- Messiah University’s Hoverter Course offers free, credit-bearing humanities classes for adults facing barriers to higher education
- Program fosters confidence, communication & critical thinking, with strong professor-student relationships and real-world learning
- Now open for Fall 2025 enrollment empowering adult learners to reclaim their education journey regardless of past limitations
For adults who perhaps once thought college was not an option, Messiah University's Hoverter Course in the Humanities is showing that it's never too late to be back in school. Administered by the Center for Public Humanities, the program provides free, college-credit humanities courses to community members who've experienced financial, educational, or personal impediments to higher education.
"The Hoverter course offers college credit training to community members who might not otherwise have had a chance to attend college, perhaps it was not within their budget. Perhaps other things in life were just taking up their time", explained Prof. Pete Powers, Director of the Center for Public Humanities at Messiah University.
Begun over 20 years ago, the Hoverter Course has provided dozens of students with the opportunity to develop confidence and hone skills in writing, communication, history, and other areas. Students start with a fall humanities class and, if they do well, can go on with a spring semester of specialized studies from literature and communication to Black theology.
Messiah's previous Dean of the Humanities, Joseph Huffman, assisted in launching the project through funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities. According to Powers, the vision was straightforward: "How can you keep some form of continuing education going in the community?"
One of the professors who was heavily involved in the program is Dr. Bernardo Michael, a history professor at Messiah, who states that the learning environment is anything but conventional.
"The students are incredibly focused. They are there because they want to be there, It's always energizing, and I've found it to be a chance not only for the students but for me as well. I learn from them", Michael explained.
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Michael stresses relationship development as the most important aspect of the program's success: "I walk very closely with them and try to become a friend, not just an instructor, We resubmit assignments. We go to bookstores. We attend campus events. We create a culture of learning".
Audra Graves, a student who has successfully participated in both the fall and spring semesters, reported that the Hoverter Course equipped her with tools and confidence to invest in herself.
"I was a little anxious, but I was sure, adult learning, I believe you give more. You reflect on the sacrifices you have made and you say, 'I want to do this. This is me. I am enough", Graves explained.
She came across the program online and word of mouth from other members in the community who had achieved success with it. "The professors meet you where you are in life, they keep building your confidence and reminding you that you're in the right place at the right time",she said.
In a world where opportunity to learn is often controlled by zip code, dollars, or circumstance, Messiah University's Hoverter Course is doing its quiet part to rewrite that script one adult learner at a time.
Registration for fall semester 2025 is currently available. Additional details regarding enrollment in the Hoverter Course in the Humanities can be accessed at Messiah University's website.
