February 2025 Osher Network Newsletter from the Osher NRC

Greetings from the NRC...........................February 2025

An important part of an OLLI leader’s job – whether on staff or volunteer – is community building. There is power in forming a strong sense of community among OLLI members. It starts by forming individual relationships with members and creating engaged small groups. Then it grows into inspiring the entire Institute’s membership and even extends to the broader National Osher Institute Network. Wise leaders find ways to convene and mobilize positive actions and connect people. This month’s newsletter shares multiple examples of ways in which OLLI leaders build and strengthen their communities daily. This effort is never more important than in times of crisis.

UCLA’s Osher Institute director, Stephen Mucher, introduces one way their OLLI is responding to the lingering impact of the horrific fires in the Los Angeles, California area. We share it with you in the Quick Tip section below.

While each OLLI is its own micro-community, nationally we have proven to be an expansive macro-community of support for one another.

With encouragement to all of you from the Osher NRC team,

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OLLI AT ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY

OLLI Corps Bring Service and Discovery to Chiang Mai, Thailand

In December, members of Arizona State University’s OLLI Corps traveled to Chiang Mai, Thailand, for an experience blending service, cultural immersion, and lifelong learning. Participants explored Thai culture, contributed to community projects, and deepened their understanding of global issues.

Key activities included teaching at a local primary school, helping care for rescued elephants at an ethical sanctuary, supporting a women’s shelter, and engaging in dialogue with a Buddhist monk. One participant reflected, "the Monk Chat sparked deep reflection and fostered a profound appreciation for Thai culture." Another described working with Wildflower Home, an organization supporting women in crisis, as "encouraging deep emotion and empathy."

OLLI Corps trips are designed to be more than just travel. They are purposeful experiences that inspire self-reflection, build connections, and positively impact the communities visited. Participants found the experience between service, learning, and cultural immersion "very well balanced" and described the trip as "extremely meaningful," noting its role in fostering personal growth and empathy.

"The need to keep animals safe and provide for them resonated deeply," said one traveler, reflecting on helping care for elephants at the sanctuary. Others enjoyed developing lifelong learning goals, such as exploring Buddhism, painting, and volunteering.

Whether teaching English, learning to cook Thai dishes, or exploring the beauty of Doi Inthanon National Park, the trip left participants feeling inspired and excited for future adventures. As one member put it, "This is the type of travel program I want—purposeful for both myself and the communities we touch."

Submitted by: Jared Swerzenski, Director, OLLI at Arizona State University

OLLI AT UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO

Exciting Development for OLLI at UCSD

The University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Division of Extended Studies opened a new facility at 8980 Villa La Jolla Drive, which has enhanced opportunities for Osher Lifelong Learning Institute members and the broader community. This state-of-the-art building, which serves as UCSD's Extended Studies headquarters, is strategically located across from the main campus and features classrooms, training spaces, and administrative offices designed for adaptability to evolving educational needs. A ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the building’s opening last summer.

This new facility supports the lifelong learning programs and acts as a research hub for UCSD Health Sciences. By fostering collaboration among various programs, the Institute is enriching both educational offerings and community engagement.

Dean Hugo Villar highlighted the facility’s innovative design, stating that it will allow UCSD to better meet the changing demands of students and corporate partners. OLLI members are experiencing enhanced course offerings and new collaborative opportunities in an environment that responds to emerging technologies and contemporary learning methods.

This development represents a significant milestone in the University’s commitment to excellence in education and research. As Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla noted, the building’s prime location and easy access via the San Diego Blue Line trolley opens unparalleled avenues for OLLI members and community partners.

We’re excited about the potential this new facility holds for enriching lifelong learning experiences and fostering a vibrant community at UC San Diego.

Submitted by: Ed Abeyta, Associate Dean, University of California, San Diego

INNOVATIVE COURSES AND CONTENT DELIVERY

Curriculum Corner

Osher Institute at California State University, Chico

Get Outdoors

OLLI at Chico State has had great success incorporating regular hikes and walks into their class catalog. They offer everything from walks through the paved and shady "Lower Bidwell Park" to strenuous hikes of many miles. Chico residents are fortunate to live in an exceptionally hikeable part of the world. Leaders have taken members to see birds at the local wetlands, to tour public lands that are only accessible with a guide, to go on standard hiking trails, to learn from a geologist about local landforms, to visit the remains of an ancient volcano, and many more. One of the hike leaders has decided to do outdoor activities that are tours of local landmarks, instead of backcountry hikes. Much of the success of this program is owed to the Institute’s volunteers who have taken it upon themselves to shepherd new hike leaders and create innovative hiking programs and outings. These are among the most popular offerings at OLLI at Chico State, with consistent waitlists and requests for more outings.

Of note: These physical activity programs are often more resource intensive for OLLI staff than a classroom or Zoom class. The collection of liability waivers and emergency contact forms, as well as waitlist-management (hikes and other outdoor activities are more prone to drops and cancellations because of unpredictable weather and the physical demands of the activity) can result in more work for the customer-service team. Nonetheless, OLLI at Chico State has decided as a program to support these outings because they no doubt bring in new members and add a lot of value to the OLLI community.

Submitted by: Andrew Lavin, Program Director, OLLI at California State University, Chico

QUICK TIPS FOR HELPING OPERATE AN OSHER INSTITUTE

Quick Tip - Coming Together in Times of Crisis

OLLI at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) director, Stephen Mucher, provided the following update to the Osher National Network on the status of their OLLI and community as they struggled with the devastating fires in Los Angeles last month. In his tone and suggestions, Dr. Mucher sets a humane, actionable, and graceful example for all of us in times of crisis:

“Thank you for your thoughts and continued generosity. I have shared with our members that we continue to hear these expressions of concern and support from OLLI members across the country. Here’s an update and a small action you can share with your members:

At a special Town Hall meeting last week, members of OLLI@UCLA acknowledged ongoing efforts to raise and distribute funds for individuals affected by the Los Angeles fires. We continue to link inquirers to UCLA’s How You Can Help webpage.

Members also wanted to do more to personally convey their care through words of support for peers who lost their homes or have experienced a dramatic displacement. We agreed to create an OLLI Encouragement Brigade that will meet daily in our lounge throughout January, to write and distribute handwritten notes to our most impacted members. We recognize this is a small gesture, but feel it leverages the very best qualities of our institute.

We also wanted to extend this initiative to the many OLLIs and individual members who have reached out to us. Our team has organized so you can share your own words of encouragement (in note form) to let your OLLI peers in Los Angeles know you are thinking about them. Our team will pass these along to our displaced members.”

Attn: Encouragement Brigade

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UCLA

UCLA Extension

1145 Gayley Ave.

Los Angeles, CA 90024

CAREER OPENINGS IN THE OLLI NETWORK

Job Board

Senior Program Coordinator, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

University of Oklahoma

Osher Program Manager

The University of Kansas

OLLI Program Coordinator

Cal Poly Humboldt

Is there a staff opening at your Osher Institute? Please send it to us at oshernrc@northwestern.edu

National Resource Center for Osher Institutes, Northwestern University

Wieboldt Hall, Sixth Floor, 339 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611