The Empathy Library
A TC² and Indigo Love of Reading Foundation Collaboration
“Students’ language became more specific when talking about their feelings or the feelings of others. I have also witnessed an increase in shared emotional vocabulary in conversations and social interactions.”
— Pilot program participant
“The first steps I have seen are kids offering suggestions to peers who are upset, like ‘you should count to ten and do your belly breathing.’ It was a lovely moment!”
— Pilot program participant
Proven Impact
Piloted in seven provinces with over 500 students, educators shared how The Empathy Library enhanced both social-emotional learning (SEL) and reading comprehension:
✔ 95% of educators saw students improve their ability to recognize and describe emotions.
✔ 91% saw students demonstrating greater care for themselves and others, inspired by the stories they read.
✔ 100% agreed the program effectively supports SEL curriculum needs while strengthening literacy competencies.
What is The Empathy Library?
Developed by TC² for the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation, The Empathy Library is a free collection of resources designed to support students in exploring emotions, relationships, and social awareness while strengthening their reading.
These educator guides offer:
✔ Literacy-based learning activities for K–8 learners that encourage thoughtful discussions, foster social-emotional competencies, and strengthen reading comprehension through story.
✔ Flexible design with instructional ideas and materials that can be used as standalone activities, full lessons, or enhancements for existing social-emotional programs.
What’s Inside?
✔ Ready-to-Use Lesson Plans: Designed for any stories that feature emotions, these lessons help learners make text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections to recognize, describe, and understand emotions.
✔ Curated Book Lists: Suggestions for books that represent diverse identities, experiences, and emotions.
Explore how TC² can support your professional learning with The Empathy Library
Looking to deepen student engagement with The Empathy Library? TC² offers professional learning opportunities to help educators integrate these resources into their teaching and learning practices.
Learn more about TC² professional learning
📩 For customized professional learning support, contact Victoria Campoli.
Explore The Empathy Library