In her role as Central Indiana Outreach Coordinator at Faith in Place, MAWRD alum Grace Von Lehman is able to apply her knowledge gained from completing the MAWRD program in tandem with the SWAN certificate. Even though she graduated less than a year ago, Grace is breaking barriers through environmental justice work in Indianapolis, Indiana. The organization she works for, Faith in Place, has been operating in Illinois for more than two decades, but its presence in Indiana only sprang up a couple of years ago, giving Grace the role of first outreach staff member in Indianapolis. Faith in Place works with different houses of worship and other community members to help them mobilize and work towards solutions to address the climate crisis. Grace has always had a passion for environmental justice, and during her time in undergrad, she was able to begin to hone in on that passion.
“My passion comes from connecting with nature and wanting to help people. I became really passionate about environmental justice and advocacy in my undergrad, and I was able to connect this to my love of writing by leading an environmental writing series at my undergrad Writing Center.”
In her current role, she works to create and sustain community networks across Indiana in an effort to bridge gaps and push forward environmental advocacy. Through event tabling, educational workshops, cold calling, and other networking strategies, Grace is able to connect with houses of worship and other interfaith communities. After making connections, she serves as the “Green Team” coach. Once a community has decided they want to form a green team, (three or more people who are dedicated to environmental advocacy) she meets with them regularly to provide free resources and access to experts depending on their area of focus. From conservation tips, energy audits, practical advice, and community gardens, Faith in Place creates a safe haven for all types of communities to fight for environmental justice.
Since she is working with so many diverse people groups, Grace attributes her time in the MAWRD program as what provided her the skills to engage with interfaith communities effectively. Additionally, the SWAN certificate has allowed her to understand how nonprofits and community engagement work in real world contexts and the importance of storytelling.
“SWAN was really helpful. My role is funded by a specific grant and I [often] have to communicate with the Grants Development Team. It’s helpful that I understand how that process works and what stories and information to share with them, and that makes me a better teammate. The WRD program community engagement components were great practical, experiential practice. I’m realizing in real time that storytelling really is what matters most in connecting folks to a common cause. The fact that people already have a community network also really helps, and I want to [use storytelling to] help them connect with each other. If there is a Catholic Church and a Hindu Temple that may have never connected, for example, I hope I can help them connect.”
Overall, her role is extremely valuable in contributing to positive change on the community level within Indiana. Grace’s time at WRD gave her the tool kit to be effective in her current position and beyond.
“Understanding rhetoric is so valuable, and my time in WRD helped me be such an [effective] critical thinker. In my role now, I am navigating theological differences and having those skills [learned in WRD] and being able to understand how narratives are working, I am so much more equipped to step back and regulate myself and unpack better. Learning more about rhetoric helped me understand people.”
To learn more about other work done by MAWRD alums, check out Student and Alumni News on the WRD Blog.