Rooting for Change at UofT

By Isa Cunanan

Jane Goodall’s 2006 "Reason for Hope" public lecture at Convocation Hall inspired a movement by University of Toronto at Mississauga (UTM) students looking to make a positive change, beginning with their community.

One year later, co-founders Leanne and Darlene De Souza share their plans for the next term of Roots and Shoots, U of T’s only Goodall-affiliated campus club.

Green Perspective: What is Roots and Shoots, and how did it get its start at the Mississauga Campus? Roots and Shoots (R & S) is part of the Jane Goodall Institute. Founded by Dr. Jane Goodall, R & S is a global network of over 8,000 youth groups of all ages, working to create change, address crises, and raise awareness through service learning projects that promote concern for animals, the environment, and the human community. Every R & S group works to motivate young people to learn about current issues affecting local and global communities. The uniqueness of the club comes from the leadership it encourages and facilitates through the learning process: youth actually design, lead, and implement their own rojects. Since the club is made up of diverse age groups, the learning experience is tailored to the demographic of the group.
The R & S group at UTM started after Darlene and I attended Dr. Jane Goodall’s "Reason for Hope" talk at Convocation Hall where she inspired us to take part in this unique, education-based program through examples of accomplishments of R & S youth groups. We felt that R & S had the very unique dimension of education-based project development. This organization would allow us to encourage project development and management, which is important for most university students, while also encouraging leadership and the flexibility to choose any pertinent humanitarian or environmental issue we felt passionate about.

GP: Roots and Shoots organizations across the globe cover various streams of action. What stream will define Roots and Shoots at UTM, and why?
R & S UTM will mainly focus on humanitarian issues affecting groups on campus, in the community or globally. There will, however, be occasional environmental-based events. We selected this stream since there are several groups on campus addressing environmental issues, but humanitarian issues are usually addressed based on a current crises or homogenous groups/organizations on campus [which is appropriate since most clubs are in themselves very specific]. R & S UTM will focus on a range of issues so as to be very inclusive. We feel that the humanitarian focus will give students the chance to apply skills they have from work experience and courses while also creating the best opportunity to network and develop socially.

GP: In the future, does the club hope to involve the University’s colleges at Scarborough and St. George? Are there any collaborations at present?
This year we will have University of Toronto, St. George campus club recognition; in this way, we will address all campuses. Our main location will be at UTM since this is where we started, where Darlene and I both attended for our undergraduate education and where we feel the
community and the university are well integrated to facilitate projects in diverse and active ways. We will however, ensure that students from all three campuses have the opportunity and the convenience to participate in events.

GP: What does Roots and Shoots have in store for the new term?
Currently R & S is working on a project with Community on Campus, which involves planting trees and gardening at UTM. This event is aimed at integrating members of this group with other students in a social setting that also involves an environmental effort. This is an opportunity for students who don’t have time to volunteer regularly with this group, but would really like to. It is also an opportunity to foster community, networking and working together for change. Other events will include an awareness campaign for WarChild and the second annual Baskets for Charity, to name a few.

Visit www.utrands.org for more information.