|
As we approach the end of our fiscal year on June 30, OLLI is within reach of meeting our $35,000 annual fundraising goal, but we still need your help to close the final gap! With just $4,000 left to raise, every gift brings us closer to meeting our goal.
OLLI is more than just the classes we offer; it is a vibrant community of lifelong learners built on curiosity, connection, and shared experiences. Member donations play an essential role in sustaining the programs and experiences that make OLLI great while helping keep membership accessible and affordable for as many people as possible.
No gift is too small! When our community comes together, every contribution makes a difference:
- Becoming a sustaining supporter helps provide ongoing support and a reliable foundation for OLLI to plan for the future
- $15-$25 helps move us closer to our goal through broad member participation
- $50-$300 helps provide membership scholarships and expand access to OLLI
- $500+ helps sustain the learning experiences and programs our members value most
Together, we are incredibly close to the finish line. Your support today helps ensure OLLI continues to inspire learning and connection across our community. We are so close to meeting our fundraising goal and every contribution truly helps. Now is the perfect time to help us finish the year strong!
| | Pictured: OLLI members and instructors at an OLLI Class Preview, one of the events supported by your donations. Photo by Matt Bates, Chico State. | | MEMBER BENEFIT: SOCIAL MEETUPS | | |
Stay connected and have fun between terms with social meetups. Summer social meetups begin on Sunday, June 28, just after spring classes end. A benefit of your membership is that you get the calendar of each week's meetups emailed to you at 8am on Sunday mornings during the meetup session.
Past social meetups have included outings to the movies, reading groups, support groups, indoor ping pong, museum tours, board games, origami practice, and art projects. Social meetups are not just social; some instructors keep their regular classes going all year. For members thinking of teaching an OLLI class, social meetups are a great place to test out new ideas. And social meetups aren't just for members – we invite you to bring your friends to meetups to give them a taste of what OLLI is all about.
Social meetups are very easy to organize. All you have to do is pick a day, time, and place, and then fill out the form to get it on the weekly calendar.
| | |
Juneteenth, celebrated each year on June 19, commemorates the day Major General Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3 proclaiming freedom for slaves in Texas in 1865, more than two years after Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The Thirteenth Amendment was ratified and proclaimed six months later.
You can celebrate Juneteenth locally at the African American Family & Cultural Center's celebration in Oroville or at Building Leaders, Advocates, & Community Connections' celebration in Chico.
African American Family & Cultural Center Juneteenth Celebration
Celebrate locally with live music, live performances, and vendors.
Saturday, June 13, 10am-2pm
Martin Luther King Jr. Park, 2821 Wyandotte Avenue, Oroville (map)
Building Leaders, Advocates, & Community Connections (BLACC) Juneteenth Celebration
Celebrate locally with live music, live performances, vendors, and local artists.
Friday, June 19, 3-8pm
DeGarmo Park, 3428 Esplanade, Chico (map)
The OLLI office will be closed and there will be no classes on Friday, June 19 to observe the holiday.
| | ADVOCATE FOR SAFETY WITH THE WISE WALK WORKSHOP | | |
Does your daily walk feel safe? Do you have access to crosswalks, sidewalks, and adequate lighting?
This June in Wise Walk Workshop: Local Advocacy for Your Safety, Hayley Shafer with Butte County Public will cover the key things needed to walk and feel safe – and how to get involved in making changes. The first class meeting will be a conversation and advocacy hour. The second class meeting will give you hands-on experience surveying and auditing a neighborhood in Chico. Don't miss out on the opportunity to improve your community.
Register now for Wise Walk Workshop: Local Advocacy for Your Safety and learn how to make your local walk safer.
| | TRAVEL AND LEARN WITH OLLI | | |
Travel Information Session
Want to know more about our upcoming trips? Have questions about what Collette does? Join us for a travel information session to learn more, complete with captivating slides of the areas we'll be visiting and information about our first small group tour.
Monday, June 15, 1:30-2:30pm
A hybrid event – join us in Bradley 2 at The Social Chico or on Zoom. Check the OLLI website closer to the event for the Zoom link.
| | 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.
| | France Magnifique Discovery, Spring '27 | | |
From the royal Palace of Versailles to the enchanting streets of Paris, grab a baguette and rendezvous with the best of France. Bask in the rich history, culture, and romance of these celebrated cities and charming towns. Your 12 days and 16 meals will be guided by seasoned tour guides from Collette.
View the France Magnifique Discovery full itinerary (pdf) and book now for discounted rates.
| | Newly Announced! The Plains of Africa, Summer '27 | | |
Enjoy Kenya's scenic vistas and magnificent wildlife as you traverse the African plains on an intimate safari adventure. These are the plains of Africa, where unparalleled experiences greet you at every turn. Your 14 days and 33 meals will be guided by seasoned tour guides from Collette.
View The Plains of Africa full itinerary (pdf) and book now for discounted rates.
| | OLLI'S ANNUAL BUSINESS & TOWN HALL MEETING IS JULY 15 | | |
Come learn all about OLLI! Join us for OLLI's Annual Business and Town Hall Meeting, where you can learn everything you want to know about the OLLI at Chico State program. Did you know, for example, that membership and class fees cover just 52% of OLLI expenses? Or that OLLI at Chico State is one of over 120 Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes across the United States?
At our Annual Business and Town Hall Meeting, you'll hear about our goals, finances, membership trends, and how OLLI at Chico State fits into the larger network of OLLIs nationwide.
Most importantly, this is your opportunity to shape the future of our OLLI community. Bring your questions, ideas, and hopes for the future of OLLI. We want to hear from you and get your ideas on how we can continue building a program that keeps lifelong learning engaging and relevant to our community.
Want to make sure your question gets answered? Use our form to submit it by 2pm on July 9.
Wednesday, July 15, 11am
A hybrid event – join us in Bradley 2 at The Social Chico or on Zoom. Check the OLLI website the day of the event for the Zoom link.
| | MEET A MEMBER: CANDI ROETHLER | | |
Meandering seems to be a theme in Candi Roethler's life. After retiring as an elementary school teacher in 2008, Candi, pictured, joined OLLI. Over the years, she's journeyed through classes ranging from Butte County's history to geology and physics. She particularly enjoyed hiking classes, even though her first foray had her walking 7 miles in the wrong shoes.
One hike led to another, and Candi eventually agreed to lead some outings that were less strenuous than day-long jaunts. Thus was born the concept of "meandering in interesting places." Organizing tours through, say, Chico State's campus or Oroville's many murals, involves a team effort. Candi encourages members with ideas for a fun meander to assist, and now several people are involved – enough so that this fall, there will be five offered.
Local meandering is only part of Candi's itinerary. In the past 14 months, she's gone on OLLI's Collette-led tours of Greece, Croatia, Northern Italy, and Scotland. Next on her list is France in the spring of 2027.
She also enjoys helping her grandchildren with various projects, like creating costumes for their ballet performances, and "eclectic" gardening. Her house is about 100 years old (updated with AC and other modern features) and her yard contains lots of flowering plants, including an ancient gardenia that Candi is nursing back to health, determined that it will thrive under her care.
| | |
"You won't believe the attention to detail woven into this amazing work of art," said Sandy Miskella, OLLI member and volunteer classroom host for this spring's Chico State Faculty Lecture Series. Sandy was sharing her observations with another member before the start of class, challenging her to find the hidden bears tucked into a quilted forest scene. The intricate nature-themed piece, Colorado Autumn by Nancy McCartney, pictured, is currently on display in the OLLI Art Gallery, located in the Bradley 2 classroom at The Social Chico.
McCartney's work is just one of more than a dozen pieces created by talented OLLI artists currently featured in the gallery. If you haven't taken time to browse the OLLI Art Gallery recently, be sure to stop by before the end of the month! The current exhibit, The Wonders of Nature, will be removed after spring classes end to make way for a new collection of artwork this fall.
| | THE GLENN COUNTY SENIOR RESOURCE EXPO IS JUNE 25 | | |
Join the Glenn County Health & Human Services Agency, the Colusa-Glenn-Trinity Community Action Partnership, and other local agencies at the Glenn County Senior Resource Expo. The event includes food, resources, free giveaways, and more.
The OLLI Membership Team will be in attendance to share information about OLLI.
Thursday, June 25, 10am-2pm
Glenn County Fairgrounds, 221 East Yolo Street, Orland (map)
| | |
June 15
June 19
June 26
June 28
June 29-July 3
July 1
July 15
September 13
September 14
September 21
November 11
November 20
| | |
Travel Information Session
Juneteenth (No Classes, OLLI Closed)
Last Day of Spring Classes
First Day of Summer Social Meetups
Fourth of July Week (OLLI Closed)
Fall Catalog Available
Annual Business and Town Hall Meeting
Summer Social Meetups End
First Day of Fall Classes
Yom Kippur (No Classes)
Veterans Day (No Classes, OLLI Closed)
Last Day of Fall Classes
| |
HAVE SOMETHING TO SHARE?
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.
| | | | |
