Thankfully OLLI at Western Michigan University (WMU) members did not have to contend with too cold temperatures and snow this year during their January Thaw event. This rite of winter passage is a great way for OLLI members to catch up with old friends, meet instructors from their excellent array of winter and spring courses, and to give back to the community. Only trudging through a rainy day, over 120 OLLI volunteers and members brought sunny and warm energy to the January Thaw event.

Prior to the start of the event, and to close it out, OLLI members had the chance to get up close and personal with many of the current semester’s OLLI instructors to learn first-hand about their courses and meet both those new and returning. As in previous years, members supported one of OLLI’s community partners, the Kalamazoo Literacy Council. OLLI members donated items to support the Council’s ongoing and important work. Additionally, OLLI held its yearly book swap. Members were able to peruse hundreds of titles and take one or more that they wanted to read. It was a fantastic way to contribute to sustainability and the edification of the mind for these lifelong learners.

This was the first time the OLLI Senior Readers Theatre performed at the January Thaw event. Their reading was a well-received adaptation of “Twilight Postal Zone,” a self-published book by Susan Wurster, adapted by OLLI member Kelly O’Leary. The audience was engaged and entertained with the voice actors’ work.

There was even some good-natured competition this year. Participants who referred the most new members to join OLLI over the winter were entered into a chance to win the Grand Prize of dinner and theater tickets. Three runner ups will receive a free course of their choice.

OLLI at WMU director Toni Woolfork-Barnes was especially pleased with the turnout, saying, “We are making strides in returning to pre-pandemic participation in our events. And that is a wonderful way to celebrate January!”

Submitted by: Toni Woolfork-Barnes, Director, OLLI at Western Michigan University

Mark your calendar for the next Osher NRC webinar of 2024 on March 20th beginning at 2pm Eastern/1pm Central/noon Mountain/11am Pacific/10am in Alaska and 9am in Hawaii. This webinar is open to all staff, volunteer leaders and members within the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Network. Register for the webinar.

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and Member Benchmarking Data

The National Resource Center for Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes (NRC) has conducted a variety of surveys of both Osher Institutes and their membership to create benchmarks of demographic and operational data. In this webinar, NRC staff will review the data and offer insights on the research findings including membership trends, Institute operations and programs, finances, volunteer committee structures, and more.

Presenters

Kevin Connaughton

Manager of Adult Learning, Osher NRC

Kari Fagin

Associate Director, Osher NRC

Stacey Rivera

Manager of Operations, Osher NRC

Steve Thaxton

Executive Director, Osher NRC

If you have interest in being a presenter or have ideas for future webinars, please contact Kevin Connaughton ([email protected]). 

Osher Institute at California State University Channel Islands

A Tour of Three Arab Kingdoms

Course Length: One session plus a complementary in-person tour to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Oman

Course Instructor: Dr. William Garlington has a B.A. and M.A. in History from UCLA, and a Ph.D. in Asian Studies and Sociology from the Australian National University. He has taught at all academic levels on three continents and carried out sociological/anthropological fieldwork in India. His main academic interests are the Sociology of Religion and the History of Ideas.

Course Delivery: Online

Course description: Participants will get a glimpse into the rich history of these Arab states, which were controlled and shaped at times by a cast of rulers including sultans, emirs, religious sects, various European states, Ottomans, and Persians. World War I and the demand for oil transformed the Middle East and made this region of vital global importance. Seminar participants will learn that the official language is Arabic, but the English language can dominate in business. There are large numbers of migrants living and working there on a long-term basis; most are from various countries in Asia and are supporting their families back home. The seminar will highlight photos of the sites to be visited on the upcoming tour. Some of the highlights include the Sheikh Zayid Grand Mosque, the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital, the Louvre Abu Dhabi, a Falcon Safari, the Museum of the Future, cultural and historic sites, and architecturally distinctive structures such as the Burj Khalifa, the Burj al Arab, and the Palm Jumeirah.

Of note: This free Zoom seminar was attended by 150 OLLI members and guests on January 11^th, 2024. The seminar complemented an international tour that some OLLI members took to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Oman in February 2024. A recording is available to all on the OLLI at CSUCI YouTube Channel.

Program Director, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

California State University, Chico

OLLI Program Manager

University of Minnesota

Director, OLLI

Brandeis University

Is there a staff opening at your Osher Institute? Please send it to us at [email protected]