Safety Guidlines

Many of our courses integrate personal experiences with scientific knowledge to create a more holistic learning experience. To ensure that this learning process feels safe and inclusive, we establish safety guidelines, that we ask everyone to agree to before we start a course:

  • We agree to approach our conversations with non-judgemental curiosity

  • We will earn each other’s trust through confidentiality

  • We come with a willingness to learn from each other

  • We will allow others to express themselves without interruption

  • We will be respectful of each person’s opinions, identities, and life experiences

  • We will share the space and give everyone equal opportunity to share

  • We will make an effort to engage with each person in the group

  • We will adopt a ‘beginner’s mind’ so that we can observe and listen openly and without prejudice

  • We agree that all questions are valid and that each question serves as a learning opportunity

  • We agree to ask for clarification when we need it

  • We will have a spirit of teamwork and collaboration and help each other as much as we are able to

  • We agree to take breaks when we need to

  • We agree to pass on sharing if we don't feel like sharing and know that our classmates will respect that

  • We will listen to each other actively and attentively

  • We agree that disagreements are natural and healthy and that conflict, when resolved, leads to growth

  • We will be compassionate with ourselves and each other

  • We will do all of the above to the best of our ability, recognizing that none of us is perfect at being human

It is assumed that while adhering to these guidelines, each of us is doing so from a place of inclusion, especially for those who have been discriminated against including our friends who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, part of the LGBTQ2S community, older, children, living with mental Illness or physical disabililties, living with exceptionalities and/or Autism Spectrum Disorder, various shapes and sizes, women, and part of our multinational, multi-ethic, and multi-religious Canadian society.

Mandy WintinkComment