Grant Summary
$280,000 over 36 months to Reacting to the Past (RTTP), an innovative interdisciplinary approach to teaching history as well as many other disciplines (such as religion, communications, drama and theater, economics, art history, foreign languages and the sciences). RTTP consists of a series of “games” in which students become deeply immersed in seminal texts and take on historical roles that require them to write research papers, essays, and speeches and to advance the agendas of the historical characters they play through persuasion, teamwork, and advocacy. Instructors advise students, manage the game, and grade oral and written work. At the conclusion of the game, the instructor leads a series of post-mortem discussions to review what actually happened in history and to reflect on students’ experiences. RTTP is now used in some 300 colleges and universities. This three-year bridge grant will allow RTTP to transition to a self-sustaining membership organization within three to five years, under the guidance of its board.