OLLI SPRING EXHIBIT ART DROP-OFF IS NEXT WEEK! | |
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All OLLI members are encouraged to submit up to three pieces of artwork to the OLLI Gallery Member Art Show. Drop off your art next week to include it in the spring exhibit.
Art Drop-Off
Monday and Tuesday, March 18-19, 10am-12pm, Bradley 2 Lobby
Submit your artwork with the entry form (pdf). For more information, contact Debbie Vermette at [email protected].
Exhibit: April 22-June 28
Opening Reception: April 28
Art pick-up: July 1-2
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SPRING CLASS PREVIEWS MARCH 27 & 28 | |
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The spring term kicks off this month with our online and in-person class previews. This is a chance for you to learn about spring classes, plan your schedule, and hear from some of our volunteer instructors.
Live-Online Class Preview
Wednesday, March 27, 10:30-11:30am
Check the OLLI website the day of the event for the Zoom link.
In-Person Class Preview
Thursday, March 28, 10:30am-Noon
Presentation begins at 11am
Chico Masonic Family Center, 1110 W. East Avenue, Chico (map)
Free parking, coffee, and snacks!
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MEMBER BENEFIT: TEACH A CLASS | |
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OLLI is founded on classes led by members. As a member, you get the chance to share your knowledge, skills, or interests with other members when you teach a class for OLLI. 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 '24 class proposal.
The fall term runs September 9-November 15, and our class proposal deadline is April 8. The deadline is early so we can release the catalog in July.
Want to teach online but don't have a Zoom account or a teaching space? No problem! We can start your Zoom meetings for you, get you a Zoom account at no cost, or provide you with space and a computer in the OLLI office to teach your class.
Submit a fall '24 class proposal now or contact us for more information at [email protected] or 530-898-6679.
Pictured: Robin Dizard teaching a class. Photo by Matt Bates, Chico State.
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Starting March16, OLLI members and friends will have the opportunity to participate in social meetups. These meetups are member-led: you decide what you want to do with other OLLI members. A movie night, book group, board game, lunch outing, and discussion circle are all examples of popular OLLI meetups. And here's what members have to say about them:
"Meetups give me the opportunity to connect with other members when regular OLLI classes are not in session," said long-time member Margaret Rader. OLLI member and instructor Myron Flindt added, "Social meetups are a great way to meet other members who share your interests. And setting these meetings up couldn't be easier!"
How does it work? The OLLI office sends out the calendar of meetups each week to all members, who can then pick and choose what to attend based on their interest and availability – no additional class fees and no registration required. You're welcome to bring your friends and family members too.
"The OLLI social meetups are generally smaller in size and more personal," said Gayle Womack, who has been attending meetups since the program started last summer. "Discussion is easier, more like a small gathering of friends. Meetups are also a great way to introduce people to OLLI for a sampling of our special community."
Consider leading your own meetup this spring. Like Myron said, it's simple! Check out the easy Spring '24 Social Meetup Listing form to see for yourself, and be sure to submit your meetup by noon on Friday for it to appear in the next week's calendar. If you have any questions, you can reach the OLLI office at [email protected] or 530-898-6679. The OLLI office is open Monday-Thursday, 9am-2pm.
Pictured: OLLI members at a sketching meetup.
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SAVE THE DATE: OLLI SPRING PICNIC | |
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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 12, 11:30am-1pm
Wildwood Park
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.
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MEET A MEMBER: ROXANNE FERRY | |
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Responsible for introducing some of OLLI's longest-running classes, Roxanne Ferry, pictured, is celebrating 24 years of lifelong learning this year. Thanks to a tip from friend Phyllis Berger, founding member of Prime Timers, the campus organization preceding OLLI, Roxanne joined OLLI as soon as she was age eligible in 2001. The next year she began assisting other class leaders, leading to a co-leading opportunity in "Conversational Spanish" in 2003.
Roxanne's passion for languages and foreign cultures preceded her involvement in OLLI classes, with her work at the Department of Defense Dependents Schools taking her to Japan, Iceland, Korea, Spain, and the Azores. In Chico, Roxanne worked part-time at Destiny College assisting Spanish speaking people who'd been hurt in agricultural work. "After a few years taking and leading classes for Prime Timers, I felt that we needed more international topics," she explained. Other than suggesting "Armchair Traveler," still among the program's most popular classes, Roxanne started another blockbuster in 2008: "Great Decisions," which William Tefteller took over leading in 2010.
In the seven official years Roxanne served on the board of directors in the capacities of membership chair, vice president, president, and past president, she played an instrumental role in growing membership and transitioning Prime Timers to an OLLI institute, of which there are 125 in the country. "Under the leadership of then Director Linda MacMichael, we watched the membership grow to more than 500 members, earning us our first $1 million Osher Foundation grant, leading to the name change from Prime Timers," she said. "In 2011-12, I was part of a committee reviewing and rewriting our documents to change our leadership team from a board to an Advisory Council."
Roxanne continues to travel the world with OLLI friends, including excursions to Cambodia and Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, the former Yugoslavia, and Africa. "I continue to enjoy 'Great Decisions' with their brilliant presentations, as well as Walter Coffey's music afternoons, Sandra Flake's faculty lecture series, and many Zoom presentations from University of Arizona, Berkshires Community College, and Rochester Institute of Technology," she said. One thing she misses from her leadership days with OLLI: knowing most members. "I could write name tags without asking for names."
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LEARN TO SPEAK FRENCH WITH OLLI MEMBERS | |
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It's never too late to learn a new language. Longtime OLLI instructor Leanne Ulvang, with the help of a few additional French speakers, is offering three levels of French classes this spring. All three classes are on Zoom, which class members have found very helpful in seeing how people's mouths move when pronouncing French words.
French 1 is for people who have studied French in the past – even as long ago as high school – and can construct a basic sentence in French. French 2 focuses on grammar, usage, creating French sentences, and improving listening skills, plus reading French stories. French 3: Conversation is a chance to have conversations in French with other OLLI members.
If you're ready to improve your French, register for one of Leanne's classes when registration opens at 9am on April 4.
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TRAVEL AND LEARN WITH OLLI | |
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Travel Information Session
Want to know more about our upcoming trips, including our two newly announced trips to Costa Rica and Greece? Last month, Collette representative Jay Fehan joined us for a travel information session. Watch the recording now.
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Tropical Costa Rica, Winter '25 | |
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Experience the paradise of lush forests and stunning waterfalls, rumbling volcanoes and endless coastlines in Costa Rica. Take in tranquil views of Arenal Volcano, visit the Cano Negro nature preserve, experience the Monteverde Cloud Forest's lush canopy, and relax on sandy beaches. Your 9 days and 13 meals will be guided by seasoned tour guides from Collette.
View the Tropical Costa Rica full itinerary (pdf) and book now for discounted rates.
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Exploring Greece and Its Islands, Spring '25 | |
Memorials of World War II, Fall '24 | |
NINTH ANNUAL OLLI PLAY FESTIVAL | |
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The OLLI Play Festival will be back this April with more laugh-out-loud plays, written, directed, and acted entirely by OLLI members.
Save the Date: April 18-21
Thursday and Sunday 2pm
Friday and Saturday 7pm
For more information about the festival, contact Pam Loyd at [email protected].
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OLLI USA LECTURE FROM UC DAVIS | |
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OLLI at UC Davis in partnership with UC Davis Medical Center invites OLLI members from across the country to attend a free lecture.
Health Effects of Loneliness and Isolation
Human beings are social creatures. Isolation and loneliness have been linked to increased mortality and have a relation to cognitive decline and physical deconditioning. Join Dr. Rebecca Boxer, chief of Geriatrics, Hospice and Palliative Medicine at UC Davis Health, as she shares medical insights and recent research on the effects of isolation and prolonged loneliness. There will be time for audience Q&A.
March 26, 10-11:30am Pacific Time
Register to receive Zoom information.
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March is Women's History Month. The National Women's History Alliance has chosen the theme Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion for Women's History Month 2024: "During 2024, we recognize the example of women who are committed to embracing everyone and excluding no one in our common quest for freedom and opportunity."
Celebrate this year's Women's History Month theme by learning more about some of the women who have advocated for equity, diversity, and inclusion in the US:
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Kimberlé Crenshaw is the civil rights advocate and scholar who coined the term "intersectionality" to describe the ways multiple forms of discrimination, such as sexism and racism, combine and overlap.
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Judy Heumann was a disability rights activist. She was one of the leaders of the 504 Sit-In in San Francisco and worked on disability rights legislation.
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Edie Windsor was an activist whose lawsuit against the federal government resulted in a landmark legal victory on the path to marriage equality for same-sex couples.
Learn more about women's history in the US at womenshistorymonth.gov.
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DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AWARENESS MONTH | |
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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 2024 is A World of Opportunities: "Our goal is to build a community that's committed to creating a world where everyone can do well and succeed. Join us in making a world where all kinds of people have the chance to thrive."
The proclamation issued by Governor Gavin Newsom declaring March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month in California says, " Over the last decade, California has prioritized the integration of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in their communities while avoiding institutional settings."
Pictured: Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month image featuring artwork by Lee Waters.
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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.
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