Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be part of a group to participate in the program? If so, what is the recommended group size?
Yes, you need to be part of a racial affinity group to register for the program. You cannot sign up as an individual. Form or join a group prior to applying!
Ideally, your group should be of similar racial, ethnic, and gender identities. Keeping the group small (no more than 8, no less than 4) will not only motivate members to stay committed, but we have found that smaller groups tend to experience greater cohesion and trust.
If your group is nine or larger, we recommend that you break off into smaller cohorts and register separately. Groups that fall below four or above eight members will not be eligible for the program, so do your best to meet this criterion.
Select members who are interested in an introspective and structured approach within community and over time.
How is this program different from other racial affinity groups?
Racial affinity groups mean different things, and many have different goals. For example, some groups meet for emotional support while others form to provide input to organizations. Brave Space is a mindfulness-based, peer-led study group, with structured guidance from Ruth King in the form of written content, video files, and audio files. The focus is on investigating habits of mind in order to disrupt habits of harm that keep us from moving toward racial healing and harmony. Brave Space addresses the inner work of transforming racism.
Also distinct to this program is that we are not bridging differences or engaging across racial affinity groups, nor are we focused on solving social or organizational issues. Key to this program’s success is your ongoing commitment and willingness to engage in the work of inner awareness and racial healing, which is why we have designed a year-long curriculum that emphasizes both racial inquiry and relational development.
Brave Space is a rare opportunity to understand your racial conditioning and uproot racial habits of harm within caring community and over time.
Can we form our racial affinity group with people from different racial or ethnic backgrounds?
This program is designed specifically to address the unique needs of "affinity" groups. This program is not designed to address issues commonly encountered when groups across races meet. We have found that affinity groups with similar backgrounds offer less activation as well as more focus and safety. For this reason, we encourage you to form groups with members of similar racial, ethnic, and gender identities. Should you choose to form a group that is not affinity based, while you will gain many benefits, your group may encounter challenges that this program is not designed to address.
Do you help in finding additional group members?
No. You must identify and organize members prior to applying for the program. Further, we encourage you to meet as a group and get acquainted before you start the program (See details on Program Fees & Application Process).
Can we add new members to our group once we begin the program?
Brave Space offers an opportunity for group members to grow together as they dive into their racial conditioning. Given the vulnerability of the work and the emphasis on group development, we ask that you not add new members once you begin the program, as new members impact group growth, trust, and cohesion.
How much time should I plan to dedicate to this program?
Each participant should be willing to commit to the year-long program, including pre-requisites and meeting assignments. Monthly commitments include:
- Completing the individual assignments and reflections on the online portal (estimated at approximately 3 hour per month). You have access to the portal 24/7.
- Meeting monthly with your racial affinity group (estimated at 3 hours per month).
If you have 4 members in your racial affinity group, you should plan to meet for 1.5 hours each month. If you have 8 members in your racial affinity group, you should plan to meet for 3 hours per month. Group facilitators may modify this schedule.
We provide thoughtful guidelines for monthly meetings including guided meditations, a template to structure your time together, and questions for contemplation and group development discussion. In between monthly meetings, there is material for you to work through on your own schedule, at your own pace.
How are monthly meetings structured?
You can meet physically, virtually, or a combination of in-person and online gatherings; whatever format works best for your group. This flexibility will allow for members to participate who don't necessarily live in the same area or time zone.
Note: If you plan to meet virtually, it is your group’s responsibility to provide its own virtual meeting solutions, i.e., Zoom or another type of platform.
To foster connection, productive discussion, as well as active group participation, we will provide a three-hour template for structuring monthly meetings (to be modified according to group size). We also lay out a series of group tasks to help you stay organized and share responsibility for group management each month.
We suggest that you stick to the schedule we've provided for the first several months of the program. As your group progresses, you may modify the schedule based on group needs.
Are there prerequisites for this training?
There are three course prerequisites to Brave Space:
- Complete Mindful of Race 101
- Read Mindful of Race
- Complete A Beginner’s Guide to Meditating with Race
These prerequisites serve to deepen your understanding of your racial conditioning, establish a common language for engagement among group members, create a solid foundation for mindful inquiry, and support a more graceful transition into our year of learning (and unlearning) together. Further, the concepts presented in these prerequisites are reinforced throughout the year supporting a shift from information to embodiment.
We also encourage you to meet with your racial affinity group members prior to starting the training to get acquainted, share commitment, and schedule your monthly meetings for the year. Scheduling in advance supports group commitment and stability.
Does the Online Academy offer application support to organizations?
It is common for organizations to send several racial affinity groups through the Brave Space online program. If you are an organization and have a number of racial affinity groups interested in participating in this program, your organization may want to designate a coordinator (DC) who will interface with our organization for the application and group payment details. Click here to contact us.
Do you provide online technical support throughout this program?
We are happy to support any registration or sign-in inquiries. Teachable, our online learning platform, has proven to be intuitive and easy to use. Therefore, we ask students to first utilize the Teachable help features to resolve technical issues should they arise.
Do you offer CE Units?
Brave Space is designed to enrich racial awareness and understanding. However, we do not track, measure, or evaluate your participation in this program. For these reasons, we do not offer CEU's.
Do you offer a Certificate of Completion?
Yes, you will receive a Certificate of Completion upon completion of this course.
Can I teach this course upon completion?
This is not a train-the-trainer program. Your Certificate of Completion does not certify you to teach, replicate, or use the content in this program. Your certificate simply acknowledges that you have completed the course. Under no circumstances should you use the content of this program outside of this program.
Do you offer scholarships?
Much has been considered when pricing Brave Space. We have made every attempt to keep our fees for this 12-month immersive comparatively low and qualitatively high to ensure the utmost inclusivity and accessibility for all. We are able to offer a 6-month payment plan and a 10% discount if you purchase the Prerequisite Bundle (see Course Prerequisites below).
What is your refund policy?
Once your group application has been approved and payment received, we are unable to provide refunds or transfers members in your group. No exceptions please!
Is there a way to receive live coaching?
Yes. If your racial affinity group is interested in having a coaching session with an experienced affiliate of the Mindful of Race Institute throughout the year, please Click Here for details.