NEON Values

We value co-created learning spaces. Nobody knows everything, including training facilitators. Together, we all know a lot, and we learn even more when we are open to what we don’t know and explore jointly. Exploring together happens when we all participate, share, and actively engage. We do not have to say things perfectly or have things figured all the way out to offer our thoughts. We offer grace to all of you as you learn and are grateful when we receive that back.

We value openness and curiosity. We all learn best when we are free to question, to try on new ideas, and to explore new thoughts. As your facilitators, we will work to keep all of us accountable to the group discussion guidelines to keep the group atmosphere welcoming, inclusive, and open to all. We encourage you to help us keep this learning space, one that is open to curiosity and exploration, by also keeping to the group guidelines for respectful communication.

We care about people. It is our goal to create an engaging, comfortable, welcoming environment where all of our training participants feel like they belong, they can participate, they can create meaning, and they can have fun. We want to hear your voice, your thoughts, your suggestions, and your needs. We encourage you to work with us to create this caring environment by listening deeply to your fellow participants, engaging with the discussion guidelines, and participating actively.

We care about diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB). We actively embrace the diverse perspectives and lived experiences of all of our training participants. We especially seek to listen deeply to the wisdom of folks with experience of living on the margins and encourage those with privilege to do likewise. Practically valuing DEIB means you will see us do things like offering people an opportunity to state their pronouns, discussing the impacts of historical trauma and discrimination on individuals and groups today, challenging ourselves and participants to see where systems create inequity, and valuing developing meaningful cross-cultural skills.

We value your time. As much as we value open discussion and learning, we also know your time is valuable, and you are here to learn certain content we promised to cover. There are times when we will need to close discussion on a topic and move the training on in order to cover all the material we promised we would. We also value starting and ending on time and providing adequate rest breaks to you during training. We appreciate it when you do us the honor of providing your entire attention and presence to the training.

We care about quality. We care deeply about the quality of the training, facilitation, and materials we offer to you. We welcome all forms of feedback: on evaluations, one-on-one, in class, and on complaint forms if necessary. We want to hear what you have to say, as it helps us improve what we are offering to participants just like you. You are also a part of the quality of our training. Your participation enhances the quality for everyone, and when everyone follows the discussion guidelines, the training atmosphere is greatly enhanced. Thank you for helping us provide quality training for everyone!

Guidelines for Discussion

1. Maintain confidentiality-what is shared here stays here.
2. Speak from your own experience using “I” statements.
3. Respect and use the identity language others use for themselves when describing themselves or their experiences.
4. Ask questions respectfully and with a spirit of curiosity and openness when seeking to understand.
5. If you notice that you have hurt or upset someone (rupture), take the opportunity to offer an apology (repair).
6. Notice the impact of your words and behaviors, not just the intent.
7. Assume responsibility for co-creating learning by sharing your thoughts and insights, asking questions, and actively participating, especially in small groups.
8. Speak up and ask for what you need in terms of changes and adjustments.
9. Expect that meaningful discussion will sometimes involve feelings of discomfort. Challenge yourself to live with feelings of discomfort, and let us know if you need support.
10. Take care of your needs by stepping away if needed; just let us know. If you are feeling sick or not well and need a less active day of participation, let the facilitators know.

Unacceptable Behaviors

1. Harassment or discrimination of any kind, in words or behavior.
2. Intentionally harmful or derogatory comments.
3. Intentionally dismissing or invalidating others’ experiences.
4. Recording or sharing others’ personal stories without consent.
5. Disruptive behavior that compromises the learning environment.
6. Not participating in activities, especially in breakout groups, to the extent that it harms the learning atmosphere for all.

Response to Violations

Participants who violate this code will be asked to:

1. Speak with a facilitator in a breakout group or after the training.
2. Reflect on their behavior.
3. Make amends where appropriate.
4. Not engage in the behavior again during the training, or engage in a contract with us regarding expectations to continue the training.
5. Take a break from the training if the behavior doesn’t stop.
6. Leave the workshop/series if the behavior persists.

Facilitators will be responsible for monitoring and holding all participants accountable to the guidelines. Facilitators are also responsible for keeping to the guidelines themselves. If facilitators are not monitoring and holding participants accountable or are not upholding the guidelines themselves, please notify the facilitators first. You may also fill out our complaint form linked below if there is no response or an unsatisfactory response from the training facilitators.