A welcoming environment is one that supports the participation of all PFAs and provides a respectful, safe, and productive space for collaboration.

Creating a welcoming environment means providing a space where all PFAs feel welcomed, valued, respected, and heard. Improving PFAC representativeness without efforts to ensure a supportive environment can create harm and cause PFAs, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, to feel tokenized, isolated, or disrespected.

When a PFAC is a welcoming and supportive space, all members can participate fully in activities and learning; express who they are; freely share their opinions and points of view; feel safe from harassment, discrimination, and unfair criticism; develop trusted relationships with other PFAC members; engage in continuous learning; and share feedback about how to improve a sense of belonging for all PFAs.

In this section:

• Identify and Address Factors that Prevent PFAs from Participating
  • Tool: Identifying and Addressing Barriers to PFA Participation
• Develop PFAC Group Agreements
  • Tool: Developing Group Agreements with PFACs
• Provide Opportunities for Relationship-Building
• Provide Training and Education for PFACs
• Assess PFA Experiences
  • Tool: PFAC Survey
  • Tool: PFAC Discussion Guide