GRANTHAM, Pa. (June 22, 2006) — The Hoverter Course in the Humanities, a free, college-level series of classes, is being offered to economically and educationally disadvantaged adults in Perry County through a partnership between Messiah College’s Center for Public Humanities and the Perry County Literacy Council. The courses, taught by Messiah College professors, will be held in the Newport High School library on Tuesday and Thursday nights from 6 to 8:30 p.m.  The Hoverter Course runs from September through March and includes studying the humanities disciplines of writing, communication, critical and ethical thinking, creative arts, and history and civics. 

Individuals aged 18 or older are eligible for the Hoverter Course. Enrollment is limited to 16 students. Learning materials, including books and articles, will be provided for free, and reimbursement for child care and transportation expenses is available if necessary for an individual to complete the course.

Hoverter Course applicants must complete a short form and write a one-page essay.  Applications are available at www.messiah.edu/schools/humanities/center, the Perry County Literacy Council, the Perry County CareerLink and the Newport High School Office of the Guidance Counselor. Applications are due Aug. 11. For more information about the Hoverter Course, contact the Messiah College Center for Public Humanities at (717) 691-6013 or the Perry County Literacy Council at (717) 567-7323.

Messiah College, a private Christian college of the liberal and applied arts and sciences, enrolls more than 2,900 undergraduate students in 50 majors. Established in 1909, the primary campus is located in Grantham, Pa., near the state capital of Harrisburg. A satellite campus affiliated with Temple University is located in Philadelphia.