Growing Youth Purpose and Compassionate Action Across Countries in Africa (Templeton Foundation Grant)

Growing Youth Purpose and Compassionate Action Across Countries in Africa

Program Overview:
A three-year, $1.6 million grant from the John Templeton Foundation to foster the development of compassion and action in one million youth across countries in Africa through Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots youth program. This builds on JGI's relationship with the Templeton Foundation, as Dr. Jane Goodall was named the 2021 Templeton Prize Laureate.

Award Amount:

Total: $1.6 million over three years

Sub-grants to core countries: $25,000 per year for three years (to DRC, RoC, Tanzania, and Uganda)

Funding Partner: John Templeton Foundation

Grant Period: Three years (starting January 2023)

Geographic Scope: Africa (up to 18 African countries plus the United States)

Core Program Countries: Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Republic of Congo (RoC), Uganda, Tanzania, and USA

Additional African Country Coordinators: As many as 13 additional African countries

Focus Areas:

Positive youth development

Environmental, social, and civic engagement

Youth empowerment to address issues in their communities

Issues affecting people, other animals, and the environment

Compassion and action building

Self-efficacy, sense of community, connection to nature, social responsibility, and civic action

Program Goals:
1. Activate a Regional Community of Practice (COP): Among Roots & Shoots staff in five core countries (DRC, RoC, Uganda, Tanzania, USA) and up to 13 additional African countries to strengthen knowledge sharing, technology, and unified processes for sharing learning and resources
2. Build Program Capacity and Sustainability: Support program activities in four core African countries through sub-grants
3. Comprehensive Program Evaluation: In partnership with the University of Mississippi, evaluate the program's contribution to positive youth development research

Program Components:

Community of Practice Toolkit: Collected information will become a toolkit for Roots & Shoots programs across countries in Africa, available in English, French, and Kiswahili

Service-Learning with Community Engagement: Projects combine service-learning with active engagement using 'community mapping' and 'photovoice' methods

Youth Empowerment: Youth empowered in their communities with support from adult mentors

Program Evaluation: Comprehensive research examining how youth participation contributes to increases in self-efficacy, sense of community, connection to nature, social responsibility, and civic action; qualitative data will illuminate contextual aspects of Positive Youth Development relevant to each culture, social, and ecological context

Background:
Roots & Shoots was created in 1991 by Dr. Jane Goodall in response to growing distress and apathy in young people. It began with twelve Tanzanian high school students on Dr. Jane Goodall's veranda in Tanzania who felt powerless against global problems. The program has grown to include young people from kindergarten through university and beyond in over 65 countries.

Eligibility:

Roots & Shoots programs in African countries and the United States

Young people across all age groups (kindergarten through university and beyond)

Context:
Across countries in Africa, issues with inequity, poverty, biodiversity loss, climate change, and more put young people at disproportionate risk and disadvantage. Roots & Shoots provides resources to encourage and motivate young people to take action on issues that matter to them, helping them become positive agents of change.

Contact Information:
Jane Goodall Institute USA
1120 20th St. NW #520s, Washington, DC 20036
Telephone: (703) 682-9220
Fax: (703) 682-9312

Grant Partners:

University of Mississippi (program evaluation)

John Templeton Foundation (funder)