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Values & Norms
At NewRoot, our values shape the heart of everything we do—and our norms bring those values to life in our daily work.
Our internal norms are the shared agreements and behaviors we’ve co-created as a team to care for our community and ourselves. They guide how we show up in meetings, navigate challenges, build trust, and stay grounded in dignity, curiosity, and love. These norms aren’t just policies—they’re practices that reflect who we are and who we’re striving to be together.
Especially in complex or challenging moments, we return to these norms as tools to support healing, connection, and accountability.
A photo at one of NewRoot's events where a group of adults is collaborating in a shared dialogue.
Our Values
These shared beliefs guide how we work together, make decisions and navigate challenges. They create a sense of trust, clarity and connection.
Community
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Equity and mutuality co-create deeper belonging and togetherness.
Curiosity
Learning, deep attentiveness, constant investigation and knowledge-sharing promotes reflection, possibility and wonder.
Dignity
Care, empathy and respect drives the way we seek to collaborate with the community to empower individuals and restore spaces.
Relationship
Human-centered connections define how we relate and meet one-another with sincerity, joy and humanity.
Radical Love
Honesty, compassion, and acceptance guide how we work externally with our partners and operate internally with our colleagues and supporters.
Photo of an adult volunteer and four high school students engaged in conversation around a table at NewRoot's Student Day of Action.
Our Norms
Our norms are the agreed-upon behaviors and ways of working that bring our values to life day to day.
Choose to participate
Engagement is one of our most powerful tools, and participation looks different for everyone, but we all commit to contributing what we can to support our shared mission.
Speak your truth
Approach differences with curiosity and respect, recognizing that multiple truths can exist, and practice courageous, honest communication while being mindful of personal biases.
Stories stay, lessons leave
We foster trust by maintaining confidentiality, especially regarding sensitive information, and respecting others’ identities and experiences.
Pause
Not all discomfort is productive; take a moment to check in with yourself, respect when others need a pause, and resist the urge to rush through conflict.
Trust the process and process the distrust
Building trust takes time, and while we come from different backgrounds, we commit to working through challenges with patience and understanding.
Growth happens in discomfort
Difficult conversations can be uncomfortable but are essential for learning and building trust, so lean into them with honesty and openness.
Pay attention to patterns of participation and power dynamics
Be mindful of who is speaking, who is listening, and how different identities and roles shape interactions in our space.
Acknowledge and be accountable for your impact
Harm happens on a spectrum, and it’s our responsibility to recognize and take steps to repair any impact we’ve had, even if unintentional.
Take steps to communicate harm or agree to move past conflict
Conflict is part of transformative work, and while resolution takes time, we commit to addressing harm or seeking clarity.