Designing Collaborative Workshops for Rural Churches and Policy-Makers

Rural coastal communities in the Southeastern United States face a worsening combination of natural hazards impacting social services, economies, infrastructure, and local cultures. Despite the role faith communities play in the well-being of rural areas, they have historically been left out of policy deliberations on climate resilience and adaptation. Collaborative learning workshops offer a practical framework to bridge the gap between decision makers and faith communities. To investigate best practices in planning and facilitating workshops, we conducted interviews with community climate adaptation practitioners and formed a literature review using academic sources, guides, and case studies on collaborative learning workshops. Our findings highlight the importance of building long-term collaborative relationships founded on trust and respect. While there is no universal solution to building local resilience to climate change, developing avenues of communication and collective understanding can help communities take steps in addressing climate impacts.