Our Values
Advocacy
Our centers grew from seeds of resistance. In the early 1990’s, the “Third World Grass Roots Multicultural Coalition” was established to work collaboratively to organize and initiate change on-campus to support diverse student populations. Today, we live the legacy of advocacy by championing and challenging services, policies, programs, procedures that impact the communities we serve. Our roots ground us in the soil of possibility.
Coalition Building
Like the vast root system of trees, so too is our network of change agents. We develop authentic and accountable interconnected relationships by creating spaces where we recognize, accept, and celebrate differences. Collectively, we advance the intersecting needs of our communities by disrupting silos and racist and discriminatory behavior that undermine solidarity.
Cultural Responsibility
We value the lived experiences of every person. It is essential to understand the intersectional and intersecting identities of communities, the diversity of heritage, the regions we live in and the relationships we have to the land, our truth, stories, and each other. We are rooted to learning and unlearning the ways we have been socialized, so we can dismantle systems of oppression and enhance our communities’ experiences.
Educational Advancement
Education enriches the lives of our students as well as their families and communities. It empowers possibility, imagination, and innovation. It can transform students personally, socially, economically, and politically. Our programs foster curiosity and nourish a growth mindset to retain our students and increase their capacity for learning.
Identity Exploration
We design and facilitate co-curricular programs that encourage students to bravely explore, discover and better understand their identity. These events can include multiple dimensions of culture such as race, sexual orientation, gender, class, ability, spirituality, and nationality, which reflect the fluidity of humanity.