Campus, News

OLLI gives the elderly education opportunities at the Beach

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Cal State Long Beach is a program that allows members to continue to learn and maintain an active mind. It is a hidden gem that adds educational opportunities to people above the age of 50.

Located in the Human Services and Design building near the Outpost Grill, OLLI offers about 85 to 95 classes per year, ranging from memoir writing to biking classes, and has about 1,300 members.

Spring Registration for OLLI classes will start Feb. 25 from 12:30 to 3:00 p.m. in HS&D Room 101. OLLI is offering a host of lecture classes including these new topics: Islam: Faith, Civilization, Values, Korean Memoir Writing, Gospel Music Workshop, 2017 Total Solar Eclipse and others.

The eight-week classes are offered at the CSULB campus, in their office on Pine Avenue in Downtown Long Beach, the Alpert Jewish Community Center and at Leisure World in Seal Beach.

The only requirements to be a member of the program are to be above the age of 50 and have a desire to learn. With a membership fee of $40 and a $10 enrollment fee for every lecture class, members are able to take classes of interest at a low cost.

John Donohue, 91, has been a member of the program since it started in 1996. “I see it as a life saver for older people,” Donohue said. “You meet really interesting people and have the opportunity to take classes with excellent professors … It’s a fabulous opportunity that I otherwise never would of had.”

The predominantly critical thinking classes allow members to become more active thinkers and stay intellectually stimulated, Barbara White, executive director of OLLI said.

“Many people have told us that they found OLLI and it gave them a whole new aspect of their life and allowed them to integrate themselves back into the community,” White said.

OLLI started on campus in 1996 and is heavily ran by volunteers, with the exception of three paid positions. The instructors and volunteers who help with the program are usually retirees who have experience in the field they are involved in.

“Our members love to come back to college, despite the parking,” White said. “It also gives the CSULB students the opportunity to see older adults in a more positive light.”

In October, the OLLI program gave out its first $1,000 scholarship to CSULB student Matthew Choi, a computer science major doing research related to older adults. The scholarship was made possible through fundraising and donations by the members of OLLI.

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