Messiah College celebrates 40 years of educational partnership with Temple University

This first-of-its-kind partnership continues to blend classroom theory with authentic urban experiences

This summer, Messiah College will celebrate the fortieth anniversary of its Philadelphia Campus with an alumni reunion, a celebration luncheon, and a community of educators retreat. Forged in 1968, Messiah’s partnership with Temple University — the first of its kind between a private Christian college and a state-affiliated university — provides students with a wealth of classes to augment their studies. “Every student has the opportunity to be very creative and design for themselves a semester,” says Timothy Peterson, professor of urban studies and Philadelphia Campus program director. “We hope they take advantage of the immediate opportunities for community engagement.”

Having formed enduring relationships with the community, 20 percent of Philadelphia Campus alumni settle in Philadelphia after graduation. Nathan Hasler-Brooks ’05, who currently works at a nonprofit in the city, says his time at the Philadelphia Campus was “one of my first experiences with living in a city. I had much to learn beyond basically preconceived notions of what urban living would look like. My time at the Philadelphia Campus was a great foundation for my post-college life.”

Freeman Miller, lecturer in theology, who has worked periodically at the Messiah College Philadelphia Campus since 1975, says, “We take the broad global scope and focus it right down on the city. Here, this context continues to stretch and shape and grow our students in wonderful ways.”

—Mackenzie Martin '08