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Greetings from the NRC Oct 2019
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Class is back in session at most Osher Institutes across the country with members happy to see each other after their summertime adventures. Here at Northwestern University in Chicago, while it still feels like summer, folks are already fully engaged in their fall discussion groups and activities. Having visited three other OLLIs last week, the same was certainly true at West Virginia University, Rutgers University, and Temple University. The excitement of the undergraduates is clearly matched by OLLI members - but maybe with an enviable perspective of no homework, grades, or looming tests!
This month's newsletter again shows us the excitement of learning knows no age bounds. It is as engaging to a "20-something" as it is to a "100-something". And with contributions from California to Connecticut and South Carolina to West Virginia, that excitement stretches from coast to coast, north to south. You will see ample evidence of creativity, innovation, and positive spirits here. These articles are fitting signs for the rousing fall season ahead.
We hope you enjoy it all, along with the energizing fall days at your own OLLI.
Steve Thaxton, Executive Director
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OLLI at Furman University
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 Sometimes a good idea turns into an even better one. This is what David Johnson, a member of the OLLI at Furman University, learned last year. As a member of the Curriculum Committee, David approached a communications professor, hoping to invite students in public speaking classes to share their speeches within an OLLI course. The professor offered a better idea, pairing David with the student leader of Furman's Creative Collaborative. He and David developed a pitch competition, where Furman students, faculty, and staff were invited to pitch innovative and unique ideas to improve the world, from the sciences to the humanities. The course concluded with OLLI members voting to award grant money to the winners so that they could pursue their projects.
While funding is the goal, students also benefit in other ways. Sam Hayes, a Furman senior majoring in history and political science, has an interest in historic preservation. He is presenting his big idea to the class later this fall. Says Sam, "I think presenting to an older group of people who have experience and knowledge is helpful. Even if you don't win, they give you feedback and help develop your idea for the future."
A new session, with new presenters, is running now. This year all presenters are students, so OLLI members can learn more about opportunities available to Furman students. In addition, there will be two other visitors to this year's class: the executive director of Furman's Office for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and a recent graduate who participated in Furman's internship program, leading to a full-time job upon graduation.
This course meets several goals. It provides a new, interesting course for members; it helps Furman students; and, it provides sought after intergenerational learning opportunities to OLLI. The students bring new programming and OLLI provides the grant money. In the end, class members are the real winners.
You can learn more about the course and its impact in
this video.
Submitted by: Nancy Kennedy, Director, OLLI at Furman University
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OLLI at University of Connecticut
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OLLI at UConn Member Art |
This summer, OLLI at UConn offered its very first public art exhibition to celebrate the talents and learning experiences of members and instructors. The show, entitled, "Lifelong Learning: Lifelong Art" was filled with visual examples of what can be accomplished through lifelong learning. The creative use of different media clearly demonstrated the possibilities of finding new passions and abilities as we get older.
The art show was devised with a two-fold purpose: In addition to celebrating OLLI artists, it's location at the prestigious Five Points Gallery in Torrington, CT meant that OLLI could raise awareness in a part of the state with a large "OLLI demographic".
 Preparations for the art show began in Fall 2018, with a call for work from any OLLI member interested in submitting their work. Submissions were restricted to two pieces per person, based on the number of art students and the size of the gallery. It was a real team effort by OLLI staff, members, instructors, and gallery staff to document, transport, and hang the show! However, all the hard work paid off. OLLI hosted an opening reception on June 28
th, which was packed with artists, friends, and walk-in visitors. The show continued to attract visitors throughout its two-week residency.
OLLI director, Fiona de Merell said, "We couldn't be more thrilled at how the show turned out. It was a real testament to the energy and talent of our community - and a learning experience for me, as I had no idea how to hang an art show! The best part was seeing the pride on the faces of our wonderful artists. We're already planning another show in the same location for next summer."
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OLLI at California State University San Bernardino
Sam Schwartz on Turning 102
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Happy Birthday, Sam! |
"I move slowly, but I get there," Sam says as he walks into his OLLI course at CSU San Bernardino in Palm Desert. Sam Schwartz has been taking courses here for over 15 years. Born in 1917, Sam celebrated his 102nd birthday in July and continues to not only attend courses multiple times a week throughout the year, but also usually drives himself to class. He maintains an intense curiosity about the world around him. To Sam, his past fifteen years taking courses with OLLI "keeps the mind sharp. I always wanted to keep learning and OLLI helps me do that." OLLI gives Sam the opportunity "to be with people who feel the way I do. They are well travelled, educated, and have a zest for learning."
Sam was born in Montreal, Canada, to parents who had recently emigrated from Russia. At the age of 5, his parents moved the family to Los Angeles where Sam would reside until 2001 when he retired in Palm Desert at Sun City. Having earned an engineering degree at USC, Sam spent his professional career working as an aerospace engineer bidding government contracts for the United States and many other countries throughout the world. Sam enjoyed his work so thoroughly he waited until he was 82 years old to retire.
Sam and his first wife, Rosalie, were married for 57 years prior to her death. They had two children who also attended USC. Following Rosalie's death, Sam married his second wife, Ann, and the two have enjoyed 18 years of marriage together. Ann, much like her husband, enjoys being active, and celebrated her 101st birthday this year.
Aside from attending OLLI courses, Sam also enjoys reading and attending Hot Topics current events breakfasts in Palm Desert. Anyone who knows Sam knows he is a joyful man with a twinkle in his eyes. When asked what his secret to a happy life is, he just smiles and says "I'm just happy by nature." When asked about highlights from his first 102 years, Sam replies "I travelled the world, I have been blessed with two wonderful marriages, and I loved my job. It doesn't get luckier than that".
Submitted by: Johnna Norris, Program Coordinator, OLLI at California State University, San Bernardino
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Schedule at a Glance - 2020 Osher Institutes National Conference
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The 2020 Osher Institutes National Conference will be held April 20-22, 2020 at the
Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay in Tampa, FL. Registration for the Conference will begin in early January 2020. You can now view the
Schedule at a Glance on the Osher NRC website.
Who is Invited to Attend?
We limit participation to two attendees per Institute to make it possible for the delegates, National Resource Center staff and the Osher Foundation staff and Board Members to meet each other, network, and have substantive discussions and interactions. An invitation email will be sent to only the main staff contact at each Institute for their coordination. Each OLLI may decide upon the two delegates selected, but we request that one staff leader and one volunteer leader attend from each Osher Institute. The Osher Foundation generously funds the cost of registration, accommodations, and meals for attendees. Individual Institutes will be responsible for arranging and paying for transportation of their participants to the conference, including airline travel, ground transportation to and from the airport and personal expenses incurred during travel.
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Spaces and Places of OLLI
West Virginia University
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 In the mountain city of Morgantown, West Virginia University (WVU) is a major presence. And OLLI at WVU has a big reputation, too. The Institute has established an ideal place to hold courses - a large enclosed shopping mall which has been repurposed in a variety of ways since its halcyon days in the '70s and '80s. Not unlike some other OLLIs at large universities, members have difficulty accessing campus buildings. Members greatly appreciate the easily accessed parking and the flat level of the Mountaineer Mall site. In fact, it is a great place for "mall-walkers" of all ages in this mountainous area to get exercise. That foot traffic helps OLLI be better known to potential members.
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OLLI at WVU Lounge |
OLLI at WVU leases about 4,000 square feet of space at deeply discounted rates with four separate "store fronts" near to each other. This includes offices and storage for the staff of three, student workers, and volunteers; a member lounge with lending library, coffee service, refrigerators, and seats for members to gather between classes; a classroom that accommodates 75 with updated A/V and an adjacent computer lab; and, a second classroom accommodating 40 students. The unique mall location offers the OLLI use of a large courtyard space for events, and the ability to rent the community room on special occasions, which holds up to 150 people. The mall is also located near partner organizations including a major Senior Center and an Art Center which works with OLLI to present studio art courses.
OLLI at WVU director Jascenna Haislet notes, "Being located in a retail facility in the community, I think, helps everyone feel welcome. Navigating university campuses can be intimidating for some people. But everyone is familiar with walking around a mall."
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OLLI at WVU Open House
Photo Credit: Dominion Post |
Approximately 225 widely varying courses are offered in each of the OLLI's four annual terms, including local field trips. Courses are developed and taught by volunteers - many with deep teaching experience, others with specific expertise and passion for particular topics. OLLI at WVU reports to the School of Public Health at West Virginia University and began in 1993 as the Appalachia Lifelong Learners. They joined the Osher LLI Network in 2010. The Institute currently counts membership at more than 800, with one satellite location in Charleston, WV, about 170 miles away, which is also growing. That site uses multiple community spaces for classes.
Want to see your own distinctive "Space or Place" in this newsletter? Please send it to oshernrc@northwestern.edu.
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An Advice Column for Osher Institute Staff and Volunteers
Dear Olli
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 Dear Olli,
At my Osher Institute, we are having some transportation issues. Some of our members are having difficulty getting to campus. We are in the process of researching some different transportation options. Have other Institutes experienced this issue? If so, what have they done?
~OLLI Director
Dear OLLI Director,
First, yes, many other Institutes have experienced this issue. It is quite common within the network. From Institutes in sparsely populated rural areas to Institutes in densely populated urban areas, transportation is a reoccurring theme in the "issue department". Of course, the reasons may be different. Some OLLIs have little or no parking, some require the members to drive longer distances, some are just downright difficult to get to - but the issue is still the same. As a result, the solutions are different. Some Institutes have a carpooling program, matching members by location. Some members use ride share, taxi services, or public transportation, sometimes finding senior discounts. Bradley University bought a small bus, the "OLLI Trolley", to assist members in their commute. In other words, there are many options. Think outside the box and let us know what you come up with so we can share ideas with your Osher Institute colleagues.
~Olli
Have a question for Olli? Please send it in care of Kevin Connaughton (kevin.connaughton@northwestern.edu).
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Educational Travel Ideas from the OLLI Network
The OLLI Traveler
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 OLLI at Rutgers University
New York Philharmonic Trip
Experience the wild abandon of Beethoven's Seventh (Wagner called it "the apotheosis of the dance itself"). Mendelssohn's beloved masterpiece - "the heart's jewel" among German violin concertos, declared a contemporary - will yield its emotional riches when played by Julia Fischer. Our concert opens with Prokofiev's charming First Symphony, its "Classical" inspiration provided by Haydn. Our day will begin with an intimate pre-performance lecture, after which we will enjoy a complete sit down lunch at Il Violino Restaurant on Columbus Avenue in New York. After lunch, we'll return to the concert hall to cap off the day with a two-hour classical music program before heading home. Learn more about this trip to New York City.
Date: November 1, 2019
 Lifelong Learning Summer School at University of Cambridge
This residential summer school will give lifelong learners the extraordinary opportunity to experience something of Cambridge student life in the context of a programme specifically designed for adult learners from around the world. Girton College is one of the larger constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge, and its beautiful buildings, excellent facilities, including a gym and indoor swimming pool, and spacious grounds are located just outside the city centre. Ultimately Girton is a wonderful place in which to meet other lifelong learners in comfortable surroundings and as part of a friendly community. Choose to attend the full two-week programme, or opt to attend for just one week. More information on the courses offered, social programme, accommodation and meals, fees and how to apply can be found here.
Dates: August 16-29, 2020
 OLLI at University of Utah
Washington D.C.
Experiencing Washington, D.C. is an adventure! It is truly an international city - evident by the many peoples and languages we experience walking The National Mall numerous museums. For Americans, It is the nation's Capital City - the epicenter of national political life and ongoing governmental decision-making. When one visits the U.S. Capitol Building or the U.S. Supreme Court or the Library of Congress or the White House, there is a sense of awe that can be almost overwhelming. The wonderful Smithsonian Museums keep America's history and culture alive and ready to explore. Washington's monuments and memorials are exciting to behold. Arlington National Cemetery nearby is profound hallowed ground. Tim and Cathy Chambless will provide both a historical and cultural understanding of this unique city, and also provide a behind-the-scenes examination of the political life and governmental actions that make each day in Washington, D.C. a must-visit experience!
Learn more about this trip to Washington D.C..
Date: May 17-23, 2020
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Quick Tips for Helping Operate an Osher Institute
Quick Tip - PowerPoint Guidelines
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Although many Osher Institute instructors are experienced faculty or teachers, it is always helpful to have easy/quick tips for instructors to help build successful power point presentations. OLLI at the University of West Virginia has a
web page dedicated to recruiting and assisting instructors at their Institute. One helpful resource available on the page are these handy
Guidelines for Good Presentations.
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Career Openings in the OLLI Network
Job Board
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