Practicing safe space

Help participants understand, internalize, and practice safe space agreements.

Duration: 50 minutes. Establishing Safe Space Agreements: 15 minutes. Practicing Safe Space Agreements: 25 minutes. Wrap-up: 10 minutes.

Difficulty level: 3/5

Preparation

• Whiteboard, flipchart or large piece of paper with a list of Safe Space Agreements.

• Markers, paper, pens. 

Introduction

Everyone begins by moving around the room. The facilitator then gives instructions on how the participants should move next.

Instructions

Establishing Safe Space Agreements (15 minutes)

• Invite participants to reflect on a moment when they felt safe or unsafe in a group setting.

• Display the list of Safe Space Agreements in a visible location (whiteboard or flipchart). Read each agreement aloud and ask participants for their thoughts.

• Encourage the group to add any additional guidelines that would help them feel safer.

• Ask participants to verbally confirm their commitment to upholding these principles during the workshop.

• Have participants sign a collective agreement by writing their names under the agreements.

Practicing Safe Space Agreements (25 minutes)

•  Split participants into small groups of 3-4 people and assign each group one of the safe space agreements (e.g., active listening, respect for boundaries, non-judgment, etc.).

• Provide each group with  a scenario in which their assigned agreement is tested:

  • A participant shares a difficult personal experience, and another participant interrupts with their own story. How can active listening be practiced here?

  • Someone expresses discomfort about a topic being discussed. How can respect for boundaries be upheld?

  • A participant makes a judgmental comment about another’s story. How should the group respond to reinforce non-judgment?

• Each group has 10 minutes to discuss and write down what would be the best way of handling the situation in line with safe space agreements.

• Invite each group to share their response with the larger group (10 minutes) and write down the ideas.

Check-In and adjustments (ongoing)

• Throughout the workshop, check in with participants to see if they feel the agreements are being upheld.

• Adjust agreements together as needed to accommodate the group’s evolving needs.

Wrap-up

Remind participants that creating a safe space is a shared responsibility. Emphasize that these agreements extend beyond the workshop: respecting privacy and confidentiality should continue outside the workshop.