Mary Gordon

Mary Gordon (born 13 October 1947) is a Canadian social entrepreneur, educator, author, child advocate and parenting expert, known for creating the Roots of Empathy program for elementary schools and the Seeds of Empathy program for early childhood settings. These programs focus on fostering empathy, emotional literacy, and social connection in children based on the parent–infant relationship.

She founded the Canadian charity Roots of Empathy to break intergenerational cycles of violence, which has since expanded to multiple countries and languages. The Roots of Empathy program has been the subject of independent research demonstrating reductions in aggression and bullying, and increases empathy and in pro-social behaviours such as caring including and kindness.

Gordon serves as the president and CEO of Roots of Empathy. She is also credited with coining the phrase "Love grows brains™", referencing the impact of the attachment relationship on early brain development.

Biography Gordon grew up in Newfoundland, but later moved to Toronto, Ontario. In her early career, she was a kindergarten teacher. In 1981, she founded Canada's first school-based Parenting and Family Literacy centres, which have become public policy in Ontario and are being used as a model for similar programs internationally.

In 1996, she founded Roots of Empathy, a classroom-based program for children in elementary school, and in 2005 she founded Seeds of Empathy, a related program for younger children in early childhood settings.

Selected works Gordon's 2005 Canadian non-fiction bestseller, Roots of Empathy: Changing the World Child by Child, an international organization that supports social entrepreneurs. She is currently a member of the Ashoka Foundation's board of directors. In 2006, she was invested as a Member of the Order of Canada. In July 2009, she was given the Public Education Advocacy Award by the Canadian Teachers' Federation. In 2018, she was appointed to the Order of Ontario, the province's highest honour, for her work as a "social entrepreneur, educator, author, child advocate and parenting expert".