I like to learn, but sitting in a classroom is one of my least favorite ways. Thank goodness for OLLI.

Mom has been taking OLLI classes for years. She suggested I take a look at the offerings, highlighting there are hikes to go on. She knows me too well.

OLLI stands for Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.

“The Bernard Osher Foundation, headquartered in San Francisco, was started in 1977 by Bernard Osher, a respected businessman and community leader. The foundation seeks to improve quality of life through support for higher education and the arts,” the foundation’s website says. “In early 2001, an endowment grant was given to the University of Southern Maine to improve and extend its excellent programs, and the name Senior College was changed to Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Shortly afterward, Sonoma State University, a member of the California State University (CSU) system became a grantee. Both programs progressed admirably, and the foundation decided to enter the lifelong learning field in a significant fashion.”

I don’t know if each college with an OLLI program runs the same. At Chico State, the institute mom and I are affiliated with, has classes led by peer leaders who are not paid. There are no tests and no grades.

We do pay. I opted for the $300 annual fee which allows me to take an unlimited number of classes. Sometime there is an extra fee on top of the tuition to cover supplies, entrance fees and the like. It’s also possible to pay per class, which could be cheaper if only taking a couple.

Another caveat is that one must be at least 50 years old to participate in OLLI.

Through OLLI mom has learned tai chi—something she still does through OLLI, but also participates in at the local park and online at home. This fall she is also learning about the Civil War; and said of her first class she learned more than in any history class she ever taken. She has enrolled in too many classes to list.

This fall more than 100 classes are offered through Chico State OLLI.

My classes are:

• Chico State Faculty Lecture Series
• Great Decisions
• Hike & History: Meadow Hike & Jonesville Hotel Status
• Trash and the Neal Road Landfill.

The first two are weekly sessions where I can go in person or listen online. The latter works better for me since I’m still working. Plus, when I’m not enthralled with what the instructor has to say, I can do other things. (Yes, my video is off so no one is seeing how inattentive I’m being!)

Why not drop the class? Well, select topics for Great Decisions interest me more than others—like Climate Technology and Competition, and Pandemic Preparation.

The lecture series starts this week. This is various faculty members talking about their specialties. I’m sure some will be of more interest than others; another reason why Zoom is my friend.

The latter two classes I signed up for were one-day events that have already taken place. I love field trips like these. It’s my preferred way to learn. This makes me think I’ll be taking more outdoor classes next session.

OLLI is offered in a ton of locations. Here is a list of institutions participating. My guess, though, is you would not have to live locally to take a course if it were offered online. Another guess is for the trips abroad no one is going to know how close you live to one of the colleges. So, even if OLLI is not offered near you, you could probably still participate.