Bringing Theory to Practice

Founded in 2003, the Bringing Theory to Practice (BTtoP) Project works in partnership with Elon University to encourage and support colleges and universities in developing sustainable campus cultures that support the greater purposes of higher education: engaged learning and discovery, civic purpose, well-being, and preparation for a meaningful life. To date, BTtoP has funded over 300 unique institutions through over 500 grant awards. BTtoP is the only national independent initiative focused on attending to the connections and explorations of each of these integral pieces of the mission of higher education together. BTtoP is also aware that discussions surrounding the value and promise of higher education are ongoing in our society, and that there are many who share BTtoP's concerns about the depth of student learning, the availability of opportunity for meaningful civic engagement and development, and the consideration of students as whole persons. The Project regularly consults with colleagues who are deeply engaged in such discussions at both theoretical and practical levels, and involve them in various roles in all efforts and programmatic initiatives. To enrich these conversations and the promise of their outcomes, BTtoP aims to be a supportive ally and resource as institutions craft their own deepened campus culture for learning—one that expects and delivers a context in which students can have a truly liberating and transforming experience, and that is valuable in itself and valuable in its utility—what “higher” education can mean and be.