McCormick Receives ATS Grant

10-19-2017

ATS awards grants for innovation and faculty development as part of Educational Models and Practices project.

McCormick was awarded a $50,000 Innovation Grant from ATS for the development of an all-Spanish language track for our Master of Arts in Ministry degree program, scheduled to begin in fall of 2018.

These grants are part of ATS' four-year Educational Models and Practices project. ATS has awarded 102 grants to member schools to fund innovation and faculty development initiatives. Utilizing $3.4 million in funding from Lilly Endowment Inc., the grants will facilitate development and implementation of new educational models and practices.

The 58 innovation grants of up to $50,000 each will assist schools in the process of designing, developing, and implementing educational models and practices of theological education that break new ground and offer the possibility of replication at other member schools. They address a broad range of initiatives addressing such issues as institutional structure, creative use of new media, interfaith teaching, competency based theological education, prison ministries, and entrepreneurial leadership.

The 44 faculty development grants of up to $15,000 each will support faculty in meeting institutional needs that grow out of changes in educational programming. The funded projects address issues such as pedagogy, formation, and vocational identity of faculty.

According to Stephen Graham, ATS senior director of programs and services, “This game-changing grants program will provide schools with the tools they need to test the current best thinking among theological educators and to integrate new ideas into their programs. And the faculty development grants will help faculty grow into these new educational dimensions.”

Each of the grant recipients will prepare a report to share project learnings with the full ATS membership.