Aspiraciones de Crecimiento (Community of Practice)
Support with Kindness | Apoyo Con Cariño
Inspiration | Inspiración
We were inspired by the Umoja Community as well as other college and university programs that serve Latine and other marginalized students to define our own Community of Practice.
Language | Idioma
Several of the Spanish terms that we use in our definition are difficult to translate because of their cultural significance as well as the various connotative meanings among Spanish speakers. Just like there is a variety of Englishes, there is a variety of Spanishes. Moreover, we understand that for many Latine, Spanish is the colonizer’s language, and as such, many are currently expressing a hunger for what was lost and what is continuing to be lost due to enslavement, genocide, colonization, and assimilation. As our Raíces community continues to grow, we hope to earn the permission to include indigenous and African concepts that speak to this loss.
Intention | Intención
Therefore, our intention behind using Spanish is to begin this process of understanding
the layers of our linguistic identity and also to celebrate our resilience and resistance.
As a result, despite the current and historical realities of colonial violence, Spanish
also has come to signify the Latine community cultural wealth and ancestral knowledge
as well as what Dr. Vershawn Ashanti Young identifies as “code-meshing.” We hope in using such terms to name various aspects of this program, our institution
continues to move towards affirming our multilingual and multicultural perspectives
and to learn and grow from the wisdom they teach.
Our Community of Practice is grounded in Corazón |
CorazónEmbodimentRecognize that students may come into higher education with individual and/or generational trauma; therefore, we work together to identify our needs, provide support for those learning needs. |
With Corazón as the foundation of our Community of Practice, we uphold the following principles: Codiseño, Juntos, Respirar, Metas, Ganas, Sabiduria, Rituales, Circulos, Celebracion, and Honrando |
CodiseñoCo-Create Learning SpacesDevelop course content, workshops, and program events that are responsive to student feedback and are therefore more meaningful and relevant to students. |
JuntosCollaborative LearningEmphasize collaborations, relationships, and communications as part of our learning processes. Within dialogue we create meaning, knowledge and cultural wealth, value each other’s contributions and lived experiences, and empower each other’s voice and agency. |
RespirarSlowing DownCreate the space to focus on and explore what is important and necessary at the moment. |
MetasEmphasizing Student AutonomyFacilitate peer-to-peer support and mentorship in order to center students and their development of navigational capital, cultivation of choice, and sense of agency to determine and actualize their own personal, professional, and/or educational goals. |
GanasRecognize Our Own PowerHold ourselves accountable, model brave risk-taking, uplift those who feel marginalized, and be engaged and present to the best of our abilities without compromising self-worth. |
SabiduriaHonor Ancestral WisdomShare our own stories to honor ancestral wisdom and where we come from and to build connection among each other. |
RitualesEstablish Community RitualsCelebrate community rituals that amplify teamwork and diverse perspectives in order to nurture a sense of belonging and inclusion. |
CirculosCommunity DialoguesProvide opportunities to collectively share experiences in order to desahogar so that we have the capacity to recharge, recenter, and continue to work towards our goals. |
CelebracionPositive AffirmationsRecognize and praise accomplishments and milestones to appreciate and value our hard work and commitment to our journey. |
HonrandoHonor Community AgreementsCreate the time to establish, discuss, adjust, and remind each other of our Community of Practice so that we protect the collective, affirmative Comunidad we wish to manifest. |
@raicessbcc