Wabash Center Forges Ahead With Lilly Endowment Funding

A typical summer schedule for the Wabash Center involves eight-to-10 workshops with up to 14 participants in each session.

A more than $8 million grant from Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment Inc. will keep a nationally-influential program on the Wabash College campus through 2021. The Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion attracts participants from throughout the U.S. and Canada and focuses on providing resources for religious educators and opportunities to hone their craft. Executive Director Nadine Pence says the programming offered through the Wabash Center is one-of-a-kind.

In an interview with Inside INdiana Business, Pence said participants include some of the top theological minds in North America. Over the years, some 1,200 college and university faculty have come to Crawfordsville to take part in programs through the center. The college says 19 presidents and 45 deans have participated since 1996. In addition to the on-campus workshops, the Wabash Center offers a quarterly peer-reviewed journal, a monthly e-newsletter, consulting for workshops, retreats and faculty conversations, as well as grants to promote "sustained conversations about the methods and practice of teaching."

Pence says "a very important shift happens from scholar to teacher, especially within religion and the humanities. We give faculty space to ponder their vocational goals or callings, the craft of teaching, and to think about those topics within their institutional context. It is fulfilling to see these questions sorted out and to be able to give teachers the resources to find and strengthen their support networks as they continue to grow as educators."

To date, Lilly Endowment has supported the center to the tune of more than $58 million. You can connect to more about the partnership and offerings at the center by clicking here.