WINTER CLASSES IN SESSION | | |
Our winter term, with over 100 classes to choose from in the classroom, outdoors, and online, is underway. We hope you're enjoying your classes!
Three-Class Limit Lifted
The three-class limit for certain high-enrollment classes has been lifted. You can now register for any class that still has space available.
How to Drop A Class
We are thrilled by how many of you have registered for classes. Some of our most popular classes are full and have waitlists. If you want to drop a class, please contact the OLLI office at olli@csuchico.edu or 530-898-6679 so we can offer the space to someone else.
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COVID-19 Policy
Vaccinations are strongly encouraged and not required. Masks are optional and always welcome. There are HEPA air purifiers in all four of our main classrooms at The Social Chico. If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or any other communicable illnesses, such as a cold or the flu, please stay home.
Refrain From Fragrance in In-Person Classes
Several members have asked us to pass on the message that wearing fragrances to class has some unintended consequences. Headaches and asthma attacks can be triggered by perfumes and scented lotions, especially in close quarters.
Please remember that your use of fragrances is voluntary, while another's reaction is not. We want members to feel welcome and comfortable in every OLLI classroom, and we appreciate your cooperation in doing your part to help us meet this goal.
| | OLLI CLOSED JANUARY 19 FOR MARTIN LUTHER KING JR DAY | | |
Martin Luther King Jr. Day honors the legacy of one of America's most recognizable civil rights leaders. The OLLI office will be closed and there will be no classes on January 19 in observance of the holiday.
You can join two annual local events to honor the holiday.
MLK Unity Group Celebration
The program from MLK Unity Group: Creating Beloved Community includes inspirational drumming, song, stories, and entertainment, and the event closes with a shared community dinner. This is a free family event, and all members of the community are invited to attend.
Sunday, January 18
Art-N-Facts: 3:30-4pm
Main Program: 4-5:30pm
Community Meal: 5:30-7pm
St. John's Episcopal Church, 2341 Floral Avenue, Chico (map)
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Pancake Breakfast, Scholarship & Technology Awards Program
The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship & Technology Committee has been supporting high school students in Oroville for over 35 years. Each year, they award scholarships and new laptops to 8-10 high school students at their annual event.
Monday, January 19
Breakfast: 8-10am
Main Program: 10am
Southside Oroville Community Center (map)
| | ELEVENTH ANNUAL OLLI PLAY FESTIVAL | | |
The OLLI Play Festival will be back in April with more laugh-out-loud plays, written, directed, and acted entirely by OLLI members. Come join the fun!
Mark your calendars for the following dates:
Plays due: January 23
Auditions: February 26-27
Rehearsals: March 9-April 15
Performances: April 16-19
For more information, contact Pam Loyd at pamloyd@icloud.com.
| | THE WONDERS OF NATURE GALLERY RECEPTION | | |
OLLI members, family, and friends are invited to attend the opening reception for The Wonders of Nature, an exhibit of art by OLLI members.
Support our talented members and celebrate the start of a new year and the winter term. Light refreshments will be served.
Sunday, January 25, 2-4pm
Bradley 2 at The Social Chico
Pictured: OLLI members Debbie Vermette, Melissa Ottem, Donna Sandberg, Joan Goodreau, and Jean Ray at the 2023 gallery reception.
| | VOLUNTEER AV TEAM SUPPORTS CLASSROOM TECHNOLOGY | | |
The volunteer OLLI Audiovisual (AV) Team enjoys supporting volunteer instructors so everyone can have a great class experience in OLLI's dedicated classrooms. The team researches, suggests, and maintains user-friendly audiovisual equipment with a wide variety of presentation tools for use by OLLI instructors. Classroom technology includes new computers, overhead projectors, surround sound systems, Blu-ray/DVD players, and Apple TV.
The AV Team members – Lynn Cannon, Jerry Dunham, Myron Flindt, Lynda Klein, Lois Olson, David Price, and William Tefteller – include long-serving team members and volunteer instructors, a combination that means they have a deep familiarity with what instructors and members need in classrooms.
The AV Team:
- Conducts training and provides ongoing assistance for instructors to use presentation tools.
- Assists instructors with using microphones and closed captions to provide a satisfying classroom experience for hearing-impaired OLLI members.
- Maintains the AV components and software so equipment is ready for use by volunteer instructors.
- Assists volunteer instructors and guest lecturers with Zoom hybrid meetings using the specialized equipment.
- Ensures that classrooms are clean and properly configured for OLLI classes.
- Maintains classroom HEPA air filters and fans for good classroom air quality.
- Coordinates with OLLI staff for additional assistance with room security and facilities repairs when needed.
Equally important, AV Team members enjoy the dual satisfaction of helping fellow instructors and the social camaraderie of participating in a long-standing OLLI support team. The AV Team is always recruiting new members. Email olli@csuchico.edu if you want to join them.
Pictured: Members of the AV Team enjoying a lunch together.
| | BROWN BAG LUNCHEON FOR NEW MEMBERS | | |
Bring your lunch, get acquainted, and make new friends! This drop-in weekly lunch is an opportunity to become more knowledgeable about OLLI and meet new and returning members. The OLLI Membership Team, pictured, will be your hosts for this informal discussion time.
Wednesdays, January 14; January 28-March 11, 11:45am-12:45pm
Bradley 1, The Social Chico
| | TRAVEL AND LEARN WITH OLLI | | Discover the Best of Eastern Canadian Cities, Fall '26 | | |
From the old-world style of Quebec City to the power of Niagara Falls, say bienvenue to Eastern Canada. Visit charming Canadian cities, learn about maple syrup making, and walk cobblestone streets. An unforgettable experience awaits as you venture along picturesque countryside and glistening skyscrapers. Your 9 days and 12 meals will be guided by seasoned tour guides from Collette.
View the Discover the Best of Eastern Canadian Cities full itinerary (pdf) and book now for discounted rates.
| | Spotlight on New York City, Fall '26 | | |
Start spreading the news! This extended Spotlight on New York City tour makes the most of a single hotel stay to explore Manhattan and Brooklyn. Experience the best of the "Big Apple" from Rockefeller Center to Greenwich Village and across the Brooklyn Bridge. Your 7 days and 8 meals will be guided by seasoned tour guides from Collette.
View the Spotlight on New York City full itinerary (pdf) and book now for discounted rates.
| | Discover South Pacific Wonders, Fall '26 | | |
Experience Queenstown, cruise Sydney Harbour, and discover the wonders of Aboriginal culture on this incredible journey through New Zealand and Australia. From the ethereal beauty of New Zealand's glacial fjords to the tropical splendor of Australia's Great Barrier Reef, enjoy the best of the South Pacific. Your 18 days and 28 meals will be guided by seasoned tour guides from Collette.
View the Discover South Pacific Wonders full itinerary (pdf) and book now for discounted rates.
| | Newly Announced! Wonders of Thailand, Winter '27 | | |
Delve into a land where bustling modern cities, ornate ancient temples, and stunning jungle beaches coexist. Uncover the beautifully balanced mosaic of old and new, metropolitan, rural, and coastal in Thailand. Your 16 days and 24 meals of this small group tour will be guided by seasoned tour guides from Collette.
View the Wonders of Thailand full itinerary (pdf) and book now to reserve your space.
| | LEARN ABOUT NAVIGATING SEX AND ROMANCE AS YOU AGE | | |
Aging doesn't have to mean an end to sex and romance, but it might change things. This winter you can join expert Noemi Mandujano-Olivera from Butte County Public Health for Navigating Dating, Physical Changes, and Safer Sex in Your Golden Years.
When you join the class, you'll learn about sex, dating, and physical changes that come along with aging. The class will discuss STDs, how they spread, and how to prevent them. It will also look at the way our bodies change as we get older and the effect that can have on sex and dating in our lives.
Register now for Navigating Dating, Physical Changes, and Safer Sex in Your Golden Years and learn more this February – just in time for Valentine's Day.
| | MEET A MEMBER: GEORGIA GONZALES | | |
Technically, Georgia Gonzales retired in 2013. She is now a "full-time grandma" with a salary paid in hugs and kisses. When she worked for more conventional pay, she provided support for various departments in educational institutions. It's clear that her organizational skills are superb. Asked which classes she took when she first joined OLLI, she replied, "I'm looking at my records." "Personal Finance and Investing" and Poetry for Pleasure is the answer.
In 2013, after living in the Bay Area and Florida, Georgia moved back to Chico to help her daughter, a single mom pursuing a degree. Her daughter suggested she join OLLI. Georgia's interests range from Gentle Yoga ("I need more exercise") to estate planning, plus fun groups like Let's Play Games!
Next on her list? Thrifting, Good Nutrition and Great Taste, "Arts & Eats," and drawing. Her only constraint comes when classes conflict with one of her chief grandma duties: picking kids up after school.
Georgia loves the social aspect of OLLI. She praised one instructor who invited class members to introduce themselves and say something about another class they were enrolled in. A great way to make connections!
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"The lunch option at OLLI is the perfect opportunity to get to know fellow members," Nancy Gipson said. "Sometimes we talk about class sessions and sometimes we just get to talk about any and everything. And since many of us now avoid cooking whenever possible, we get to enjoy a substantial lunch at the best price in town!"
You can join Nancy and other OLLI members in enjoying lunch together when the cafeteria at The Social Chico reopens on January 19.
Pictured: Nancy Gipson and other members enjoying lunch together at The Social Chico.
| | MEMBER BENEFIT: CHICO STATE LIBRARY CARD
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Did you know that OLLI members are eligible to receive a Meriam Library courtesy card? A courtesy card allows you to check out books and nonprint media from Meriam Library at Chico State.
How to get a card:
- Email the OLLI office at olli@csuchico.edu or call us at 530-898-6679.
- We will confirm that we have received your request and let you know when you can visit the Meriam Library to get a card. Requests will be processed within two business days.
- At the Meriam Library, you will need to show a valid California driver’s license or DMV identification card, provide your social security number, and have your picture taken for your card.
View Meriam Library on the Campus Map.
| | ANTI ABLEISM ART EDUCATORS MANIFESTO ZINE WORKSHOP | | |
OLLI members are invited to join the Anti-Ableism Art Educators Manifesto Zine-Making Workshop, hosted by the Chico State Neurodiversity and Disability Club, the Zine Club, and artist Jennifer White-Johnson.
How can you create supportive spaces of expression for neurodivergent students? Jennifer will present strategies for equity-driven and inclusive teaching artist practices. Using manifesto zine-making as an example for learning and advocacy, the workshop will investigate ideas including anti-ableism and equity, disability justice, lived experience affirmation, and community organizing. Special emphasis will be on the extraordinary life of Alice Wong, a disability rights activist and writer.
The zine activity can be done with whatever you have easily at hand or with digital tools. All educators and disability advocates are welcome. Instructions and supplies included. Copies of Jen's The Anti Ableist Art Educators Manifesto will be on hand!
Thursday, February 5, 3-5pm
Bell Memorial Union 203, Chico State Campus (map)
Space is limited. Register now!
Pictured: A zine from a previous workshop.
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January 14
January 19
January 25
January 28
February 4
February 11
February 18
February 25
March 4
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March 13
March 15
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If you have something to say, a photo to share, or a question to pose to the editor, you can submit information using our OLLI Newsletter Submission form.
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