Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at George Mason University

08/27/2020

Did you know that OLLI-Mason has a YouTube channel? Well, we do, and we've started posting a few of the courses that were open to non-members during our Summer 2020 term.

We currently have four videos posted: iPhone 101; the Politics of the U.S. Census; Ten Women Writers; and Perspectives on the 2020 Elections.

Please click on the link in the Comments section, below, to go to our YouTube channel and watch!

07/30/2020

Fall term is just around the corner. Join OLLI Mason Today! Olli.gmu.edu

07/21/2020

– 2020 Fall Catalog

It’s hard to imagine that anything positive could come out of the COVID-19 social distancing and shutdowns, but OLLI Mason has done its best to turn this challenge into an opportunity. While we all miss the social aspects and look forward to the time when it is safe to meet in person, many of us have found that OLLI’s on-line courses meet an important need in our lives, particularly during this period of social isolation.

For the foreseeable future, OLLI will be holding all of its classes on-line. This means that traffic won’t matter or that distance won’t be a factor. What better time to spread the word about OLLI membership with friends and family far and wide?

OLLI offers a wide range of courses in the arts and music such as on-line concerts by the talented faculty and students of Mason’s School of Music or a virtual tour of the National Portrait Gallery. Or you can find out more about practical matters like selling your home as a mature person, estate planning, and protecting yourself from identity theft.

Is history your passion? Do you love literature? Do you want to learn or brush up on a foreign language? OLLI has a range of courses to suit your interests.

For information about OLLI membership and to see the fall term offerings, check out our 2020 Fall Catalog on the OLLI website! Registration begins on August 18th.

https://olli.gmu.edu/2020fallcatalog/

Registration Procedures. OLLI has an easy-to-use system that more than half of members now use; we strongly encourage you to register online by visiting the Member Portal (please email the office at [email protected] or call and leave a message at 703-503-3384, ext. 221, if you have questions or probl...

06/18/2020

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (Olli) Summer Highlights -- Fairfax 50+ Podcast (June 17, 2020)

Executive Director Jennifer Disano discusses OLLI’s COVID-19 response on Fairfax County’s 50+Podcast. Find out how we turned on a dime to remotely provide nearly 600 hrs of educational programming and club activities to the membership of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at George Mason University. https://m.soundcloud.com/fairfaxcounty/osher-lifelong-learning-institute-olli-summer-highlights-fairfax-50-podcast-june-17-2020?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=wtshare&utm_medium=Facebook&utm_content=https%3A%2F%2Fsoundcloud.com%2Ffairfaxcounty%2Fosher-lifelong-learning-institute-olli-summer-highlights-fairfax-50-podcast-june-17-2020

Fairfax 50+ is a podcast series featuring discussions on issues, services and activities of interest to residents 50 and over. On this edition, host Jim Person talks with Jennifer Disano, executive

06/17/2020

Mark your calendar! Free & Open Live-streamed Events on YouTube. The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at George Mason University presents 5 free live lectures in July. Join us! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqBGv3kwSLLSUadazXI7Nyg

05/28/2020

OLLI Ink is alive and well!

Not only has OLLI’s annual literary journal surmounted the challenges posed by social distancing and quarantine, it has also found a new road to publication. The 2020 edition of OLLI INK will initially be published as an online flip book, which allows readers to “turn” pages with a click of the mouse, in much the same way a Kindle book is read.

Now entering its tenth year, OLLI INK includes pieces as short as a haiku and as long as a memoir or short story. Writings come from our many OLLI members, including but by no means limited to, those in the writing workshops.

This year's topics range from bison to spiders to bees, to pigs that sing to the sea, and to the sea itself; from the Wars of the Roses to World War II to Vietnam to Army Brats in war and peace; from the delights of a roadside bakery to grocery lists and the joys of hot chocolate; from evocations of India’s villages and autumn leaves, and the moon, childhood companions and boyfriends and couples and families and family life.

In its pages you will meet a piano named Chocolate along with several other interesting characters who give life to limericks and haikus—and vice versa.

Enjoy!

Link to the flip book:
https://view.flipdocs.com/?ID=10015627_286386

05/27/2020

Libraries at Mason (Spring 2020)

Learn about OLLI collaborations with Mason Libraries. https://www.flipsnack.com/masonlibraries/libraries-at-mason-spring-2020.html

Flipsnack is a digital catalog maker that makes it easy to create, publish and share html5 flipbooks. Upload a PDF or design from scratch flyers, magazines, books and more. Author: Mason Libraries, Catalog: Libraries at Mason (Spring 2020), Published: May 12, 2020

05/27/2020

Maturing Living: Clubs, Friends & Community

Learn all about OLLI! https://youtu.be/jK5eL9_cis8

The episode explores how Fairfax County residents are building interesting, fun and supportive social networks during retirement. These groups are often offs...

05/22/2020

Summer 2020 Catalog

Join OLLI Mason today! Summer registration is open! All program offerings are virtual, interactive and synchronous. Enjoy live Lectures and Performances with Q&A opportunities, Club activities and Socials. Explore your interests, learn something new, and meet friends! OLLI is only $150.00 to try it for a term or $450.00 for an annual membership--that's it! Unlimited offerings, no extra fees, no prerequisites, and no homework. Just learning for the love of learning. Check out our Summer catalog and sign up now! Help keep yourself and others engaged and healthy by joining OLLI today. Share these awesome lifelong learning opportunities with your friends, family, and the wider community. Since all offerings are virtual you can sign up from anywhere you live in the world--buy a gift membership for your Mom in San Diego or you Sister in St. Louis, anyone can join! It's always a wonderful idea to join OLLI Mason but now more than ever, OLLI engagement is vital for positive well-being and to stay active and enriched. Learn more at olli.gmu.edu and check out all the Summer offerings on the link below.
https://view.flipdocs.com/?ID=10015627_102998

05/21/2020

Interested in exploring more of OLLI's virtual classrooms this summer? Here's a quick sample of some of the new classes added recently for OLLI members during our Summer 2020 term. If you're already an OLLI member, you can register for these and more starting 22 May. If you're not (yet!) a member, consider joining to take advantage of the wide range of courses that OLLI/Mason offers!

**Photoshop: Tips & Pitfalls (Thursdays, 25 Jun - 16 Jul)

**The Flying Dutchman: Life & Legacy of Anthony Fokker (Thursdays, 23 - 30 Jul)

**A Far, Far Better Thing: Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities (Mondays, 22 Jun - 13 Jul)

**Gentle Yoga (Mondays, 22 Jun - 27 Jul)

**Hamilton: The Man & The Musical (Wed, 22 Jul)

05/21/2020

Remember, priority registration for OLLI's summer 2020 term begins tomorrow at 9:00 a.m.! Be sure to check the online OLLI catalog (at olli.gmu.edu) for the latest updates on which classes will be offered virtually via Zoom. And get ready to learn!

05/10/2020

– 2020 Summer Catalog

Time to get ready for summer... OLLI summer season, that is!

Our 2020 summer catalog is now available on the OLLI-Mason website. Registration will begin on 22 May for our second virtual semester, so start planning now!

https://olli.gmu.edu/2020-summer-catalog/

The summer 2020 online catalog found on this page has been updated from the summer 2020 print catalog. OLLI classes, special events and clubs will be offered online summer term 2020 in light of current health considerations. Most OLLI summer term classes have been converted to an online Zoom platfor...

05/05/2020

Congratulations to the 23 GMU students who were recently awarded OLLI Mason scholarship awards! Every year, OLLI Mason provides these awards as a way of giving back to the university for its steadfast support in facilitating our program. And thank you to the Friends of OLLI donors for funding this important program!

05/05/2020

Mature Living | Cable and Consumer Services

Check out this episode of Fairfax County's Mature Living, featuring OLLI Executive Director Jennifer Disano and Communications and Program Associate Alice Slayton Clark, along with three OLLI members, who talked about the wide variety of OLLI clubs and groups!

https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/cableconsumer/channel-16/mature-living

Fairfax County, Virginia - MATURE LIVING

04/13/2020

Did you know that several of our upcoming online OLLI classes are open to the public? Share with your friends to give them a sampling of what OLLI offers! (Details, including links, are in the Events calendar.)

The State of Health Policy in Election Year 2020
Wednesday, 15 April, 2:15–3:40

Meet the Artists! Dr. Linda Monson's Piano Studio at Mason
Thursday, 16 April, 2:15-3:40

A Unique Examination of World War II
Wednesday, 22 April, 11:50-1:15

Unmanned Aircraft Systems or Drones: Their Use and the Airspace Issues They Face
Friday, 1 May, 3:00-4:30

Lies, Damn Lies, and Science Lies
Friday, 22 May, 1:00-2:30

04/09/2020

OLLI classes have gone online! (Well, many of them have — some don't really work in an online setting.)

Here's a full list of all the classes that are being delivered online:
https://olli.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/spring-term-class-list-mar-27.pdf

Complete class descriptions are in the Spring 2020 OLLI catalog:
https://olli.gmu.edu/2020-spring-catalog/

OLLI members, please contact OLLI Mason for more info on how to take these online classes!

02/15/2020

Did you know that OLLI members can also register for a number of one-day trips and tours each term? This spring, OLLI is offering, among others:
—a docent-led tour of the Loudoun Museum in Leesburg;
—a day trip to the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley in Winchester (including a visit to the Virginia Farm Market);
—a walking tour of Lincoln assassination sites in D.C., starting at Ford's Theatre National Historic Site;
—an afternoon guided tour of the Washington National Cathedral, complete with tea; and
—a day trip to the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond.

Interested? Registration starts soon, so sign up for OLLI now!

02/14/2020

Membership Options

Thinking of trying OLLI but not sure you want to commit to an entire year? Check out our special introductory membership, good for one time/one term only. For $150, you'll have access to classes and events at all three OLLI locations (on a space-available basis) for one term. More details are on our website!

https://olligmu.augusoft.net/index.cfm?fuseaction=1050

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at George Mason University New to OLLI? Click into the 'Purchase Membership' options box below to join. You will be prompted to create a profile and then complete your membership purchase. OLLI Membership Lapsed? Login into your account (upper left) first, click...

02/10/2020

– 2020 Spring Catalog

The OLLI-Mason Spring Catalog is out, with lots of great courses to choose from! Interested in literature and fiction? There are courses on British detective fiction or Jane Austen's Emma or Shakespeare's history plays. What about languages? Sign up for our Japanese and Spanish classes! History? Got lots of that as well, from the lost towns of Fairfax County to the Black Death to the Renaissance in Florence. How about science? Try classes on robotic space exploration or Virginia forests and even the history of the universe.

If you haven't signed up with OLLI yet, now would be a great time to do so!

https://olli.gmu.edu/2020-spring-catalog/

The spring 2020 catalog lists courses, special events and ongoing activities at all three locations (Fairfax, Reston and NOVA-Loudoun). Fairfax courses are denoted by “F”, Reston courses are denoted by “R”, and Loudoun courses are denoted by “L”.

02/02/2020

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute – Broadening Horizons Together

Thinking of trying OLLI? Several of our Winter Term events are open to the public! These include:

History of the Jews of Spain (Thursdays, 11:50-1:15, through 20 Feb at our Fairfax/Tallwood facility)

Conspiracy Theories and Tin Foil Hats (Wednesdays, 11:50-1:15, through 12 Feb, also at Fairfax/Tallwood)

Understanding Estate Planning, Probate, and Trusts (Wednesday, 2:15-3:40, 12 Feb only, at Fairfax/Tallwood)

How Space Satellites Benefit the U.S. (Wednesday, 2:15-3:40, 19 Feb only, at Fairfax/Tallwood)

For more info on these and other OLLI courses, check out our OLLI website!(https://olli.gmu.edu)!

01/08/2020

olli.gmu.edu

OLLI winter term is just around the corner! Classes begin January 27 and run through February 21.

Visit the OLLI website to view our fabulous offerings such as:

* Understanding Opera
* Retired with Questions
* History of the Mediterranean Basin: Warning to Modern Man
* The Non-Fiction Novel: Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood
* Spanish Conversation Forum
* The Co-Evolution of Passover and Easter
* All Men are Created Equal? The Legacy of Racism in the US
* The 2020 Presidential Election: Primary and General Election Issues
* Psychology Potpourri
* Our Dynamic Planet and Our Environment
* Introduction to Mah Jongg
* and so much more!

https://olli.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Winter2020CatalogFinal.pdf

Act now! Registration is underway!

12/07/2019

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute – Broadening Horizons Together

Retired or thinking about it? Know a friend or loved one that would enjoy the gift of Lifelong Learning? Join The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at George Mason University today! OLLI Mason is the premier destination for intellectual stimulation and finding your peer group in retirement. The Winter 2020 catalog provides many varied offerings including courses, trips, special events and clubs. Enjoy daytime, non-credit College level courses without homework, tests, or pre-requisites. No application process or tuition needed; just an annual membership fee of $450.00 to enjoy a full year of unlimited courses on every topic from Art Appreciation & Economics to History & Zoroastrianism! Or, just try it for one term for $150.00. Gift cards are also available—just in time for the holidays!

So many friends and so much fun await you at OLLI Mason! Enjoy learning and living well every day! Share this post with your friends and neighbors. Learn more at olli.gmu.edu

The OLLI main office is located in Fairfax on the Tallwood site at 4210 Roberts Road. Tallwood is OLLI’s headquarters and primary class site in Fairfax. This secluded site (part […]

09/25/2019

Dean of the College of Education and Human Development - George Mason University Dr. Mark Ginsberg provided a fantastic talk on Education Policy: Promoting Excellence in Education--as the first in a five part series on Education at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at George Mason University. Olli Mason Members (many of them retired teachers) appreciated the deep dive into issues in Education across pedagogy and policy realms. Thank you so much Mark Ginsberg for your commitment to education and support of Lifelong Learning! This Free and Open to the Public lecture series continues next week with Secretary of Education for the Commonwealth of Virginia, Atif Qarni. see details below. #GeorgeMasonUniversity

Location: 4210 Roberts Road Fairfax, VA
Time: 2:15
Full Series Schedule:
Sept. 24: "A Dialog on State of Education and Teaching in Virginia." Mason College of Education and Human Development Dean Mark Ginsberg.
Oct. 1: "The State of Education in Virginia and Goals for the Near Term." Secretary of Education for the Commonwealth of Virginia, Atif Mustafa Qarni.
Oct. 8: "Equipping Students for Life Beyond High School." Interim President George Mason University Anne Holton (and former Secretary of Education for Virginia).
Oct. 15: "A World Class Education for All.” Dr. Robert Smith, faculty, Mason College of Education and Human Development,; former superintendent Arlington Public Schools.
Oct. 22: “Managing Technology for the 21st Century.” Tammi Sisk, educational specialist, Office of Instructional Technology Integration, Fairfax County Public Schools.

09/20/2019

Provost Emeritus Dr. Peter Stearns kicked-off the Fall 2019 Semester today at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at George Mason University with a fantastic lecture on the topic of Informality. Thank you Dr. Stearns for your continued support ofOlli Mason! We always learn so much from your thought provoking lectures.

09/15/2019

Olli Mason Members “worked the booth” at the AARP Boomer Academy event on Saturday in Fairfax, VA. OLLI Mason Executive Director Jennifer Disano gave the Keynote Address on “Living Well and Learning Every Day in Retirement.” Over 150 attendees enjoyed lectures on health and well-being. Many non-profit venders set up booths including: Fairfax Library Foundation, Fall For The Book, RSVP-Northern Virginia, GrandInvolve, and Fairfax County Government. Cabot Cheese sponsored the breakfast and OLLI hosted. Over 30 volunteers made the event great! NRC for Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes