Learning is great when you get to do it with friends! When you refer someone you know, and they also join OLLI, you can pre-register for classes this fall. Contact the OLLI office at [email protected] or (530) 898-6679 by August 20 to confirm.

The hottest days of summer are ahead, but fall is 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; proof of vaccination required.

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

Link to be Provided

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

1110 W. East Avenue, Chico (map)

We're very excited to welcome Chico State Professor Eric Bartelink, pictured, to our fall schedule! Dr. Bartelink is one of the leading forensic anthropologists in the country, helping to solve crimes from coast to coast. In Skeleton Keys: How Forensic Anthropology Helps Solve Crimes, Bartelink and his team will cover the science of forensic anthropology (the forensic study of human skeletal remains), including the investigation of crime scenes, forensic casework, and the development of forensic standards.

Praise for Dr. Gail Walton, pictured, who led the four-week summer class, "Development of Gender and Sexuality" for OLLI this summer. The class was designed to help participants develop a broader and deeper understanding of children's development, including how the biological, social, cultural, and cognitive influences impact concepts of gender and sexuality. Here's what participants had to say?

"I am so happy that I decided to join this class! I am learning so much and so appreciate Gail's commitment to creating a welcoming learning environment."

"This class helped me to connect more with my grandkids. I especially appreciated the resources and would strongly recommend that other students go through them. Thank you for including this in your program."

"I really enjoyed [this] class. It's a subject that many of us were interested in because someone we know and love is gender non-conforming. Gail was an excellent instructor. She explained things in an easy to understand format in a setting that felt safe to ask sensitive questions. Thank you for offering such an important and timely class."

For a glimpse into this informative class experience, watch the recording of the first class session. And note that we have invited Gail to join us again soon!

Historian John William Templeton and engineer Frederick E. Jordan, Sr. created National Black Business Month in 2004 to highlight the value and needs of Black business owners.

Some Black business quick facts:

We encourage you to celebrate National Black Business Month right here at home by visiting, reviewing, or donating to Black-owned and Black-operated businesses and nonprofit organizations in Butte County. Find a list as part of the North Valley Community Foundation’s social justice initiatives.

Enloe is getting real about wellness in our podcast Health Matters! Host Suzie Lawry-Hall talks with community members who are taking steps to improve their well-being as they break down complex health topics with Enloe caregivers. Get ready to be inspired!

Click here to listen to past episodes. New episodes debut the second Tuesday of every month at 9 am.

Following 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.

We hope you will 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, 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 Marvey Mueller's June sketching class, where they drew the St. Augustine of Canterbury Anglican Church on Salem in Downtown Chico before the heat of the day.

Register your vaccine here.

If you or someone you know is struggling or needs support now, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You are not alone.

988 offers 24/7 access to trained crisis counselors who can help people experiencing or concerned about people experiencing mental health-related distress. That could be:

988 is a universal entry point for wherever you are in the United States. It connects you to a trained crisis counselor who can help. Numerous studies have shown that callers feel less suicidal, less depressed, less overwhelmed, and more hopeful after speaking with a Lifeline counselor. If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

No need to stop learning while waiting for fall classes to begin! If you have a Butte County Library card, you can get a one-week hoopla BingePass to watch all the Great Courses titles you can manage in a week. From Understanding the World's Greatest Structures to 30 Masterpieces of the Ancient World, The Everyday Gourmet: Essential Secrets of Spices in Cooking to The Big Questions of Philosophy, you'll have plenty to learn!

Barbara Heron's life was as varied and colorful as the land of her birth, Lanai, Hawaii. Barbara came to Chico as an evacuee after the Pearl Harbor bombing. She earned a Bachelors in Education at Washington State College and a Masters in Education at Chico State. Her passion was teaching elementary-aged children, especially those affected by trauma and tragedy. Barbara's ability to connect with people at a deeper level led to her becoming accepted as part of the family in many countries where she developed connections that lasted a lifetime. Barbara and her family were equally committed to public service in Chico, founding the Chico Area Council on Aging and the Chico Meals on Wheels program to provide hot meals to seniors and disabled persons.

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

Labor Day, OLLI Office Closed

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