Welcome!

We’re So Glad You’re Here

This course is your personal and practical guide to making the spaces you love safer, more inclusive, and more accountable—without needing a title, a background in activism, or the perfect words.

Whether you’re a student, venue staff, a community leader, or someone who simply wants to show up better, this course offers clear tools and strategies to help you help others in the moment - while working towards creating lasting culture change.

This is a self-paced 6-module course. You can move through it in 6 weeks or take your time—your access lasts a full year. Go at the pace that honors where you are. Many learners find it helpful to log in 2 to 3 times per week for 30 minutes to an hour. You may wish to add blocks of time to your calendar to keep progress moving forward. Some lessons may feel quick to complete; others might invite you to pause, reflect, or revisit.

What Youʼll Gain from This Course

By the end of this journey, youʼll be able to:

• Identify what harassment and harm can look like in real life

• Design physical and cultural spaces that communicate safety and inclusion

• Step in during or after moments of harm without escalating the situation

• Respond to harm with clarity, care, and consistency

• Understand the basics of accountability

• Build safer spaces rooted in your values and your communityʼs needs

How This Course Works

• The course includes 13 lessons within 6 chapters, each building on the one before it. We strongly suggest completing them in order.

• The material will be presented with a mix of text, videos, slides, real-world examples, reflection prompts, suggested resources, and downloads.

• Youʼll track your progress using the Next Lesson button at the bottom of each page.

• Optional resources are included if you want to explore further, teach others, or implement the work in your space.

What to Expect

• Clear, honest content. This course is based on Shawna Potter’s Safer Spaces Program and uses real language, not academic or legal jargon.

• Self-reflection. Journal prompts are included to help you integrate the material into your own life and context.

• Care-centered learning. Topics like boundaries, flirting, harm, and power are explored with respect and without shame.

• Progress over perfection. This work is about practicing safer space values in everyday life, with the understanding that we can continue to learn and grow over time.

Helpful Tips

• Use the Course Outline to keep track of your progress and see whatʼs ahead.

• Mark each page complete before moving on.

• You have one year of access. Take breaks when needed and return when youʼre ready.

• Follow the lessons in order, as each one builds on the last.

• Keep a notebook and pen or digital document handy for notes and Reflective Questions - you might need to reference it for your Final Project!

Completion & Next Steps

In the final and 6th Chapter, you’ll choose a Final Project. This is where you get to apply what you’ve learned. You could write a personal safer space plan, develop a venue policy, design a bystander toolkit, launch a safety awareness campaign, or something completely different.

When you’re done, you’ll receive a certificate of completion and start your journey as a safer space advocate, ally, or organizer.

This course isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being prepared, showing up, and creating the kind of spaces where people feel seen, respected, and safe. Let this be your space to practice.

We’re glad you’re here. To begin, download the Self-Assessment Worksheet. Fill out the worksheet before moving on. When you’re ready, click the Next Lesson button to start the first lesson in this course: What is a Safer Space?