The Osher Foundation gave a $1 million endowment to Cal State Long Beach’s Osher Life Learning Institute (OLLI) last week for the second time.
Barbara White, executive director of OLLI at CSULB, hopes that OLLI will be able to use the money to expand one of its current sites or offer a scholarship in the near future, but for now, the plan is to meet and sustain budgetary needs.
“[It] takes a hefty budget to do what we want to do,” White said. “The endowment will help us keep our membership dues and class fees low, so students with fixed incomes will be able to afford the classes.”
OLLI currently offers 40-50 courses for people who are 50 years of age or older. Courses are taught in three different locations: CSULB, Seal Beach and Downtown Long Beach.
No academic prerequisite is required for admittance.
Various courses are offered, including computer and physical activity courses, the history of sea warfare, memoir writing and folk guitar.
Many of these courses are taught by retired CSULB professors and members of OLLI.
Graduate students occasionally volunteer their time as well.
Last fall, a graduate student taught an art history class.
Art graduate student Joan Mace organized the class and invited guest speakers, according to Cindy Smith, who oversees production of OLLI’s newsletter.
Current students have expressed interest in potentially teaching courses for OLLI in the future, such as sophomore biology major Kyle Nguyen, who enjoys working on and looking up cars in his spare time.
“I never even knew something like [OLLI] existed,” Nguyen said. “I think it’s pretty cool that we have classes like that. It feels very genuine. I could see myself doing that someday. Maybe I’d learn something new about cars too.”
Some students said they would relish the opportunity of working with the elderly.
“I love talking to elderly people,” junior art major Amy Scott said. “They’ve experienced so much in their lives, and I personally love the fashion from their time. I’d definitely want to teach a course about [the history of fashion] and talk with them about what they wore in their younger years.”
OLLI’s winter session will conclude next week, but a spring session will be open for registration in early April.
Students who are interested in volunteering for OLLI may sign up to be a volunteer instructor at OLLI’s website.