The more I learn about Empathy Lab UK, the more I felt I had to share. They may not be US-based but this is an organization worth being on our radar. I’m not connected to them in any way. But, I’m always on the lookout for inspiring fresh ideas centering on young children.
Empathy Lab UK
Their perspective is that empathy is not a trait, but a learnable skill. Their mission is focused on growing and nurturing empathy in young people through reading. According to Imogen Bond, managing director at Empathy Lab: “We might think of reading as something that you do in isolation … actually, it’s something that really connects us to other people.” And they are not alone. In Denmark Empathy is explicitly taught in schools as a school as part of core curriculum children ages 6 to 16. It is not just a one-off, or one day a year activity. It is an hour a day, one day a week every week from age 6 to 16. This fits right in with Empathy Lab UK’s view that empathy is a skill that can be learned and nurtured.
Demark’s approach also fits with Empathy Studio’s (also UK-based, using film instead of books) premise that “empathy is a muscle that needs to be exercised to fully develop. A 2024 study of 900 students in six countries, participation in a 1-semester program utilizing Empathy Studios’ “Netflix” styled empathy-themed film lessons. Filmed lessons are about real people from around the world led to measurable, positive changes in behavior, emotional awareness and curiosity about different cultures. According to Anna Patton a freelance journalist based in the UK, and associate editor at Pioneers Post, Helen Demetriou, of the University of Cambridge has studied empathy since the mid-1990s. Of the Empathy Studios’ program, Ms. Demetriou observed that, “such a small amount of intervention and time and exposure having this impact is quite surprising.”
Empathy Lab UK
We know Denmark as one of the happiest countries in the world. This is according to the UN’s “World Happiness Report.” One can easily speculate this correlates directly to a cultural focus on engaging in empathy-building at a young age. Denmark’s weekly 1-hour school lesson dedicated to learning and nurturing empathy is called the “Klassens tid,” Literally, The Empathy Lesson. The time is spent discuss real, individual, student problems among teachers and students, and using active listening to come up with solutions together. If no one has a problem the time is spent in practicing “Hygge” This can be defined as “intentionally created intimacy”. In a country where it gets dark very early in the year, it rains, it’s gray, hygge means bringing light, warmth, and friendship, creating a shared, welcoming, and intimate atmosphere.
Full circle, back to Empathy Lab UK, they have a lot going on. Some of it is time-sensitive. They are sharing videos of their Empathy Day Festival activities and events (including author and illustrator events) now through July 12th. These share fun, engaging ideas, and thought provoking activities, we can mirror. And, there is a July 11th deadline for a chance to get a free collection of empathy themed books for your kids, homeschoolers or classroom library. You are required to complete a survey. They’ve got titles like “How I Feel,” “If My Words Had Wings,” “Gordon The Meanest Goose On Earth,” ”Me And My Hair,” “You Could Be Pretty,” “The Boy In The Suit,” and “The Grand Hotel Of Feelings.” The collections are grouped for children 3 – 11 and 12 -16
Like Denmark and Empathy Studios, Empathy Lab’s perspective is that empathy is not a trait, but a learnable skill. Their mission is focused on growing and nurturing empathy in young people through reading. According to Imogen Bond, managing director at Empathy Lab: “We might think of reading as something that you do in isolation … actually, it’s something that really connects us to other people.”
By the way, if any of you’re a writer of children’s books , they are doing out reach for authors and publishers …. And for illustrators of books and things like “empathy emotion maps.” You can learn more and judge for yourself on their website, https://empathylab.uk. To learn more about Empathy Studios visit https://www.empathystudios.com. And for more background on Denmark’s core curriculum lessons on empathy go to https://www.adeccogroup.com/future-of-work/latest-insights/empathy-in-denmark