Propelling language development for generations to come
In today's world where opportunities abound, many people remain marginalized and unable to reach their full potential. Underdevelopment of their languages is one of the reasons. How is this the case? Many people can't get access to basic knowledge and services because these are not available in a language they understand. They must use a language other than their mother tongue to learn new life skills, develop literacy, and even grow in faith. The pressure to shift language puts a person's identity and culture under attack. All of these issues stand in the way of human flourishing.
Our mission and vision
Pike Center for Integrative Scholarship wants language to be an instrument of human flourishing, as we believe our Creator means it to be. For this reason, we build capacity for language development in an effort to provide equitable development and social justice to countless marginalized groups through the worldwide movement of language development and Bible translation that our namesake, Kenneth L. Pike, helped to establish. Pike Center builds capacity by developing scholars and growing the needed bodies of knowledge. Our vision is to inspire sustained growth of the knowledge and people that will propel language development for generations to come.
Kenneth L. Pike (1912–2000) in 1982.
Our programs
Scholar Development
We help rising scholars succeed in furthering language development by supplementing doctoral study programs with an integrated, interdisciplinary approach that includes mentoring, networking, practical service and faith.
Sponsored Research
We award funding to scholars associated with the Pike Center to support their research and publication activities that contribute to the language development movement.
Agile Publishing
We give scholars a platform for publishing and refining new contributions to growing bodies of knowledge that support the language development movement.
Thought Leadership
Our Symposium Series brings scholars and other thought leaders together to work on advancing knowledge in key problem areas and to set the agenda for further research.
“As I developed my linguistic principles, I discovered they extended far beyond linguistics.... In fact, they turned out to be general principles about human nature itself.”