Activating Hope & Youth Action
Supporting young people and celebrating their work as they turn hope into action for people, other animals, and the environment.
They told Jane how they felt discouraged, thinking there was nothing they could do about the problems they saw in their community and the world. She encouraged these students to focus on the small and local actions they could take right then and there, and together, they created Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots.
Today, Roots & Shoots is active in 75 countries and counting, turning hope into action around the world.
We believe in the power of young people to change the world
Young people aren’t just our future; they’re our present. Amplifying their voices ensures that we multiply their impact.
Feature Story: EMBOLDening Young
Girls to Love their Natural Hair.
Baltimore high schooler Naomi B. and her friends grew up facing challenges around their natural hair: bullying by classmates, a lack of education about it, and insufficient funds to care for it. Even as Naomi grew and learned to take pride in her hair, she still saw many young girls missing school because of their discomfort with their own hair. She knew she had to act.
Naomi and her friends wanted to create a resource they wish they’d had, so they created The Embold Project. Among their activities, they wanted to hold natural hair workshops in their community, so they applied for and received a Roots & Shoots Project Grant. With the grant funding, they bought materials for the workshops, including miniature natural hair products, styling tools, and curly-haired dolls.
Through four natural hair workshops, Naomi and her friends taught over 100 girls about the history and beauty of their hair as they practiced simple hairstyles on curly-haired dolls. At the end of each workshop, attendees each received a free natural hair kit with all of the quality essentials needed for caring for their crown.
Youth Action at Work
“Young people, when they understand the problems, are empowered to take action. When we listen to their voices, [they] actually are changing the world and making it better for people, for animals, and for the environment.”
Photo credits: Eric Guzzetta, Katie Murray, William E. Marks, Mary Paris / Bill Woolam
On a sunny day in 1991, Dr. Jane Goodall was sitting on the front porch of her house in Tanzania. A group of students came up to get her advice.