MEMBER BENEFIT: LEARN WITH YOUR FRIENDS | | |
One of the benefits of being an OLLI member is getting to learn with your friends! Many members make friends at OLLI. Other members introduce their friends to OLLI to share their love of learning and have someone they already know to talk about their classes with.
When you refer someone you know and they also join OLLI, you can both register early for classes this spring. Whether you're taking all your classes together or enjoying separate parts of OLLI, registering early lets you avoid the rush on popular classes or classes with limited capacity. Contact the OLLI office at olli@csuchico.edu or 530-898-6679 by March 26 to confirm.
| | JOIN US FOR THE SPRING CLASS PREVIEW ON MARCH 26! | | |
The Spring Class Preview is a chance for you to learn about spring classes, plan your schedule, and hear from some of our volunteer instructors. It's also a chance to socialize with other OLLI members and friends. Plus OLLI's volunteer Hospitality Team will again bring delicious treats for you to enjoy.
The Spring Class Preview is a great time to introduce a friend to OLLI. Remember, when you refer someone you know to OLLI and they also join, you both get to register early for classes this spring. The deadline to confirm this with the OLLI office is the same day as the Spring Class Preview. Bring your friend with you, and you can let us know there!
Spring Class Preview
Thursday, March 26, 10:30am-Noon
Presentation begins at 11am
Chico Masonic Family Center, 1110 W. East Avenue, Chico (map)
Free parking, coffee, and snacks!
Photo by Matt Bates/Chico State.
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Last month, Bitz Haley and members of the Tuesday Tunes Treble Makers – Sylvia Blanc, Michele Borgess, Judi Holohan, Joan Johnson, Carolyn Marasco, Sally Martin, Janice Myers, Sharon Salz, and Debbie Silveira, pictured with judge Linda Watkins-Bennett – were the Judges' Choice Winner in the Community Lip Sync Challenge. In addition to their title, they also raised money for OLLI.
"As a professional fiduciary," Bitz said, "I encounter many seniors who are alone, lonely, depressed, and surviving without any real purpose. Yet when I attend OLLI classes or events, I see many thriving seniors with full, purposeful lives. OLLI makes that possible. So I feel compelled to do whatever I can to promote OLLI. Being in the Community Lip Sync Challenge has been a very fun way to provide support."
You can watch the Tuesday Tunes performance in the recording of the livestream – and Bitz and her group welcome more members. "Other OLLI members who may be interested in being on our lip sync team are more than welcome," she said. "Since we won this year's trophy for the judges' favorite presentation, we have to defend our title next year, so let me know if you want to be a part of it. I think you will be glad you made that decision even if it means doing something you never imagined you would do. And you will have bragging rights to say you performed at the Big Room!”
Register for Tuesday Tunes when registration opens on April 2 to join the group just for casual fun on Tuesdays or for the full lip sync experience.
| | FALL CLASS PROPOSALS ARE DUE APRIL 6 | | |
Whether you've led an OLLI class before or want to try it out for the first time, we invite you to submit a fall '26 class proposal.
Not sure if teaching is for you? Here are just a few things you could do, either on your own or in partnership with a friend:
- Teach a traditional lecture class about your area of expertise.
- Hold an art or craft class where you show people how you approach your creative pursuits.
- Lead a discussion group centered around a specific topic or book.
- Organize speakers for a lecture series.
- Organize a class, like Arts & Eats or Garden Gourmands, that pairs field trips with socializing.
- Convene a group to participate in an activity, like Let's Play Games.
- Lead a walk or hike on your favorite trail.
We'd love to have you help make our fall term a success. The fall term runs September 14-November 20, and your class can meet just once, every one of the ten weeks of the term, or anything in between. Class proposals are due April 6. Join us, and encourage your friends to lead classes too!
Submit a fall '26 class proposal now or contact us for more information at olli@csuchico.edu or 530-898-6679.
| | MEET A MEMBER: DEBBIE BARBACCIA | | |
After 37 years of teaching second graders, Debbie Barbaccia decided to explore her artistic talents. "I didn’t know what I would like or be good at," she admits, but she plunged into Christine MacShane's watercolor and acrylic painting classes.
"OLLI people are so interesting and fun," she declares. "Everyone encourages each other. Not only is there no competition, but over time sometimes you see the evolution of a person's style."
Debbie took a one-day class to explore the Sutter Buttes. "I've always lived in Yuba City and never ventured there!" She commutes every Wednesday to Chico for her two art classes. Plus her mom lives in Chico, so she can easily show off her work to her biggest fan.
When she retired, Debbie decided to fill her time "in a meaningful way." Besides OLLI, she joined the California Retired Teachers Association and the American Association of University Women (AAUW). As a gardener, she is happy to help the AAUW's main fundraising activity: garden tours. Her own garden consists of "over-planted" flower beds, a deep fish pond, and some raised beds intended for vegetables but "somehow" now filled with flowering plants.
Debbie's looking forward to advancing her art skills in the coming terms.
| | OUTDOOR INTERSESSION REGISTRATION CLOSES MARCH 16 | | |
OLLI is piloting a new outdoor intersession in March and April! This is a new opportunity to take outdoor classes between the winter and spring terms.
The pilot outdoor intersession still has space available – and the one-class limit has been lifted. You can now register for any outdoor intersession class that still has space available. But hurry! Registration closes on March 16.
| | JOIN A MASTER GARDENER WORKSHOP LATER THIS MONTH | | |
OLLI partners with the UC Master Gardeners of Butte County to co-sponsor gardening workshops that take place in Bradley 2 at The Social Chico. All workshops are free; registration is required. As an OLLI member, you are warmly invited to register for a workshop taking place in a familiar classroom.
Firewise Land Stewardship
Saturday, March 21, 10am-12pm
This presentation will cover fire behavior, State guidelines for defensible space, and how to create and maintain a defensible space around your home through a lens of land stewardship. We will walk through a mock home fire-safety assessment and the three zones of defensible space, discussing how to obtain personalized landowner objectives, while considering both fire safety and ecosystem health. We'll discuss plant selection, plant spacing, land stewardship techniques and methods, and local resources for people to tap into.
Register Now!
| | JOIN US FOR THE OLLI SPRING PICNIC ON APRIL 10 | | |
Join us for our annual potluck picnic lunch where we reconnect with old friends and welcome new learners to the OLLI community. This is a chance to eat, socialize, and even play a few rounds of bingo.
OLLI staff will be available to answer any questions about registration or the upcoming spring term, and your fellow members will be there to eat and socialize. Free and open to the public. Invite your friends!
Friday, April 10, 11:30am-1pm
Veterans Memorial Park (formerly Wildwood Park), Chico (map)
Free parking and beverages. Join us!
To allow people to make the best food choices for themselves, please bring a full list of ingredients for your dish. Print out our form (pdf) or bring your own. We'll also have forms for you to fill out at the event.
Pictured: Barbara Quinn shows off her bingo prize at last year's picnic as Lois Olson looks on.
| | CURTAINS UP ON THE OLLI PLAY FESTIVAL IN APRIL | | |
The OLLI Play Festival will be back in April with more laugh-out-loud plays, written, directed, and acted entirely by OLLI members.
Performances
Thursday, April 16, 2pm
Friday, April 17, 7pm
Saturday, April 18, 7pm
Sunday, April 19, 2pm
Gordon 1 at The Social Chico
Ticket Sales
Buy your tickets early! Play Festival tickets will be on sale at the Spring Class Preview on March 26 and in the Bradley 2 Lobby on April 1, 10am-12pm. Tickets are $10 each, cash or check only.
For more information, contact Pam Loyd at pamloyd@icloud.com.
| | WINTER COMMUNITY SPEAKER SERIES RECORDING | | |
Chico State faculty member Asa Mittman joined us last week for a talk that argues that maps are not natural, neutral documents that display information in straightforward, objective, scientific ways, but are instead rhetorical and ideological documents that shape our understandings of the world around us and our place within it.
If you missed Asa's talk, you can watch the recording now.
| | 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, March 16, 1-2pm
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.
| | 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.
| | 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.
| | Newly Announced! 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.
| | Spotlight on New York City, Fall '26 | | MARCH IS WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH | | |
Each year, the National Women's History Alliance, formerly the National Women’s History Project, sets a theme for Women's History Month. The theme for 2026 is Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future.
"In this pivotal moment of history," the NWHA says, "we are called to confront a range of overlapping global challenges: climate change, economic insecurity, healthcare disparities, and threats to democratic participation. These issues are deeply intertwined – and women, particularly from marginalized communities, often experience their impacts most acutely. Yet women have also led the charge toward lasting solutions."
This Women's History Month, you can learn about the history of the celebration, read about the history of women in the United States, or do one or more things from a list of 30+ Activities To Celebrate Women's History Month.
| | LEARN ABOUT THE WARS OF THE ROSES THIS SPRING | | |
Longtime OLLI instructor Leanne Ulvang loves history. This spring, she's bringing that love to OLLI with her class The Wars of the Roses. The Cousins' War, as it was called contemporaneously, that ripped apart the ruling Plantagenet family in England affords some insights into competitions for leadership, control, and alliances, even in the present day.
Register for The Wars of the Roses when class registration opens on April 2 and join Leanne – and her extensive research and handouts – in dissecting the complicated relationships that played out in 15th-century England and ended with the throne occupied by the first Tudor king, Henry VII. The class is online and recorded so you can watch from home or catch up later.
| | DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AWARENESS MONTH | | |
March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. The month is a chance to highlight the lives of people with developmental disabilities and how we can support them.
The theme for 2026 is We’re Here: Then, Now, Always. "The national campaign recognizes a simple truth: people with developmental disabilities have always been part of our communities – and always will be."
You can read some of the stories of people with developmental disabilities in the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities' photo gallery exploring last year's theme, "We're Here All Year."
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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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