Trinity Christian College is deepening its roots in community partnership through a new sponsored degree program with Elim Christian Services, designed to support aspiring special education teachers while addressing key challenges in both higher education and disability services.
Launching this fall, the initiative provides full tuition sponsorship for the final two years of study for traditional and adult undergraduate students in Trinity’s Special Education Program. In return, graduates will commit to three years of full-time employment as teachers at Elim Christian Services, a faith-based organization serving individuals with disabilities.
“This sponsored degree program is both an extension of [Trinity and Elim’s] relationship and a part of exciting new developments at Trinity,” said Dr. Sky Michael Johnston, Manager of Admissions Partnerships and Assistant Professor at Trinity. “Our Transformative Colleges Initiative is reimagining how colleges can address some of the substantive problems facing higher education in the U.S., including the student debt crisis.”
Trinity and Elim have enjoyed a decades-long relationship, collaborating on programs and scholarships that reflect a shared mission of service and inclusion. The new initiative builds on that legacy by combining the generosity of donors, the academic preparation offered at Trinity, and the practical workforce needs at Elim.
“By engaging our friends at Elim, and their friends who support the work being done at Elim, we combined the generosity of kind donors, the training that Trinity can provide, and the care that Elim has for its employees in a way that spreads good around in countless directions,” Johnston said.
Elim Christian Services, which operates two campuses in Crestwood and Orland Park, is committed to its vision of seeing people with disabilities thriving in their communities. More than 400 staff members serve children and adults through Elim’s on-site programs, while Elim Learning extends the organization’s reach to hundreds more through school consulting services across the region.
“The program helps Trinity fulfill its goal of reducing or eliminating student debt for our students,” Johnston said. “It will also help Elim employ more teachers, which will enable them to serve more students and their families.”
One of Johnston’s favorite aspects of the partnership is the reciprocal nature of the relationship. While Trinity students will be placed in jobs at Elim after graduation, Elim employees will also have opportunities to become Trinity students, continuing their own educational journeys.
“Participants in the program will be immersed in both communities, and those reciprocal pathways just highlight in a really fun way how intertwined Elim and Trinity are,” he said. “I love that this program strengthens those bonds even more.”
The partnership aligns closely with Trinity’s mission to provide meaningful, faith-informed educational experiences while equipping students to serve in diverse communities. It also reflects a broader effort to make higher education more affordable and relevant.
“The number one way people can get involved is to spread the word,” Johnston said. “Trinity is all about bringing people together for a common good. If you know someone who would be excited about this work, tell them to reach out. I’m a bridgebuilder, and I love that Trinity is a hub for connecting people who are doing the beautiful work of serving Chicagoland.”
