Living-Learning Program: Engaging Communities, Transforming Lives
The Community Transformation Center's (CTC) Living-Learning Program, a testament to community-centered chaplaincy, is a pioneering initiative to bring transformation to the city of West Palm Beach. Designed to embody a co-vocational model for ministry, this program integrates academic pursuits with hands-on experience, allowing students pursuing a Master of Divinity or Master of Arts degree to concurrently explore chaplaincy and community transformation alongside their pastoral career aspirations.
This visionary program, slated to begin at the beginning of 2025, is set to foster intentional community engagement in the Historic Northwest District of West Palm Beach. In collaboration with local churches and non-profit organizations, students will actively participate in community events and co-curricular programs focused on practical theology and spiritual formation.
The program's value lies in its three core components:
Fostering an intentional community
Being intentional neighbors who support surrounding communities
Engaging in intentional transformational service
Through Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) placements in nonprofits, students will provide spiritual care in community-based settings, aligning with a national movement to expand chaplaincy beyond institutional settings into urban and community-based environments. With a projected budget and revenue model, the CTC Living-Learning Program stands as a beacon of intentional, transformative service, intending to make a positive social impact specifically within the African American and Hispanic communities of Southeast Florida.