May 2026 Having trouble viewing this email? Click here to open as a Webpage.

Spring is a season of renewal – and at OLLI, it’s a time to build on the momentum we’ve created together.

We’re now in the final phase of our Annual Fundraising Campaign, and thanks to you, we're already more than halfway to our $35,000 goal. We’re close – but we need your help to finish strong.

Your gift – at any level – has a direct and meaningful impact:

• $5 monthly sustaining support for a year pays for one class meeting at OLLI’s primary classroom
• $15 helps move us closer to our goal when every member participates
• $50-$300 helps fund a membership scholarship
• $500 helps maintain classroom technology
• $1,000 supports one OLLI Class Preview
• $5,000 pays for printing the OLLI Class Catalog for one term

If you’ve already given, thank you. If not, now is the time.

Pictured: OLLI members and instructors at an OLLI Class Preview, one of the events supported by your donations. Photo by Matt Bates, Chico State.

As a member, you have the opportunity to not just take classes from OLLI at Chico State, but also selected classes offered by other OLLIs. Each OLLI has its own term schedule, which means some of the OLLI USA classes haven't started yet. Most of the ongoing classes are recorded, so you can register now and catch up when you receive the recordings link.

Here are a few shared learning opportunities that you can still join before they begin:

• Why Do Good People Do Bad Things?: Two Experiments, which explores the title question through the lens of the Milgram and Zimbardo experiments.
• Modern Ethical Challenges with AI Applications, which examines real-world case studies.
• Grief in Life & Fiction: Shakespeare, Hamnet, & Hamlet, which explores the novel and film Hamnet alongside Shakespeare's life and the play Hamlet.
• Tai Chi for Health & Wellness, which focuses on balance, flexibility, and relaxation skills.

Find these classes, and all of the classes shared by other OLLIs, on our OLLI USA page and register now.

Cell phones can make all kinds of noises – phone calls ringing, message notifications beeping, alarms blaring. These are helpful when you need them! In the middle of classes, however, they are less welcome.

OLLI has been receiving complaints recently about phones going off in classes and disrupting the class experience. Get in the habit of silencing your phone at the beginning of class. Or, if you don't want to think about it at every class, look for the do not disturb setting on your phone and set a schedule that automatically silences your phone at the beginning of class and turns the volume back on after class ends.

OLLI members are discovering that conversations about eye health can be surprisingly fascinating. The Aging Eye, pictured, has quickly become one of member Candace Carroll's favorite classes. "It's been packed with incredible information about what's happening in the field of eye care," she said. "I have a much better understanding of the aging eye and the new eye care treatments that are available. It's really been a great opportunity to ask all those questions you don't get to ask doctors in the exam room."

The class meets at the Chico Eye Center facility where each class meeting is led by a different doctor and includes a wealth of information on the field of eye and vision care. Throughout the class, OLLI members are getting the chance to ask questions, compare experiences, and learn about the newest treatments and technologies in eye care.

Chico Fire Marshal Paul Ricketts joined us last week to draw from his wealth of real-world experiences and insight to the always relevant topic of fire management in Northern California.

If you missed the talk, you can watch the recording now.

The OLLI Membership Team continues to encourage new member recruitment with a myriad of projects. To name a few:

• Twice a month we have a booth at the Farmer's Market where we meet many people who are interested in joining. It's a very fun way to spend a couple of hours!
• Our Speaker's Bureau leader contacts local organizations to set up speaking engagements for an OLLI representative to speak on the opportunities available to members.
• Our team hosts a New Member Orientation each term where we share information and offer a tour of The Social Chico. This has proved to be a very popular event!
• During the first week of classes, we have team members stationed at different points at The Social to direct new members to classrooms and welcome back established members. When you see us in our orange vests acting as a First Week Greeter, come say hi!
• We're trying a new concept now called Brown Bag Luncheons. Each Wednesday new and old members are encouraged to bring a lunch to Bradley 1 at 11:45 to meet new people, learn about OLLI (and Chico if you're new to the area), and share experiences.

If you are interested in volunteering at OLLI, the Membership Team is a great way to start. Our team is committed, productive, and fun!

To learn more about joining the team, contact OLLI at 530-898-6679 or olli@csuchico.edu.

Pictured: Former OLLI member and leader Leslie Howard chats with Membership Team members Margaret Rader and Lynda Klein at the OLLI table at the Farmers' Market.

Healthier You is a three-part lecture series from Enloe Community Health held at the Enloe Health Conference Center. The series is designed to support a healthier you.

Each lecture covers a topic by a different local medical expert from Enloe Health. This spring, the series will feature presentations from a registered dietician, an exercise psychologist, and a pharmacist. Every lecture has time for your questions.

Register now for Healthier You and learn from Enloe's experts this spring.

June is Pride Month, a time to recognize the existence of LGBTQ+ people and affirm their equal rights as fellow citizens and human beings. The theme for Stonewall Chico Pride 2026 is All Together Now. You can show your support for our local LGBTQ+ community by attending one of this year's Pride events.

Storybook Family Day

Local performers read storybooks for all children and their families.

Saturday, May 30, 12:30-4:30pm

Chico Branch Library, 1108 Sherman Avenue, Chico (map)

Downtown Festival

All-ages event with live performances, music and dancing, vendors and resource booths, and lots of fun for everyone.

Saturday, June 6, 11am-4pm

Downtown Chico Plaza (map)

Beer Garden Party

Cold drinks, shady seats, and tasty food across the street from the Downtown Festival.

Saturday, June 6, 1-6pm

The Allies Pub, 426 Broadway, Suite 139, Chico (map)

Drink & Draw

Bring your own minimal mess art supplies and work on your personal art projects in a public space.

Wednesday, June 10, 6-9pm

Argus Bar + Patio, 212 West 2nd Street, Chico (map)

TRAVEL AND LEARN WITH OLLI

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.

Last year, Neil Schwartz, pictured, retired as a psychology professor at Chico State, where he specialized in learning, cognition, and instruction. He arrived in Chico with his family in 1987, planning to move after a few years to pursue his first love, research.

Teaching turned out to be rewarding, and Chico was a great place to raise kids. So Neil set up his own research lab, converting his campus office into a space where he could work with 12 psych students – 6 from the master's program and 6 undergraduates. To expand his program, he and fellow professors in France and Germany established an international exchange program for grad students. It focuses on multimedia learning and cognition, with applications in education, law, technology, publishing, and art.

Neil hasn't really retired, though. He serves on boards of scientific journals, reviews articles, and occasionally publishes his own work. He also realized that he had a lot of knowledge that he didn't want to go to waste. And so he turned to OLLI.

In his first foray into teaching about understanding the influence of visual media on thinking, he gave only two information-laden lectures. Feedback after the session has prompted him to offer the class again next year, and this time to provide even more lecture material. Look for it in an upcoming catalog!

June 3

June 19

June 26

June 28

June 29-July 3

July 1

September 13

September 14

September 21

November 11

November 20

Brown Bag Luncheon for New Members

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

Summer Social Meetups End

First Day of Fall Classes

Yom Kippur (No Classes)

Veterans Day (No Classes, OLLI Closed)

Last Day of Fall Classes