The Johnson Center for Creative Teaching and Learning (JCCTL) began in 2001 after Gettysburg College received a challenge grant from The Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Foundation. That grant established an endowment, and the activities of the JCCTL are funded by the interest earned by that endowment. The JCCTL provides faculty with opportunities to hone their pedagogical skills, explore collaborative and experiential learning techniques, and incorporate technological innovations. Central to the JCCTL's mission is the belief that learning occurs within and beyond the classroom. Faculty, staff, and student have much to teach one another.
The JCCTL supports the teaching activities of Gettysburg College faculty. In particular the JCCTL:
- Awards Creative Teaching Grants and Professional Development Opportunities
- Coordinates speakers, programs, and workshops related to teaching
- Provides teaching-related services for individual faculty members, departments and programs
- Serves as a resource center for teaching-related materials.
The Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Foundation was incorporated in 1952 in New York with funds donated by Christian A. Johnson, a Swedish immigrant who became a prominent financier and industrialist. A man of wide-ranging interests, he derived great personal pleasure from nurturing the curiosity and intellectual development of young people as well as providing the financial means to help them achieve their educational goals.