Brave Space

Mission Statement

The goal of the Valparaiso Brave Space is to provide a place where students are not subject to the biases, discrimination, and criticism of the outside world.  It is a shared community space that provides platforms for students to be their authentic selves and that validates marginalized identities. Marginalized groups may include Black, Indigenous, Latinx, people of color, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, women, and other historically underserved and oppressed groups. It is a place for marginalized individuals and allies to come together and discuss their experiences. Injustice affects mostly marginalized populations. Thus, it is important to provide a space for students to share their stories and experiences where they feel heard and validated. It is a home for students who may not otherwise find such spaces on- or off-campus. 

The brave space promotes cultural understanding by providing day-to-day interactions and opportunities for students to foster and maintain connections. The brave space focuses on creating a community that feels like family, and that allows students to grow on campus as a group. The brave spaces cultivate a culture of care and belonging for students. It also fosters student coalitions by expanding the understanding of the value of cultural diversity. 

Vision Statement

We seek to foster meaningful relationships that uplift students, staff, faculty, and the off-campus community through shared values and experiences that will empower the individual and the collective to serve as advocates for positive change in our communities

We encourage the use of scholarship and practice to share and mobilize the stories and experiences of members of our diverse communities to create an environment where all people are welcomed in their identities, valued for their contributions, and feel their identities can be openly expressed. By combining their assets and celebrating their identities students can find solutions to common challenges on our campus and in their respective communities. 

Our goals are to host community building, foster a sense of belonging, and encourage a space where students feel comfortable enough to share thoughts candidly, but also work at the margins of their comfort zones to increase understanding of the many ways being human and value this humanity in all individuals. 

We hope that the brave space facilitates activities for students to connect to one another and encourage and support intergroup contact. We hope it is a place for students to share announcements about events that improve their college experience and their understanding of the society in which they live. We hope the brave spaces allow students to recognize multiple forms and styles of intellectual and creative work that enriches society and that has the potential to transform the world. 

Values Statement

The Brave Space is committed to creating a community grounded in the principles of inclusion, access, and equity. We come together under the umbrella of our diverse legacies of struggle and resistance, to reject violence and hatred and foster empathy, advocacy, and community for future generations of students. 

The Brave Space rejects vehemently racism, xenophobia, misogyny, and other expressions of bigotry and discrimination. These expressions are in opposition to our campus and community values.  Allies and students who reject these expressions of bigotry and discrimination are welcomed.  Our doors are open for coming together, holding up one another, and realizing the values of respect, belonging, safety, dignity, and love.