Program Legal Agreement

1 .Trying it on

• Be willing to “try on” new ideas or ways of doing things that might not be what you prefer or familiar with.

2. Practice Self Focus (Ownership)

• Attend and share your own experiences and responses. Do not speak for a whole group or express assumptions about the experience of others. 

3. Understand the Difference Between Intent & Impact

• Try to understand and acknowledge impact. Denying the impact of something shared by focusing on intent is often more destructive than the initial interaction.

4. Practice “Both / And”

• When sharing, substitute “and” for “but” and “this or that” to “both can exist” … this practice acknowledges and honors multiple realities. Refrain from blaming or shaming self & others. Practice giving skillful feedback.

5. Take Space / Make Space

• Encourage full participation by all present. Take note of who is sharing and who is not. If you tend to share often, consider “making space” and vice versa.

6. Question to Understand and Embody

• Being witnessed is at the heart of belonging, however, the purpose of Q&A is to understand and embody the material being taught. Please refrain from seeking advice or processing at that time. We encourage you to witness yourself and be witnessed by peers and support systems; a witness does not need to be an authority figure.

7. Be Aware of Your Power

• As you engage throughout the course, be mind-ful and body-ful of the power attributed to your identities and roles, and how that power impacts others. We have different power by virtue of our social identities, race, gender, geography, experience, roles…

8. Practice Mindful Observing

• Try to avoid planning what you’ll share as you observe others. Be willing to be surprised, to learn something now. Observe with your whole self. Be open for the experience.

9. Confidentiality

• Take home learnings, but don’t identify anyone other than yourself, now or later. Seek consent first.

10. Right to Pass - Agency of Self Care

• You can pass if you are not feeling, in an unsafe area, so type or say I pass, you can say I'm processing or I'm observing, and then we know that you're engaged.