The following seven (7) principles guide the Beyond Borders education philosophy and practice. We ask our volunteers and staff to read, reflect, and agree to each principle carefully. We expect that these principles will be evident in various ways within each learning community. Our desire is to provide the necessary support to help our staff, partners, and learners ensure that the learning environments successfully align with these principles.

Principles of Education: We create transformational educational opportunities with an overarching commitment to “learn to heal” and “heal to learn” to become all God intends for us to be. The following principles inform all our educational practice.

1. Our commitment to cultivate a safe and loving learning environment
We create safe and honouring learning spaces that attend to learners’ physical, psychological, cultural, social, spiritual, and emotional needs so that each learner is truly known and loved and has the opportunity to thrive.

2. Our respect for collaboration and mutuality
We recognize that healing occurs within the context of consistent, safe, and loving relationships. We recognize the importance of collaborating with, honouring, and mentoring those within the local community and culture.

3. Our commitment to empowering learners, their families, and communities
Our learning programs are strength-based, recognizing, and nurturing our learners’ individual and collective strengths, curiosity, and gifts. We intentionally use strategies that ask open-ended and genuine questions that allow for a wide range of response. We scaffold learning activities, support learners in taking risks, and celebrate effort and growth.

4. Our commitment to provide choice within structure
We recognize the need for an approach that honours each persons’ dignity and desire to be empowered. Our learners are given the opportunity to exercise choice and voice within a structured and consistent learning environment.

5. Our focus on narrative
Our learning programs allow for learners to be known through the sharing of individual and collective narratives within the context of God’s grand narrative.

6. Our commitment to design environments that nurture a sense of wonder and joy
Our programs create a safe place to enjoy beauty, unleash creativity, and develop love for learning, life, and each other.

7. Our integration of expressive arts into our learning programs
Our program fosters a commitment to nurturing creativity within various instructional contexts.