March	April	May
Mar. 14, 12pm: Kickoff Luncheon for Spring 2018 Classes in Michel Student Center Ballrooms	Apr. 4, 11, 18, & 25: Spring 2018 Classes in the Michel Student Center	May 2, 9am: Summer 2018 Registration Open House in the Michel Student Center Ballrooms
	Apr. 13 & 27, 9am: Study Group Committee Meetings at Peoria Next Innovation Center	May 9, 16, & 30, 9am: Curriculum Committee Meetings at Peoria Next Innovation Center

With spring approaching, it's time to sign up for OLLI spring classes!

Classes will be held on Wednesdays, April 4, 11, 18, and 25, on Bradley's campus.   You can take four different classes, selected from a wide variety of topics and fields of interest, for just $99.  

The class fee also includes plentiful snacks on class days, complimentary shuttle service from two spacious parking lots near campus, and a seat at the Spring Kickoff Luncheon  on Wednesday, March 14, at 12:00 p.m.  

Register today by clicking here to visit our online registration site, or by calling Bonnie at (309) 677-3900.  We can't wait to see you in April!

Do you know a child with an insatiable curiosity?  World of Wonder is a summer program that provides challenging, collaborative, and hands-on learning experiences for gifted and talented students entering grades 1 - 8.

During two week-long sessions, students can choose classes that appeal to their interests and foster creative, higher-order thinking.  This year students will design and test catapults, host a film festival with self-made videos, participate in war strategy simulations, design inventions for a WOW Shark Tank, and MUCH more!

Students can take up to three classes per session ($99 per class; scholarships available), and camp is held on Bradley's campus.  The session dates are below:

Session 1: June 18-22 (orientation June 16)

Session 2: July 30-August 3 (orientation July 28)

Registration opens Friday, March 9, at 9:00 a.m.  Visit the WOW website ( www.bradley.edu/wow) at that time to download the brochure and register online.  

We are right on track to meet this year's goal of raising $50,000, but we still need small donations to help raise funds for our Student Volunteer Award!

It's easy to donate $5 for this award online.  Click here to be directed to OLLI's giving website, where you will see your donations is already designated for OLLI; all you have to do is specify your amount, and type "OLLI SVA" in the additional "other" field, as shown below.  

Thank you for supporting OLLI and our service-driven students at Bradley University!

Join an OLLI study group this spring to delve into a particular topic to gain a deeper understanding.  The following groups have spaces available - register today by clicking here for our online registration site or by calling Bonnie at (309) 677-3900!

The Hello Girls: America's First Women Soldiers (Discussion-based)

Fridays, April 27 - May 18

9:30 - 11:45 a.m.

Peoria Next Innovation Center

Women have too often been valued solely as homemakers and caregivers, even during times of war.  Yet, The Hello Girls: America's First Women Soldiers, tells a different story.  In this study group, guest speaker Joan Kulpa, associate professor of nursing emerita at Bradley University, will lead a discussion of the importance of women nurses in wartime.  We will read about and discuss additional roles women played and the problems they faced upon returning to their homes.  Participants should obtain the book by Elizabeth Cobbs, available at local or online retailers and libraries. 

$45 - facilitated by Jennifer Bass, retired teacher, OLLI president, and frequent OLLI facilitator.

Scribe to Screen: The Ugly American (Discussion-based)

Tuesdays, May 1 - May 22

9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Peoria Next Innovations Center

The Ugly American, written by William Lederer and Eugene Burdick in 1958 and adapted to the screen in 1963, tells the story of the ineptitude of the United States' foreign policy contrasted with individuals' insightful assistance to foreign communism.  President John F. Kennedy cited it as the basis for creating the Peace Corps, and the lessons from the novel are as relevant today as they were when it was written.  Participants will view the film online and read the novel (available are local or online retailers and libraries) prior to the first meeting.  Discussion will focus on the major lessons from the stories and their application to our foreign policy today.  Participants will need internet and email access.

$45 - facilitated by Don Samford, Peoria Area World Affairs education outreach chair and frequent OLLI instructor.

AlphaGo: Artificial Intelligence in the World of Competitive Gaming

Thursday, March 8

6:00 p.m. - Refreshments and opportunity to play or watch game of 'Go'

7:00 p.m. - Presentation by Adam Byerly and AlphaGo screening

Michel Student Center, Executive Suite and Marty Theatre, Bradley University

Cost: FREE!  Registration not required.

Join OLLI for this special event in collaboration with Bradley University's Interactive Media and Computer Science departments.  Bradley students will be invited to join us as we learn and play the ancient Chinese board game of Go, enjoy a presentation on artificial intelligence by  Adam Byerly,  Bradley Lecturer for the Department of Computer Science and Information Systems, and view AlphaGo, a documentary that examines the age-old conflict of man vs. machine.  

The ancient Chinese game of 'Go' may seem simple at first -- a lined grid with black and white stones and simple rules -- yet there are more board configurations than there are atoms in the universe.    The complexity of 'Go' has made it an ideal challenge for artificial intelligence (AI) designers like Google's DeepMind, and in 2016, the world's top Go Masters competed against an AI opponent for the first time in history.  AlphaGo follows the AI journey from coding to the intense competition, featuring an original score by Academy Award nominee Hauschka.  

Refreshments brought to you by the generous donations of OLLI members will be available in the Executive Suite from 6:00 - 7:00, along with an opportunity for you to watch a live game of Go or play one for yourself.  Bradley gaming students will run a demonstration game and provide assistance at several smaller, practice boards for anyone wanting to give it a try!

To view a trailer for AlphaGo, click here.  To view this event on Facebook, click here.

Are you interested in being part of a medical research project with the JUMP Simulation Center and Bradley University right here in Peoria?

Take part in this collaborative research opportunity by observing a simulation and completing surveys beforehand and afterward.   This experience is open to anyone over 18 and should be interesting and eye-opening as you work together with healthcare professionals and social scientists.

The whole process will take roughly 2 hours.  For your time, you will be compensated with a $30 Visa gift card.

Time slots are available on Monday, March 19, or Monday, March 26.  Sign up by clicking here.

Research will take place at the JUMP Simulation Center, 1306 N Berkeley Ave, Peoria.  Free parking is available int he OSF parking deck.   For more information, email simresearch@bradley.edu.  

The Journey to Mollie's War: The Women's Army Corps and WWII

Tuesday, March 13

7:00 p.m.

Morton Public Library, 315 W Pershing, Morton

The Morton Public Library and Morton AAUW (American Association of University Women) are hosting the program "The Journey to Mollie's War: The Women's Army Corps and WWII," presented by Illinois author Cyndee Schaffer.  

Members of the Women's Corps, WACs, were the first women other than nurses to serve overseas in World War II.  Cyndee Schaffer's mother, Mollie Weinstein Schaffer, was one of them.  Drawing upon excerpts from Mollie's letters written home during the war, this presentation provides a romantic, yet frightful, insight into the life of a woman during this crucial time in history.  

This program is free and open to the public.  For more information, please contact the Morton Library at (309) 263-2200 or go to www.mortonlibrary.org.