Empathy Capacity Building through a Community of Practice Approach

Citation: Ernst, J., Underwood, C., Wojciehowski, M., & Nayquonabe, T. (2024). Empathy capacity-building through a Community of Practice approach: Exploring perceived impacts and implications. Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens, 5(3), Article 3.https://doi.org/10.3390/jzbg5030027

We report on an evaluation of an empathy-focused Community of Practice (CoP) that engaged 15 regional early childhood professionals (including four zoo preschool staff) in the co-creation of empathy practices that are deepened through a ‘Two-Worlds’ (Indigenous and Western) approach. Ripple effect mapping was the evaluation approach used, as its participatory nature and emphasis on reflection were well aligned with the CoP approach. The results suggest CoP participation influenced teachers’ capacity for supporting empathy development, which rippled outward from teacher-level impacts to positive impacts on children, families, and beyond. We also offer reflections on the use of a CoP approach to build individual, organizational, and community capacity for supporting empathy, as well as on the conduciveness of ripple effect mapping for evaluating capacity-building professional learning in the context of empathy conservation.