PHILOSOPHY, PURPOSE, AND MISSION STATEMENT
We believe that the study of midwifery is a self-motivated and organic process, springing forth from the fertile ground of community and family. Just as there have always been and will always be birthing women/persons, so the midwife is called into practice. It is our experience that the midwifery model of care is best upheld by students who have studied in their own communities and have become an integral part of the local birth network by the time they are ready to work independently.
We further believe that birth is a transformational process for everyone involved, with its own intrinsic value for personal growth and development. We support woman/pregnant person centered birth, and seek to uphold the rights of women/pregnant persons to define their needs and identify their support
systems. While midwives set parameters of safety, it is birthing women/persons who, through the process of informed consent, make decisions regarding their care and the care of their babies.
In the context of midwifery education, we hope to prepare students to practice skillfully, artfully, and sensitively. We are continually inspired by student curiosity and love of learning. Motivated by the memory of our teachers, we support students in forming healthy, egalitarian relationships with instructors, preceptors, clients, fellow students, and other professional colleagues. We are driven to teach students to take responsibility for themselves, both personally and professionally.
It is our purpose to prepare midwives for the scope of practice outlined by the Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA) core competencies, the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) certification guidelines, the California Midwifery licensing requirements as well as many other state licensure requirements, and International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) International Definition of the Midwife.
Our mission is to provide exceptional, decentralized, apprenticeship-based direct-entry midwifery education. Our program prepares aspiring midwives to provide comprehensive midwifery care while studying in their own communities, fully in touch with the individuals and families they serve, to assure that the choice of sensitive, competent midwifery care may be readily available to birthing people and their families everywhere.