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The OLLI office is closed for Fall Break November 24-28. We wish everyone who celebrates Thanksgiving a good holiday with food, family, and friendship. The OLLI office will reopen at 9am on Monday, December 1.

The Social Chico Dining Hall will be closed November 22-29 for Fall Break, reopening November 30.

Join the global movement that celebrates generosity and community! This #GivingTuesday you have the power to make lifelong learning accessible, inclusive, and inspiring for all.

Your gift to OLLI at Chico State supports scholarships for members with limited means, enhances classroom technology, and helps create welcoming spaces where curiosity and connection thrive.

Together, we can ensure that OLLI remains a vibrant community where adults come to learn, share, and grow – at every stage of life. Every contribution makes a difference.

Give today and help sustain Learning for Life at OLLI.

The Winter Class Preview is a chance for you to learn about winter 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 Winter 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 winter. The deadline to confirm this with the OLLI office is the same day as the Winter Class Preview. Bring your friend with you, and you can let us know there!

Winter Class Preview

Thursday, December 4, 10:30am-Noon

Presentation begins at 11am

Chico Masonic Family Center, 1110 W. East Avenue, Chico (map)

Free parking, coffee, and snacks!

Pictured: OLLI Instructor David Popp speaking to members at the Fall Class Preview. Photo by Matt Bates/Chico State.

One way to learn with your friends is to make friends at OLLI. Another is to bring your friend with you to OLLI. "Hearing about all the fun things my friend was doing and learning motivated me to sign up with OLLI," said new member Stacy Sherwood, pictured. "Both of us have busy lives and this gave us an additional time to meet up. Once I decided to join, it was really nice having someone to guide me through what I needed to do, what was expected of members and making sure I didn't miss anything. Although, I soon discovered the process was very easy and everyone is very helpful and friendly."

Stacey added, "It has been great to meet new people in OLLI, but it has also been nice to have someone I already know to have discussions with about the classes, especially the online classes which are a little more difficult to interact with new people."

If you have a friend you'd like to spend more time with, or talk about your classes with, let your friend know about OLLI. And, as a bonus, when you refer someone you know and they also join OLLI, you can both register early for classes this winter. 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 December 4 to confirm, or visit the special Learn with a Friend table at the Winter Class Preview.

As anyone who has wanted to go on an OLLI hike knows, some popular classes fill up as soon as registration opens. OLLI has over 900 members all trying to sign up for the same popular classes at the same time, and some of those classes, like many hikes, only allow 15 people to attend the class.

A benefit to being a member is that you can add yourself to the waitlist if the class you want to take is full. If someone drops the class or the instructor allows more people into the class, the OLLI office will immediately contact the next person in line to offer the open space to them. Add yourself to a waitlist and keep an eye on your phone and email throughout the term – you just might get into that class.

The flip side of waitlists is that it helps your fellow members if you let the OLLI office know when you won't be able to take one of your registered classes. It can take time for members to get the message about a space in a class, check their schedule, and decide if they want to take the class. The earlier the space is available, the more likely it is that someone else can take the class.

To drop a class or ask any questions about waitlists, contact the OLLI office at olli@csuchico.edu or 530-898-6679.

Neil Schwartz studies visual media's influence on learning and persuasion. This winter, he's bringing that expertise to OLLI in his class How to Make a Movie on a Mac. The class will examine how humans cognitively process visual material (graphics, pictures, and videos) in education, litigation law, and advertising.

Beyond that, the class will teach you how to select photos and videos, and curate and select music, for making your own short movie using a Mac laptop or desktop computer. Neil will cover which software to use, how to use the software, and how to find and download the right music for emotional conveyance. During the class, you'll get to build your own 5-minute movie.

Register for How to Make a Movie on a Mac when class registration opens on December 11 and make a movie this winter.

Whether you've led an OLLI class before or want to try it out for the first time, we invite you to submit a spring '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 spring term a success. The spring term runs April 20-June 26, and your class can meet just once, every one of the ten weeks of the term, or anything in between. Class proposals are due December 8. Join us, and encourage your friends to lead classes too!

Submit a spring '26 class proposal now or contact us for more information at olli@csuchico.edu or 530-898-6679.

Pictured: OLLI Instructor Richard Ponarul. Photo by Matt Bates/Chico State.

The Bradley 2 Art Gallery will feature OLLI members' art during the winter and spring terms. The Gallery Team invites our artistic community of members to contribute their work (painting, collage, photography, textiles, fabric art, etc.) to this jury-free exhibit on the theme of The Wonders of Nature.

Submit your artwork with the entry form (pdf).

Art Drop-Off: January 5-6

Exhibit: January 12-June 26

Opening Reception: January 25

Art Pickup: June 30-July 1

Email Margaret Rader at mwrader13@gmail.com with any questions about the gallery.

Pictured: Original Wildflowers by Donna Sandberg.

Did you know that about 40% of OLLI's classes are online? There's no need to be intimidated by online classes; OLLI can help you learn to attend or host Zoom classes.

OLLI offers individualized, one-on-one Zoom training to help you have a successful experience taking online classes. OLLI staff will walk you through the basics, like how to change your display name and how to mute and unmute yourself, so you can feel confident signing in to any online class.

If you're already familiar with the basics of Zoom and you're ready to learn more and help out our Zoom instructors, consider being a Zoom host. Zoom hosts take care of the technical aspects of Zoom classes so instructors can focus on teaching. Zoom hosts may monitor the Zoom chat, mute people whose background noise is distracting, and show the slides or let the instructor know when their slides aren't showing. OLLI staff will provide you with individual training on how to host a Zoom meeting. OLLI can start the meeting and turn it over to you, or we can get you a Zoom account at no charge.

To request one-on-one Zoom training or to volunteer to be a Zoom host, contact the OLLI office at 530-898-6679 or olli@csuchico.edu.

OLLI is recruiting volunteers for the winter term! Volunteering is a good way to make friends and give back. We're looking for classroom hosts to help our volunteer instructors make sure their classes run smoothly.

Hosting is a great way to get to know the members of your class. Classroom hosts serve as a welcoming presence as people arrive and help with passing out materials or passing the microphone around. Classroom hosting does not require any technical knowledge; we have a separate team of people supporting in-person instructors with their audiovisual needs.

When you host a class you already wanted to take, you can easily fit it into your schedule. You can find out more about hosting from our Classroom Host Program Flyer (pdf), and remember that classroom hosts get pre-registration privileges.

Contact the OLLI office at olli@csuchico.edu or 530-898-6679 if you're interested in classroom hosting. If you volunteer by December 5, you will get early registration for winter classes. We appreciate your time!

"I’m a history geek," confesses Dixie La Grande, pictured, and her specialty is Sacramento Valley history. Her family were early settlers in the Williams area, and, growing up, Dixie absorbed tales of riverboat captains, Spanish and Mexican land grants, and the Gold Rush. She's conducted tours of Williams' Sacramento Valley Museum. She has even held educational sessions in its restored one-room school house, using old texts and methods.

Dixie joined OLLI this year, taking classes on French, history of the Celts, history of the Old Testament, and US politics, as well as several one-day classes. This winter, she'll help Hendrik Feenstra with his Westside Museum Tours class, heading to the Tehama County museum and the "living history" reconstructions at the Glenn County fairgrounds, as well as the Williams museum.

Her career before retiring involved leading tours in Europe, a job she fell into by accident because a French speaker was needed as an emergency replacement. In addition, she has served as a substitute teacher and aide for preschool and special needs kids. Besides her passion for history, Dixie loves learning about almost everything – from film to art history – and diving into conversations with friends about almost any topic.

"OLLI," she says, "is a great resource for keeping curiosity and learning alive and well in older students."

The OLLI Play Festival will be back in April with more laugh-out-loud plays, written, directed, and acted entirely by OLLI members. Come join the fun!

Mark your calendars for the following dates:

Plays due: January 23

Auditions: February 26-27

Rehearsals: March 9-April 15

Performances: April 16-19

For more information, contact Pam Loyd at pamloyd@icloud.com.

TRAVEL AND LEARN WITH OLLI

Travel Information Session

Want to know more about our upcoming trips? Have questions about what Collette does? Watch the recording of last month's travel information session to learn more, complete with captivating slides of the areas we'll be visiting.

Discover the Best of Eastern Canadian Cities, Fall '26

From the old-world style of Quebec City to the power of Niagara Falls, say bienvenue to Eastern Canada. Visit charming Canadian cities, learn about maple syrup making, and walk cobblestone streets. An unforgettable experience awaits as you venture along picturesque countryside and glistening skyscrapers. Your 9 days and 12 meals will be guided by seasoned tour guides from Collette.

View the Discover the Best of Eastern Canadian Cities full itinerary (pdf) and book now for discounted rates.

Spotlight on New York City, Fall '26

Start spreading the news! This extended Spotlight on New York City tour makes the most of a single hotel stay to explore Manhattan and Brooklyn. Experience the best of the "Big Apple" from Rockefeller Center to Greenwich Village and across the Brooklyn Bridge. Your 7 days and 8 meals will be guided by seasoned tour guides from Collette.

View the Spotlight on New York City full itinerary (pdf) and book now for discounted rates.

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.

Discover Scotland, Spring '26

Discover a land of rolling green Highlands, friendly sheepdogs, and historic castles. Your 10 days and 15 meals will be guided by seasoned tour guides from Collette.

Book your trip now or view the Discover Scotland full itinerary (pdf).

World AIDS Day is commemorated each year on December 1. The theme for World AIDS Day 2025 is Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response. "In 2025, a historic funding crisis is threatening to unravel decades of progress," reports UNAIDS. "HIV prevention services are severely disrupted. Community-led services, vital to reaching marginalized populations, are being deprioritized while the rise in punitive laws criminalizing same-sex relationships, gender identity, and drug use is amplifying the crisis, making HIV services inaccessible."

UNAIDS 2025 Global AIDS Update, titled AIDS, Crisis and the Power to Transform, lays out the ways that a funding crisis, which began with the US's freezing of foreign aid in January, is affecting AIDS prevention, treatment, and mortality. The funding changes came just as new HIV prevention medications, including the twice-a-year injection lenacapavir, gave exciting new hope for ending AIDS. While some countries have increased domestic funding of HIV services, UNAIDS asserts that it will take international cooperation to reach the goal of ending AIDS by 2030.

Ongoing

November 24-28

December 4

December 8

December 11

December 17-30

January 1

January 2

January 4

January 5

January 19

March 13

March 15

Winter Social Meetups

Fall Break (OLLI Office Closed)

Winter Class Preview

Spring Class Proposals Due

Class Registration Opens at 9am

Winter Break (OLLI Closed)

New Year's Day (OLLI Closed)

Special OLLI Friday Office Hours 9am-2pm

Winter Social Meetups End

First Day of Winter Classes

Martin Luther King Jr. Day (No Classes, OLLI Closed)

Last Day of Winter Classes

Winter Social Meetups Begin