices you make about what you buy, what you say, and how you treat others can create a ripple of change. We want to empower you to make sure your impact is a positive one. Our whole program is built on this belief that individual actions, when added together, can heal our world.

From that single meeting on a porch in Tanzania, we have grown into a worldwide network. Today, there are thousands of Roots & Shoots groups in countries all across the globe. We are not one single club with a leader telling everyone what to do. Instead, we are a network of local groups, each with its own focus. The members of each group start by observing their own community. They look around their school, their neighborhood, or their town to see what help is needed most right there at home.

Once a group identifies a need, they work together to create a hands-on project to make things better. Because every community is different, our projects are incredibly diverse. For example, one group might realize their local park needs more trees to provide shade and clean the air, so they organize a tree-planting day. Another group might see that some families in their town are hungry, so they start a project to collect food for a local food bank. Other groups might focus on protecting local wildlife by cleaning up a river or building safe habitats for animals. The power of our program is that it is led by you and focused on what your community needs.

Our journey from that first group of 12 teenagers has been amazing. Today, hundreds of thousands of young people are part of the Roots & Shoots family. Our members are of all ages, from children in preschool who are just learning about the world, to students in university who are leading large-scale campaigns. We are proud to be the official youth program of the Jane Goodall Institute, an organization founded by Dr. Goodall to continue her work. The Institute helps support our groups, allowing us to reach more young people every year. Our members connect with each other, share their project ideas, and inspire one another to create a better future for everyone.

Above all else, our most important idea is hope. Some people look at the world’s problems and feel that they are too big to solve. We see it differently. We believe that when young people are given the chance to understand the world's challenges and are given the power to act, they will always rise to the occasion and create incredible change. Today, our members are tackling huge issues like pollution and climate change, but they start with small, manageable projects in their own hometowns. We continue to prove, every single day, that even the smallest shoot can grow into something powerful and help create a healthier, more compassionate world for us all.