So we preserve you younger,” says Kennedy, who earned her undergraduate diploma at Furman earlier than shifting on to the College of South Carolina for her grasp’s diploma in Mass Communications. “We have had individuals as outdated as 101 come to class. There isn’t any age requirement, however most individuals are age 55 or older. How do you profit from that point for your self?” Many discuss with retirement because the third age. However they get right here and have a good time,” Kennedy says. “Folks acknowledge that lifelong studying is necessary for his or her general well being. Membership climbed again to almost 1,900 this 12 months. Now, lessons are supplied in-person, by Zoom, and thru a mixture of the 2. OLLI employees and volunteers had been in a position to assist 1,300 members use Zoom for lessons in the course of the pandemic. “We’re one among Furman’s largest outreach applications to the neighborhood, bringing neighborhood members to campus to get pleasure from life-long studying.” Our members had been enthusiastic about that,” Kennedy says. “We had simply eclipsed the enrollment of Furman College. This system started as Furman College Studying in Retirement in 1993 the primary time period had seven lessons and 62 members.īy the 2019-2020 educational 12 months (earlier than COVID-19), OLLI had 2,600 members taking 125 lessons in every of three phrases – fall, winter and spring. “Mainly, 5 and a half individuals are operating the equal of a small faculty,” she explains. Kennedy runs OLLI with 4 full-time staff and one part-time worker. That’s what makes this program particular,” says Nancy Kennedy, who began working part-time at OLLI in 2011 and was promoted to director in 2014. The trainer and the scholars are right here as a result of they wish to be, they usually wish to work together and share data.

OLLI – the Osher Lifelong Studying Institute at Furman College – is designed to encourage senior adults to remain intellectually and bodily energetic via a various array of lessons and applications that encourage lifelong studying, well being and well-being, social interplay, creativity and delight.

In case your ardour is images or positive arts, philosophy or literature … If you wish to study French or Italian or Spanish or Latin … In the event you want tricks to handle your cash or your food regimen or your family tree undertaking … Or when you’ve at all times hoped to discover religions, psychology, cribbage, Star Trek or pickleball … Then you have to know extra about OLLI.

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