The Osher Learning Lifelong Institute (OLLI) is celebrating 20 years of success at Fresno State.
The national organization, founded by Bernard Osher, was created to give older adults the chance to get a college-level education without the time-consuming commitment and stress.
There are currently 124 OLLI locations around the country, each with varying classes and opportunities. In order to be a member, one must be over the age of 50.
Here at Fresno State, the cost to be a member is an affordable $40 per semester and $20 for the summer session, according to Pamala Dyer, executive director of OLLI at Fresno State.
Members have the ability to choose their own schedule and find classes that they want to attend. Classes range from science, history, art and more, depending on who they are able to get to teach.
Some of the instructors are paid to teach these classes. Many classes are taught over Zoom by professors who are experts in their field. The majority of in-person classes are taught by Fresno State professors who volunteer their time.
Before COVID-19, there were almost 1,000 members at Fresno State. Following the pandemic, that number dropped to around 400.
Dyer has made it one of her goals to increase membership.
Just this year, they surpassed 500 members, despite the challenges they face with recruitment.
“Our members are aging out,” Dyer said. “People are retiring later so they have less free time. They become empty nesters later than my parents did. So we’re searching for ways to reach the 50 and above.”
Dyer also described how OLLI isn’t similar to a generic senior center that offers watercolor classes.
“We concentrate more on a college-level educational experience without the college-level costs,” Dyer said.
For their 20th anniversary, Fresno State OLLI is attempting to compile a list of all the members, past and present, along with how many semesters they were in the program. There are also attempts to get back some of the original instructors and get them to teach OLLI classes once again.
Despite learning being one of the main objectives of OLLI, the social aspect has become a cornerstone of the program. Dyer discussed how many have created long-lasting friendships and use this program to keep busy and explore their interests.
Older adults can register for the program at the Fresno State OLLI website and those wishing to get involved with teaching will need to complete a form.
