February	March	April
Feb. 27, 6pm: Co-Sponsored Lecture by Matt Phillips in Westlake Hall, Room 116	Mar. 14, 12pm: Kickoff Luncheon for Spring 2018 Classes in Michel Student Center Ballrooms	Apr. 4, 11, 18, & 25: Spring 2018 Classes in the Michel Student Center
		Apr. 13 & 27, 9am: Study Group Committee Meetings at Peoria Next Innovation Center

We are right on track to meet this year's goal of raising $50,000, but we still need small donations to help raise funds for our Student Volunteer Award!

It's easy to donate $5 for this award online.  Click here to be directed to OLLI's giving website, where you will see your donation is already designated for OLLI; all you have to do is specify your amount, and type "OLLI SVA" in the additional "other" field, as shown below.

Thank you for supporting OLLI and our service-driven students at Bradley University!

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Registration for OLLI Spring Classes is in full swing, so don't forget to register for these great classes below before they fill up!  Click here to register online, or call Bonnie at (309) 677- 3900.

OLLI Spring 2018 Classes

Wednesdays, April 4, 11, 18, and 25, 2018

Michel Student Center, Bradley University

Class #8, Getting to Know the Peoria County Sheriff's Department  (9:00 - 10:00 a.m.)

Hear from Sheriff Brian Asbell, Superintendent Ronda Guyton, and Captain Doug Gaa about the inner workings of the Sheriff's Department.

Study the private school in Detroit and its alumni who have made legendary contributions to the world of art, architecture, and design.

Join us at the Spring Kickoff Luncheon for a special presentation by Bradley Professor and author Devin Murphy.  If you are taking spring classes, the Kickoff Luncheon is included in your class fee; to attend the luncheon only, the cost is $25.  Call us at (309) 677-3900 to register!

OLLI Spring 2018 Kickoff Luncheon

Wednesday, March 14, 2018

12:00 p.m.

Michel Student Center Ballrooms, Bradley University 

For our Spring Kickoff Luncheon, we will enjoy a spring salad mix with strawberries, pecans, crumbled feta, and raspberry vinaigrette; fresh herb-encrusted beef tenderloin over mushroom bordelaise; tri-colored potatoes and roasted cauliflower with truffle oil; and lemon cream cake (If you have special dietary restrictions, please call our office at (309) 677-3900 no later than February 28 so we can accommodate your needs). 

After lunch, we will hear from presenter Devin Murphy, Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Bradley University and author of the critically acclaimed novel The Boat Runner.  He will discuss his book and sign copies immediately following the luncheon.   Bradley Bookstore staff be on site with copies of the book available to purchase for $15.99 ($17.43 with tax); cash, check, and credit cards will be accepted.

We hope to see you there!

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Join one of these study groups this spring to explore social and environmental issues facing our community today.  Click here to register online, or call Bonnie at (309) 677- 3900.

Broken Bootstraps - Poverty and Homelessness in Central Illinois (Discussion-based)

Fridays, March 9 - March 30

9:00 - 11:15 a.m.

Goodwill Commons, 2319 E War Memorial Dr, Peoria

"Really!  Couldn't they just try a little harder?"  In this study group, we will examine the conviction that people can escape the grips of poverty if they just "keep at it."  We will look at the challenges faced by those living in poverty, explore the connection between poverty and homelessness, and evaluate the cost of not providing housing opportunities for those who are chronically homeless.  

$45 - facilitated by Kevan Nowlan, Director, Heart of Illinois Homeless Continuum of Care

Adjusting to Climate Change (Participation-based)

Fridays, March 2 - March 23

9:30 - 11:45 a.m.

Peoria Next Innovation Center, 801 W Main St, Peoria

The headline-grabbing topic "climate change" is often debated.  We will use Great Course materials to examine current research on climate change and explain the concepts, tools, data, and analysis that have led an overwhelming number of climate scientists to conclude that Earth is warming and that we humans are in great part responsible.  Access to videos will be provided to participants for viewing before each session; internet and email access is required.  In addition, participants should purchase Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming, edited by Paul Hawken, available at local or online retailers and libraries.  

$45 - facilitated by Lee Maki and Doug McCarty, OLLI study group category coordinators.

The 7 Secrets to Successful Innovators

A Keynote from Matt Phillips

Tuesday, February 27

6:00 p.m.

Westlake Hall, Room 116, Bradley University

Cost: FREE!

Companies develop new products and services all the time.  The people in those organizations are experts about how to innovate, right?  Think again.  Most turn to consultants to help through the process.

Bradley alumnus Matt Phillips ('95) is president of Phillips & Co., an innovation strategy firm based in Chicago serving clients globally.  Matt is a high-energy innovation strategist, keynote speaker, ideation facilitator, and entrepreneur with extensive experience leading Fortune 500 and mid-sized clients through the process of inventing and developing new products, brands, and growth strategies.  

This presentation is hosted by The Institute Through Collaboration and co-sponsored by OLLI at Bradley and the Intellectual Cultural Activities Council.  For more information, contact Ross Miller at (309) 677-4432 or [email protected].

AlphaGo: Artificial Intelligence in the World of Competitive Gaming

Thursday, March 8

6:00 p.m. - Refreshments and opportunity to play or watch game of 'Go'

7:00 p.m. - Presentation by Adam Byerly and AlphaGo screening

Michel Student Center, Executive Suite and Marty Theatre, Bradley University

Cost: FREE!  Registration not required.

Join OLLI for this special event in collaboration with Bradley University's Interactive Media and Computer Science departments.  Bradley students will be invited to join us as we learn and play the ancient Chinese board game of Go, enjoy a presentation on artificial intelligence by  Adam Byerly,  Bradley Lecturer for the Department of Computer Science and Information Systems, and view AlphaGo, a documentary that examines the age-old conflict of man vs. machine.  

The ancient Chinese game of 'Go' may seem simple at first -- a lined grid with black and white stones and simple rules -- yet there are more board configurations than there are atoms in the universe.    The complexity of 'Go' has made it an ideal challenge for artificial intelligence (AI) designers like Google's DeepMind, and in 2016, the world's top Go Masters competed against an AI opponent for the first time in history.  AlphaGo follows the AI journey from coding to the intense competition, featuring an original score by Academy Award nominee Hauschka.  

Refreshments brought to you by the generous donations of OLLI members will be available in the Executive Suite from 6:00 - 7:00, along with an opportunity for you to watch a live game of Go or play one for yourself.  Bradley gaming students will run a demonstration game and provide assistance at several smaller, practice boards for anyone wanting to give it a try!

To view a trailer for AlphaGo, click here.  To view this event on Facebook, click here.

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Peoria Speaks is a new monthly community discussion program meeting on the second Thursday of each month at North Branch at 6:00 p.m., which will focus on topics of interest to Peorians.  Funding for Peoria Speaks is being provided by the Illinois Humanities through their Illinois Speaks program.  Illinois Speaks is a small group discussion program founded in November 2015 aimed at strengthening the democratic process through community dialogues across the state of Illinois.

Discussion topics differ from month to month and across regions and are often related to current events, questions, and issues arising in a community.  At each of the Peoria Speaks monthly discussions, a community "expert" will provide a 10 to 15 minute overview of the topic and then the group will further discuss the topic.  

On Thursday, February 8 at 6:00 p.m., the discussion will center on human trafficking.  Human trafficking has 24.9 million victims globally who are trapped in modern day slavery.  There were 202 cases of human trafficking in Illinois in 2016.  What is human trafficking and is it happening in Peoria?  Carol Merna, Executive Director at the Center of Prevention of Abuse, will explain the types and indications of human trafficking and describe some human trafficking victim's stories.  After her presentation, we wll discuss what participants can do about human trafficking, the second largest crime in the world.  

The Chillicothe Public Library hosts free programs each month, which OLLI members are invited to attend.  A few featured events are listed below, but a complete calendar of their events can be found on their website.