August	September	October
Aug. 23, 9am: Winter Curriculum Committee Meeting in Michel Student Center Executive Suite	Sept. 6, 9am: Winter Curriculum Committee Meeting in Michel Student Center Executive Suite	Oct. 4, 11, 18, & 25: OLLI Fall Classes in the Michel Student Center
Aug. 25, 5pm: Annual Trivia Night Fundraiser  at the Hayden Clark Alumni Center

OLLI classes will be held on Wednesdays, October 4, 11, 18, and 25!  Have you registered yet?  OLLI classes offer a great way to go "back to school" and learn about the topics that interest you most from experts in those fields -- without any homework, tests, or tardy slips!

For $95, you can take four classes of your choice, enjoy door-to-door shuttle service and plenty of snacks throughout the day, and join in the camaraderie that is truly unique to OLLI classes.  

Your class fee also includes a complimentary invitation to our Fall Kickoff Luncheon on September 15, featuring guest speaker Walter Zakahi, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Bradley University.

Click here to view a PDF of our class offerings this fall.  Register today by calling (309) 677-3900 or click here to sign up online!

Back to Contents

Join OLLI this fall in a thought-provoking study group!  Spaces are still available in the following groups.  Register today by calling (309) 677-3900 or by clicking here!

Project Mercury (Participation-Based)
Tuesdays, September 5 - October 10
9:00 - 11:15 a.m.

Project Mercury was the first human spaceflight program of the United States, running from 1958 to 1963. An early highlight of the "Space Race," its goal was to put a man into Earth orbit and return him safely - ideally before the Soviet Union did so. In this group, we will review the technical, political, and cultural issues surrounding Project Mercury, focusing on how things were done, rather than what happened. Participants are asked to obtain and read This New Ocean: A History of Project Mercury, available through the Government Printing Office, as well as local or online retailers and libraries.

$45 - facilitated by Mark Golden, instructor in the math, science, and engineering department at Illinois Central College.

Terrorism in America a Hundred Years Ago (Discussion-Based)
Tuesdays, September 12 - October 10
9:30 - 11:45 a.m.

Terrorism is not new in America. In fact, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, several outbursts of terrorist activity occurred. In this group, we will discuss anarchism,
communism, and other movements that advocated violence. Participants will also review the Chicago Haymarket Riot, the bombing of the USS Maine (which
led to the Spanish-American War), the assassination of President McKinley, and German terrorist bombings during World War I. Other topics for discussion will
include public reactions to the violence, government and agency responses, the real and perceived role of immigrants in these events, and the perceived role of the
media in inciting outrage and action.

$45 - facilitated by Richard Popp, co-owner, Waxwing Books.

There are still seats available on these regional trips this fall!  Call our office at (309) 677-3900 to sign up, or click here to register online!

Art Institute of Chicago with Donna Carr Roberts (Activity Level 2)

Wednesday, September 13

6:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Get acquainted - or reacquainted - with the Art Institute of Chicago when we spend a day admiring the collection of the second largest art museum in the United States.  We'll explore the Modern Wing, a 264,000 square-foot addition designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano, and its amazing selection of contemporary art.  In addition, participants will enjoy a keynote lecture in Rubloff Auditorium, experience docent-led presentations in front of many of the museum's masterpieces, and watch artist demonstrations throughout the museum.  Donna Carr Roberts, Bradley University's Slane College Artist-in-Residence, will join us to enhance our experience by sharing her artistic insights.  

$109 - includes museum admissions, presentations, lunch, gratuities, snacks, and charter coach transportation

Funks Grove and DESTIHL Brewery (Activity Level 3)

Friday, September 22

7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Spend a day with OLLI as we explore the hidden gems (literally) in the small McLean County town of Funks Grove.  Bill and Emma Funk will provide a private tour of the Funk Prairie Home and its adjoining Gem Museum, the largest one-owner gem and mineral collection in the world.  We'll partake in a lunch buffet at the Dixie Trucker's Home, a Route 66 historic site in nearby McLean.  In the afternoon, we'll enjoy a private tour of the new DESTIHL brewery to learn about its history, why the brewmasters boycott bland beer, and get a glimpse (or taste) of what they'll soon be brewing.  

$89 - includes admission fees, tours, lunch, gratuities, snacks, and charter coach transportation

Southern Poverty Law Center Forum on Hate Crime

Tuesday, August 29

7:00 p.m.

Michel Student Center Ballrooms, Bradley University

Cost: FREE!

The Southern Poverty Law Center will participate in a panel discussion at Bradley regarding hate crimes.  The Centers' Outreach Director, Lecia Brooks, will join several local representatives to discuss national and local trends in the rise of hate groups and hate crime.  The free public forum will take place in the Michel Student Center Ballroom on Bradley's campus on August 29th beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Ms. Brooks will share thoughts from the Center on what people can do to combat hate crimes in their own communities.  Local panelists will include Rev. Marvin Hightower , Peoria Chapter NAACP; Imam Kamil Mufti, Islamic Foundation of Peoria; Rebecca Carlson, Jewish Federation of Peoria; and Sonny Garcia, Illinois People's Action. It will be moderated by Garry Moore.

The program is sponsored by Bradley University's Department of Sociology, Criminology, & Social Work; African American Studies Program; and the Community Word.

Bradley University invites OLLI to attend the NASA 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge
Community Day on August 26 from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at the Caterpillar Edwards
Demonstration and Learning Center. Watch teams as they print and test components
that could one day be used to build a habitat on Mars.

Using 3D printing technologies and mission recycled materials, as well as local
indigenous materials, teams will build a miniature dome that will be tested to see how it withstands certain loads and pressure that are found on Mars.

Additionally, visitors can experience interactive displays, meet an astronaut, see an
actual moon rock, and participate in a new video game that's "out of this world."
Because Bradley is hosting the event, Bradley students are not eligible to compete, but
teams from around the world will participate in this incredible event that unites highly
trained scientists from three world class organizations: NASA, Caterpillar, and Bradley
University.

For more information, visit the NASA 3D Habitat Challenge Community Information website.

To register, visit the NASA 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge Community Days website.

Registration is required, and the event has a limited capacity. Safety  requirements will be strictly enforced.