CIRCLE is an organization that grew out of grassroots commitment on the part of members of our team to building inclusive community in our respective roles as educators, non-profit professionals, and business leaders. As a result, we model intentionally inclusive practices in all aspects of our work.

Principles of Inclusiveness

Listening to Learn: Part of inclusive practice means recognizing that we can always learn and grow in our journey to ensure all people feel safe, included, and valued in our communities. We at CIRCLE are committed to listening, particularly to the voices of those most marginalized in our communities, in an effort to always learn and grow.

Responsive Action: Listening is only half work of inclusive practice, as we must always work to improve our practices. As a result, the CIRCLE team works hard to put into action our values and the insights we gain from intentional listening.

Cultivating Reflection: Necessary in any inclusive community is a commitment on the part of members to constant reflection about one's own identity, the identity of others, and the ways that power, oppression, and privilege influence our interactions and the structures around us. At CIRCLE, we are committed not only to supporting reflection among our team but to inspiring reflection in those with whom we work.

Centering Intersectionality: Inclusiveness demands not only that we center the voices and perspectives of marginalized community members but that we also ground our work and our analyses in consideration of the intersections of identity. CIRCLE is committed to striving for ever more intersectional practice in our work.

Building Brave Space: To be truly inclusive, we must recognize that not everyone risks equally when taking up the work of diversity and equity. For more marginalized people in society, the risks of equity work are profound and vastly different than for those who are privileged, but true inclusiveness demands risk from everyone. Thus, we work to build brave space that is also attentive to power dynamics so that our work can push people into generative discomfort.