Dr. Jane Goodall founded Roots & Shoots in 1991 to engage and inspire young people through the planning and implementation of service-learning projects. The principle that knowledge and understanding leads to compassion, and compassion leads to action is at the heart of the Roots & Shoots programme. Roots & Shoots groups undertake service learning projects that involve care and concern for the environment, animals, and people.

At the beginning of 2005 there were Roots & Shoots groups in over 95 countries around the world and over 7,500 individual groups registered. Roots & Shoots is the avenue through which pupils who are interested in the environment can take practical action to do something to protect it. It is also an avenue through which further knowledge can be built on what they learnt in the classroom.

To introduce the Roots & Shoots programme in primary schools around the country, JGI worked in partnership with Wildlife Clubs of Uganda. Roots & Shoots is now a programme that Wildlife Clubs can choose to do within their already established group. New group participate in an introductory workshop. Groups are supplied a Roots & Shoots handbook containing information on how to run their group, activity ideas and information sheets. Active groups receive a newsletter and a visit from the coordinator each school term.

Progress to date (as of April 2010):

• A Roots & Shoots handbook specific to Uganda has been developed
• 128 Roots & Shoots groups have been formed in schools
• 8 Roots & Shoots groups have been formed in communities
• 4 introductory workshop have been held
• 3 advanced workshops has been held for active group leaders
• 2 Youth Camps held for active group members, their teachers and Head teachers
• 72 groups are currently active

All active Root &Shoots schools have been showed videos through the mobile education programme at least once a year.

Through the new peer to peer Education programme;

• An average total of 378 girls had been lured back into school in 13schools
• Since 2008 203 participants have been trained. 68 of these were female women teachers and 135 pupils (girls) from 47 schools around the areas with chimpanzee habitats
• The peer educator managed to get at least more than ten pupils weekly on average confiding in them.
• The peer educators have been able to train aproximately 2781 pupils, 154 teachers and at least 153 parents within and around their schools.
• A total of 47 Schools have been stocked with exercise books, pencils pens and  packets of sanitary towels  twice every year.
• A total of 2008 pupils from 17 schools received scholastic  materials

Future Plans:

To expand the programme to include more groups. Funding is being sought to offer more support to the active groups.

To have an Independent programme for peer to peer education. And continue supplying the schools with scholastic and sanitary materials.