Commitments
All efforts carried out within or through El Corazón are grounded in five commitments. These commitments embody shared principles for our collective work focused on continuous professional improvement, identifying and dismantling barriers, supporting students, and supporting each other.
We
- recognize that we do our best work together.
- lead from an abundance mindset.
- work across barriers to encourage collaboration and information sharing.
We
- set aside our existing institutional hierarchy when engaging in activities through El Corazón .
- agree that persons with positionality (i.e., decision-making power) may leverage positionality to approve, inform, or otherwise support the work but this should not be done from a mindset of power or authority.
- always make our best effort to treat each other as equals.
- agree to equal expectations and equal compensation.
We
- participate in activities willingly. (No activities or programs developed by El Corazón will be mandatory).
- engage to our fullest in activities that we choose to be part of.
- assume that our colleagues are putting forth their best effort at any given time and offer grace when it is needed.
We
- do not use language that reinforces stereotypes or marginalizes groups of people.
- counter assumptions based on race, ethnicity, or culture.
- are willing to consider ideas that challenge our beliefs.
- name and face our shared realities, including, but not limited to, the reality of a radicalized society, inequal access to opportunity, and the existence of power and privilege.
- recognize and embrace the overwhelming value of diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
We
- use data to inform our priorities and to assess our efforts.
- are honest and growth-minded in assessment of our work and its impact.
- engage in a continuous journey of reflection on our thoughts, actions, and experiences in order to gain insight and make improvements.
- recognize that we are fundamentally part of the system, and that systemic change means personal change.