Communications Guidelines
Roots of Empathy has built a strong international brand presence in print, broadcast, and increasingly via social media. Organizational and program integrity are key elements of the Roots of Empathy brand, as are the protection of the children and adults in our programs. These guidelines are intended to support you as you gather, submit and share permissions, photos, video and artwork.
Thank you for being our ambassadors and contributing to the ongoing success of Roots of Empathy.
In agreeing to be a volunteer Roots of Empathy Instructor:
- you agree that you will not share any photos or videos for which Roots of Empathy has not obtained permissions; and
- if you take photos or videos for which Roots of Empathy has obtained permissions, you agree to wholly assign copyright to Roots of Empathy. Roots of Empathy gives you permission to use such photographs and videos taken by you on social media. Please refrain from including personal or identifying details (such as names or specific comments) about anyone in the photographs or videos as it may inadvertently subject participating students to unwanted attention, jeopardizing the trust and security so important to the success of the program.
- you agree that you will not share artwork on social media.
Roots of Empathy permission forms protect the children and adults in our programs, as well as the Roots of Empathy organization. Permission forms tell the Roots of Empathy organization if and how we can use photos and artwork from Roots of Empathy classrooms. The forms give us the legal right and legal protection to use photos and artwork if the students’ parents have said “Yes”. Today, more than ever, it is imperative that we have signed permission forms from anyone who is in a photo, even if it is to be used only in the classroom.
Permission forms are required before Roots of Empathy can use images of anyone in our programs, or children’s artwork, in any way, including:
- In media
- social media
- on the Roots of Empathy website
- in promotional materials
- in organizational proposals and reports
- (impacting Instructors) in the end of year photo album given to the volunteer family
What if I’m not taking any photos in my classroom? Do I still need to collect permission forms?
Yes, you do. We must have a record of the permissions granted, whether or not you are taking any photos, and for the artwork.
Why do the forms have to be submitted to Roots of Empathy?
The permission forms are organizational documents that verify for us whether or not we can use photos and artwork from students. We need to have the forms filed and accessible for our staff and any others who may ask about them, including parents who may request a change of permission regarding the data they have given us.
Do not send in photos that include children who haven’t been permissioned – OR BLUR their faces before sharing. We do not know the children, and it is impossible for us to figure this out.
- Roots of Empathy permission forms allow for the sharing of photos, videos and artwork only by the Roots of Empathy organization and the Roots of Empathy Instructor who has agreed to the Communications Guidelines.
- Volunteer Family and Teacher - The Roots of Empathy permission does not extend to the personal social media channels of the classroom teachers, the volunteer family, or others who may be observing the class.
- No artwork can be shared
- Host School – The host school can publish photos only of students who have given permission to Roots of Empathy AND to their school. It is the school’s responsibility to gather their own permissions from their students, and it is standard practice. We ask however, that the school follow the same guidelines as we do – photos only during family visits, best practice being followed, not sharing details about the curriculum, toys etc., or sharing identifying comments from the students. This is to protect the children, our program integrity and our intellectual property. You may find that schools/teachers will want to publish photos on secure platforms they use to share news with parents, such as SeeSaw. This is fine as long as the guidelines are followed and all permissions are in. This is different from teachers sharing on their personal social media channels, which is not covered by our permissions and therefore, not allowed.
- Do not send in photos that include children who haven’t been permissioned – OR BLUR their faces before sharing. We do not know the children, and it is impossible for us to figure this out.
- Curriculum - Please do not share any text that references Roots of Empathy intellectual property, such as describing the curriculum, content of the themes, purpose of toys, etc. This is to protect organizational and programmatic integrity.
- Videos:
What can I say about what happens in the classrooms?
Loading the player...Can I describe what we are doing in each theme or the purpose of the toys?
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School permission forms cover the use of photos taken and displayed or shared by the school, including:
- In the classroom
- On school websites
You may post photos of children who have signed school permissions on the classroom bulletin board, even if they have not signed the Roots of Empathy permission form. But this is the only time you may use such photos.
- Make sure any observers in the classroom have signed Roots of Empathy permission forms and tell them that they may not share any photos on their own social media channels.
- When new students arrive part way through the school year, make sure you obtain a signed permission form from them as soon as possible.
- Do not send in photos that include children who haven’t been permissioned – OR BLUR their faces before sharing. We do not know the children, and it is impossible for us to figure this out.
Submit your signed permission forms to the Head office as soon as you receive them, and before or at the same time as you submit any photos, videos, or artwork from that classroom to Roots of Empathy.
If you do not have signed permission for any student or adult, you may not share their photos or videos on social media and Roots of Empathy cannot use the photos or videos. Verbal consent is not enough.
If you have students who do not have signed Roots of Empathy permission but who DO HAVE signed school permission forms, you may use their photos in the school for program purposes, such as on the classroom bulletin board. Check with the classroom teacher to confirm who has signed school permissions and who does not.
Do not send in photos that include children who haven’t been permissioned – OR BLUR their faces before sharing. We do not know the children, and it is impossible for us to figure this out.
| English Documents | Download |
|---|---|
| Photo/Video Release Form for Baby’s Parents | Download |
| Photo/Video and Artwork/Writing Release Form for Children’s Parents or Guardians | Download |
| Photo/Video Adult Release Form | Download |
| New Zealand Documents | Download |
|---|---|
| Photo/Video Release Form for Baby’s Parents | Download |
| Photo/Video and Artwork/Writing Release Form for Children’s Parents or Guardians | Download |
| Photo/Video Adult Release Form | Download |
| French Documents | Download |
|---|---|
| Photo/Video Release Form for Baby’s Parents | Download |
| Photo/Video and Artwork/Writing Release Form for Children’s Parents or Guardians | Download |
| Photo/Video Adult Release Form | Download |
Photos and videos are an important part of the Roots of Empathy program. We encourage you to take photos, or to ask your host teacher to take photos, during family visits. They’re a wonderful way to share our stories and impact. Here are a few tips to help you make the most of the fantastic photo-ops in your classroom.
Getting a great shot
Family visits give children the opportunity to explore their fascination with the baby by close observation and interaction. You can document the little moments that make family visits so worthwhile. Resist the temptation to capture the whole class in every photo.Here are some examples:
In the tightly focused shots, note how close the photographer is to the subjects.
Please follow best practices, including:
- Ensuring the baby is wearing the Teacher t-shirt and that it fits snuggly so the logo can be seen.
- Having only one toy at a time on the blanket.
- Parent and baby are sitting on the edge of green blanket with no children behind them.
- Please ask families to remove socks, bibs or any head wear off their “Tiny Teachers” during Family Visits.
You’ll likely be taking photos digitally with your phone or a camera. Print your photos after your family visit to bring with you to the next family visit, where you can post them on your Roots of Empathy display. If you can’t print them at home or at the school, you can take your phone or camera memory card to a photofinishing shop to have the photos printed.
If you don’t have access to a camera, ask the teacher or parent if they could bring theirs to the visit or if the school has one you can use.
Please refer to the Roots of Empathy Communications Guidelines below (for more explanation on permissions, go to this link) and how to safely share your classroom images on social media.
Have fun and snap away!SOCIAL MEDIA PERMISSION
If you do not have signed permission for any student or adult, you may not share their photos or videos on social media and Roots of Empathy cannot use the photos or videos. Verbal consent is not enough.
If you have students who do not have signed Roots of Empathy permission but who DO HAVE signed school permission forms, you may use their photos in the school for program purposes, such as on the classroom bulletin board. Check with the classroom teacher to confirm who has signed school permissions and who does not.
We continue to find consistent joy in seeing students’ learning in the Roots of Empathy program come to life through their artwork. It’s invaluable to us for creating a national and international picture from the perspective of children who participate in our Roots of Empathy programs.
We often use artwork in Roots of Empathy presentations, reports, and proposals throughout our program year. By sharing children’s artwork with us, we are able to showcase the program’s impact. Our Annual Program Evaluation report is a vital tool in communicating the program’s success, and we believe that children’s voices are among the most powerful. The report will be shared with all participants, including you, teachers, and volunteer parents, so that you can see the impact you have had on children. Thank you for sharing children’s artwork with us.
Please note you may not share artwork on social media.
Scanning – How to and what to Scan
For the best possible quality, we strongly recommend using a scanner. It's important to scan children’s artwork rather than take a photo of it.
- Please scan the artwork in colour and high resolution.
- If you have students’ permission forms that haven’t been submitted yet, please.
- do so as soon as possible.
We would be grateful if you submitted artwork from the following themes:
- Kindergarten: Theme 8, Theme 9
- Primary: Theme 2, Theme 4, Theme 9
- Junior: Theme 4, Theme 9
- Senior: Theme 9
If you don’t have access to a scanner, you can use your phone to scan artwork. Here’s how to do it:
For iPhones, check out this instruction video (click here)
For other phones, you can use the Microsoft Lens app. Watch this video for instructions (click here)
- No artwork is to be shared on social media
- You may share photos and videos on social media (family visits only), if you have all the permissions. Additionally, if you have the opportunity, please repost published posts from Roots of Empathy social platforms (X, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook)
- You must have signed permission from each person before their image, in a photo or video, is shared on social media, from Roots of Empathy. This includes students, parent and infant, classroom teacher and Instructor any observers. Schools must have their own permissions for their social media. Note: Our permission forms do not cover parents and teachers posting on their personal social media accounts, and they should refrain from doing so.
- If you do not have signed Roots of Empathy permission for any individual, you may not share their photo or video on social media.
- Please only take photos of the family visit and not during the pre and post visits when children may be sharing thoughts and feelings. Do not share any images or comments from the pre or post classroom visits. This could jeopardize the safe environment the children need to share their thoughts and feelings and could compromise program integrity by revealing our curriculum.
- Please only take videos during the family visit and keep the videos short, no more than one minute.
- Please do not share any text that references Roots of Empathy intellectual property, such as describing the curriculum, content of the themes, purpose of toys, etc. This is to protect organizational and programmatic integrity. Please ensure there are no personal or identifying details, such as names specific comments from the children. We may think one will know who has made a particular comment, but someone might. We want children to feel safe in their Roots of Empathy classroom.
- Please follow best practices, including:
- Ensuring the baby is wearing the Teacher t-shirt and that it fits snuggly so the logo can be seen
- Having only one toy at a time on the blanket
- Parent and baby are sitting on the edge of green blanket with no children behind them
- Please ask families to remove socks, bibs or any head wear off their “Tiny Teachers” during Family Visits.
1. You can submit Permission forms, Photos, Videos, and Artwork via email to: communications@rootsofempathy.org
Please include the following details to help us organize and use them effectively:
- Your name
- Date (if possible)
- Location
- School name
- Grade
- Baby’s name
OR
2. Upload your Roots of Empathy Permission Forms, Photos, and Artwork here:
Canto Upload Instructions
What has to be filled out when uploading files?
Not every field is required, however, providing as much information as possible will help us file the images correctly and locate them later. Please Note: Mandatory sections are marked with an asterisk (*). After uploading the images, with the required information click “Apply”.
How do you know your upload worked?
A message will appear at the top, just below the search bar, confirming that your files were successfully uploaded. To view more details, navigate to the right and click on “View Details”, and a pop up will display how many files were successfully uploaded. Unfortunately, the files you uploaded will not be displayed - only the number of files uploaded.
Having Trouble?
If you have any questions, please reach out to: communications@rootsofempathy.org.
Another option: If you are finding this too troublesome for uploading, you can submit photos, videos, artwork and permission forms via email to communications@rootsofempathy.org. * Please add information in your email to help us organize and use them well. Include: your name, location, school name, and grade, and baby’s name.
Important: Do not send photos that include children who haven’t been permissioned. If unavoidable, blur their faces before sharing. We do not know the children personally, so we’re unable to identify which have permission.
If mailing is your only option, please send to:
Roots of Empathy International Office 250 Dundas St. W., Suite 802 Toronto, Ontario M5T 2Z5, Canada
- Requests to Promote: For media inquiries, classroom visitor proposals, or other requests to promote Roots of Empathy, please consult your Mentor or Senior Mentor for guidance.
- Logo Use: For guidelines and permission to use Roots of Empathy logos, please email: communications@rootsofempathy.org