Graduate Accompaniment Program

The PLTS Center for Climate Justice and Faith’s Graduate Accompaniment Program provides encouragement, community, programming, resources, and spiritual nurture to help our graduates strengthen their work for climate justice as an integral dimension of faith.

Background

Since launching our first program in 2021, more than 220 students have participated in Center for Climate Justice and Faith programs. This growing network of alumni are scattered around the globe in 29 countries and 26 states of the USA. These participants have invested a significant amount of time developing spiritual strength, gaining skills, growing in knowledge, and building community in order to be effective advocates for climate justice.

In Spring 2024, we surveyed our program graduates with a goal to learn how they have continued working for climate justice in the years or months since graduating. We were thrilled to learn that 85% of participants responded that they were actively working on climate justice issues in their community. 63% of participants also reported that continued support from the Center for Climate Justice and Faith can them be more effective.

In addition to this survey we conducted a one-on-one listening campaign with program graduates to learn more about obstacles they’ve faced in continuing their climate justice work since completing their program.

In response to these surveys and listening campaign, the Center for Climate Justice and Faith launched our Graduate Accompaniment Program in Fall 2024 to ensure our graduates continue to be effective advocates for climate justice long after they complete their initial program.

Initiatives

Coaching

Former students of the Center for Climate Justice and Faith are eligible to receive free coaching sessions with Rev. Dr. Neddy Astudillo, an International Coaching Federation Professional Certified Coach through the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Coaching Ministry. Coaching sessions will support individuals in advancing their ministry for climate justice. Current and former students can schedule four one-hour, private, online coaching sessions. Coaching is available in both English and Spanish. Contact Rev. Dr. Neddy Astudillo (nastudillo@plts.edu) to start your coaching.

Learn more about coaching and the ELCA Coaching Ministry here.