What would it take to bring the best of Olivet Nazarene University’s mission to provide “Education With a Christian Purpose” directly to students across the underserved neighborhoods of Chicago? It would take ONU, plus another extraordinary partner, By The Hand Club for Kids. This exciting partnership was launched in fall 2025 and the first cohort of students recently finished their first semester continuing in their degree programs.
ONU+, Olivet’s extension site program, is available to graduates of By The Hand’s after school programs, and it is their alumni and staff that are taking advantage of the convenient online undergraduate courses and flexibility to fit into their busy schedules between work, church and other life commitments. By The Hand is a nonprofit organization based in Chicago, which seeks to empower children from under-resourced neighborhoods.
Current ONU+ site director for By The Hand, Bethany Arvan, who is also the Director of College and Career Support at the organization, said of the partnership: “We are grateful for the opportunity ONU+ offers these students to grow and expand their vision for life in the degree they are pursuing. We have a space at our site dedicated for them to focus and complete their work, and we meet regularly to check in and encourage them in their coursework however they need.”
The end-of-semester Christmas party was a celebration of a semester completed and a kick-off to a new year with new classes to come. A real community of learners is growing among students who were not even sure what college would look like for them because packing up and moving to a physical campus location was not an option. The combination of the accessible and affordable features of ONU+ programming has made this format of education a bright reality for the young adults.
Arvan added “With a cost significantly less than the traditional campus experience, ONU+ online classes, in the midst of a local faith community like By The Hand, is a win-win for the students and contributes to the mission of what we do.”
To learn more about ONU+ or to recommend a student near one of the current site locations across the Midwest, contact ONU+ Director Craig Manes at cmanes@olivet.edu.
