Earlier this summer, we asked you to contribute to our annual fund and complete a matching challenge. With more than 20% of members making a donation before June 30, we met our goal, triggering a $10,000 gift by a small group of anonymous donors. Thank you!

We invite you to start off the new academic year by joining fellow members in supporting OLLI. Donate Today and help keep OLLI strong!

Can't wait for fall classes to start? Never fear! We've got a lot going on between now and then, and we hope you'll join us! Check out our Summer Intersession Classes, beginning later today with Understand Your Medicare Prescription Drug Plan, live-online at 2pm.

This one-time Medicare workshop, plus multi-week lectures on topics ranging from health and nutrition and history lessons to playful games, like "Famous Movie Quotations," are offered by Chico instructors, as well as instructors across the Osher national network.

Join OLLI now and start learning early with immediate access to register for all of our Summer Intersession Classes.

Two dozen members joined OLLI staff online and in-person on June 23 for an update on OLLI finances, programming, and operations. The 2021-22 Annual Report is also available now, with an overview of where we've been, where we are today, and where we're headed. OLLI Chico is fortunate to have more than 200 volunteers involved in the operations and creative programming of this lifelong learning institute, and we strive to keep everyone informed. You can contact Program Director Ann Nikolai directly at [email protected] with comments, feedback, and/or new ideas!

If you'd like to get more involved, fill-out our Volunteer Sign-up Form.

Praise for OLLI Instructor Dick Kennedy, pictured, who led two online art classes in June in partnership with Chico Art Center:

"I learned perspective in my college art classes, but the way Dick presented the topics in his summer 'Perspective 4 Artists' class helped me better understand, with the confidence to go out into the world and see it in action."

"Dick is a natural teacher and loves sharing what he knows, what he's learned, and he isn't afraid to say when he doesn't know something."

Want your chance to learn from Dick this fall? Join now so you can register for Drawing with Humor when registration opens on August 25.

The hottest days of summer are still ahead, but fall is always close behind! You can now join OLLI for the new academic year starting September 12. With over 80 classes to choose from, there is something for everyone - in the classroom, outdoors, and online! Mark your calendars for two special preview events and note the in-person class preview will be held once again at the Chico Masonic Family Center on W. East Avenue.

Wednesday, August 17, 10:30-11:30am

Link to be Provided

Thursday, August 18, 10:30am-12pm

1110 W. East Avenue, Chico (map)

Join two Master Gardeners, Debra Barger and Debi Durham, as they explore different area gardens followed by a no-host lunch at various local eateries to enjoy the bounty of Butte County. Edible gardens, pollinator gardens, native gardens, contemplative gardens, and demonstration gardens are some of the many varieties to tour. Patrick Ranch, pictured above, is one of the sites the Garden Gourmands will visit this fall! Inspired by the successful model of the "Arts & Eats" OLLI class, Garden Gourmands will focus on touring the art of garden landscapes combined with eating locally. There will be a no-host lunch held after each class.

Your OLLI membership also gets you access to OLLI USA where some of the 125 OLLI programs across the country share their classes with OLLI members everywhere.

One participating program is OLLI at University of Arizona, offering a special summer lineup of exclusive offerings just for OLLI members, like this one:

Stephen Trimble: The Mike File - A Story of Grief and Hope

The Mike File was chosen as the 2022 Human Relations Mental Health Awareness Book of the Year. As a writer, editor, and photographer, Stephen Trimble, pictured, has published 25 award-winning books during 45 years of paying attention to the landscapes and peoples of the Desert West. Monday, July 25 at 1pm PST on Zoom

Check out the OLLI Chico Events page for this and other lectures and activities this summer.

July 26 is the 32nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA is a federal law that protects people with disabilities from discrimination.

The ADA affirms disabled people's equal civil rights under the law. Learn more and read the history of the ADA in the words of the people who worked for its passage.

After a two-year break due to COVID, we are delighted to resume exhibitions in Bradley 2, starting with Classroom to Gallery: OLLI Artists 2021-22, a showcase of OLLI student works from Fall '21 and Spring '22 art classes.

Join us for the Gallery Reception on Sunday, August 21, 4-6pm, in Bradley 2. This special event is made possible by OLLI art instructor and volunteer Debbie Vermette. Debbie and a small team of volunteers, including Jerry and Carla Dunham, Myron Flindt, Margaret Rader, and OLLI instructors Cris Guenter, Janet Lombardi Blixt, Marvey Mueller, and Susan Levine, have been planning the show for several months. These instructors, along with Janet Lombardi Blixt, are busy gathering artwork from their students.

Pictured are works from Debbie's "Exploring Mixed Media Collage" class last fall, where OLLI students used various parts of old sewing patterns to create collages.

Register your vaccine here.

OLLI at Cal Poly Humboldt is hosting a summer camp at the Wolf Creek Educational Center August 1-5. The center is located adjacent to Redwood National Park land and features modern amenities with hot showers, restrooms, and a large kitchen. Campers can sleep in shared cabins with padded bunks or set up their own tent.

Due to low enrollment, the OLLI bus trip to see Come From Away in Sacramento has been canceled.

We are excited to announce that you can join the Capay Rancho Women's Club for a trip to the Music Circus in Sacramento for The Secret Garden. The enchanting literary classic, reimagined in brilliant musical style, is a compelling tale of forgiveness and renewal.

The trip will take place on August 13. It is $135 per person, with a no-host lunch in Old Town Sacramento. Don't wait - registration closes tomorrow, Friday, July 15! And now that we've made this new connection with the Capay Women's Club, we'll soon be sharing upcoming bus trips, with more lead time to register!

For more information or to reserve a seat visit the Capay Rancho Women's Club website or call (530) 736-7309.

OLLI business sponsors really are the best, so let's show them what they mean to us! Vote for them in the Chico News & Review's Best of Chico competition now. Voting closes at 11: 59pm on July 18.

Not sure who our sponsors are? Click here for a complete list. Vote now on the Best of Chico website.

Chico turns 150 this year! It’s not every year a city hits this milestone. 150 fun activities over 150 days. Download the free mobile calendar to check out all of the activities on this milestone calendar.

Bob Main was a lifelong scholar and had a deep love for people, traveling, and teaching. His intellectual curiosity was unbounded. He enjoyed the robust exchange of ideas and was tolerant of differing views. An award-winning Chico State professor, he also invested himself in OLLI in retirement, leading at least one class each term for nearly 20 years. Bob was a foundational member of the OLLI community and his friends are working on a memorial to permanently honor his lasting contributions.

Gene Martin was a wonderful athlete, loved baseball, and also had a love for drawing, painting and sculpting. A long-time student of the Cracker Barrel class, Gene actively participated in conversations on a wide-range of current events. He was an admired and dedicated teacher and coach who will be remembered dearly.

Melina Frances Patrick had a lifelong curiosity about the stories of the people and places around her. She will be remembered for her kindness and generosity, love of family and pets, and passion for her career in nursing.

OLLI Gallery Reception 4-6pm The Social Chico, B2

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.