About Evergreen

Growing emotional resilience, compassion, and nature connection in Rwandan youth.

Our Origin Story

Evergreen was created through a unique partnership between Roots & Shoots Rwanda and Good Natured Group (USA), combining local expertise with global scientific insights.

Pilot Program: October 2024 – June 2025 | 146 students across 3 schools

Students enthusiastically joined the program after hearing about its engaging activities that blend emotional learning with nature connection.

Our curriculum was developed in scientific collaboration with ethologists, carefully reviewing activities to avoid anthropomorphizing while emphasizing natural processes and interactions like chimpanzee reconciliation behaviors.

146

Students Reached

Partner Schools

Our Vision

A generation of Rwandan youth empowered with inner resilience, deep compassion, and meaningful connection to nature.

Our Mission

Cultivate emotional health and self-awareness

Strengthen peer relationships through empathy

Build meaningful connection with nature

Foster awe, wonder, and gratitude

Our Educational Philosophy

Five pillars that guide our approach to emotional and nature-based learning

Mindfulness & Breathing Practices

Teaching youth to anchor themselves in the present moment through simple, effective breathing techniques and mindfulness exercises.

Self-awareness & Emotional Intelligence

Helping students recognize, understand, and manage their emotions through vocabulary building and reflective practices.

Social Awareness, Empathy & Relationships

Developing compassion and understanding through perspective-taking and relationship-building activities.

Interbeing with Nature

Cultivating a deep sense of connection and interdependence with the natural world through direct experiences.

Animal-inspired Learning

Using scientific ethology to teach about emotions, relationships, and ecological principles through animal observations.

Real-world Learning Examples

Chimpanzee reconciliation → Conflict resolution skills

Elephant ecosystem contribution → Community interdependence

Dog empathy scenarios → Understanding emotional states

Octopus observation → Patience and adaptation

Our Scientific Framework

Evidence-based methodology combining psychology, education, and environmental science

Psychoeducation

Teaching emotional concepts and vocabulary through engaging, age-appropriate lessons.

Group Activities

Collaborative exercises that build social skills and emotional intelligence in supportive environments.

Vocabulary Building

Expanding emotional language to help students articulate and understand their feelings.

Mindfulness Practices

Regular mindfulness and breathing exercises to build self-regulation and present-moment awareness.

Relationship Building

Scripts and activities that teach healthy communication and conflict resolution skills.

Program Activities

26 engaging activities designed to build emotional resilience and nature connection

Mindful Breathing

Gratitude Circle

Perspective Taking

Count-to-Ten System

Deep Listening

Empathy in Dogs

Elephant Climate Connection

Flying Over Planet Earth

Nature Observation

Our Impact

Measurable results from our pilot program showing meaningful change in students' lives

Feel emotionally comfortable

Report better relationships

Feel connected to nature

Inspired by animals

Students reached

Sustainable Growth

Students show consistent improvement in emotional regulation, empathy skills, and environmental awareness throughout the program.

Voices from Our Community

"The Evergreen program has transformed how our students understand and manage their emotions. The animal-inspired activities make complex concepts accessible and memorable."