Listening, Learning, and Leading Experience

About the  Listening, Learning, and Leading Experience

The goal of the Listening, Learning, and Leading Experience is to reconnect families and community members as partners in advancing the spiritual formation and moral development of young people, and in doing so to “rebuild the neighborhood” in the spirit of Mister Fred Rogers '62.

The Listening, Learning, and Leading Experience is a year-long program run by the Faith Forming Families Network at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.

What will I do as a participant in the Listening, Learning, and Leading Experience?

As a part of this program you will:

• Work with other folks from your neighborhood to identify a problem related to children’s spiritual formation and moral development that you would like to help solve;
• Complete three microcourses on your own time (approximately 12 hours of coursework total) in which you will learn about :
  • childhood and adolescent development;
  • the importance of serving your neighborhood (i.e., being a good Samaritan);
  • how to design a program to help solve a problem in your neighborhood;
• Work with your team to design and implement a solution to the problem you have identified;
• Receive a micro-grant to assist in the implementation of your program.

As a result of this program you will:

• Meet and work with other people in your neighborhood who share your passion for children’s spiritual formation and moral development;
• Expand your knowledge of child and adolescent development, neighborhood theology (i.e., our duties to our neighbor as defined by Jesus in “The Good Samaritan”), and educational and program design.
• Share your experiences as a community change-maker and learn from the experiences of other community change-makers;
• Strengthen and expand your abilities as a community change-maker;
• Form relationships that will enrich your personal and professional life for decades to come.
• Play an integral role in helping to make our neighborhood one in which all children are given the support they need to grow as spiritual and moral beings.

What is the time commitment?

Participants should expect to devote roughly 3-5 hours per month to this program. However, with rare exceptions, participants will be able to complete the requirements of this program at the time that works best for them.

If you are interested in learning more please email the program coordinator at Click to view e-mail.