Our Values-Based Learning Philosophy

Body

Above all, our learning materials aim to build empathy. We prompt learners to connect historical experiences with their own lived experiences. We ask learners to reflect on their emotional responses. We believe that empathy towards marginalized communities is the necessary foundation of learners’ conversations and actions towards the future that they are already shaping.

Land

We connect to the land by integrating art analysis and art making into all learning experiences. Through art analysis, learners interpret visual and material languages which originate in their respective lands and cultures. Through art making activities, learners engage with physical materials and creative processes. We guide learners to explore and express the interplay between land and identity.

Truth

Our learning materials hold multiple complex perspectives; we take truth to be an orientation rather than a singular answer. We ask open-ended comprehension and reflection questions. We highlight complexity through multiple perspectives and voices. We support all of our work with sources and suggest additional resources that extend conversations beyond our learning materials.

Justice

We position the educator as a co-learner; learners and educators learn together and from one another. We empower educators to bring often-excluded and marginalized topics to learners without needing to be a content expert themselves. We value learners’ expertise through identity and lived experiences.

Community

In all we do, we center community members sharing their own stories. We create learning opportunities to deepen engagement with our guest-curated exhibitions. The voices of community members and artists drive the content, themes, and organization of our learning materials.