Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Arizona State University

The mission of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Arizona State University (OLLI at ASU) is to provide learning experiences and a community where adults ages 50 or better engage in non-credit, university quality classes, member-driven experiences, campus-based learning opportunities, and pathways to public service.

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Arizona State University is a community of engaged learners discovering the joy of lifelong learning at its best— no tests, grades, or educational requirements! OLLI at ASU members can grow and learn inside and outside the classroom via campus events, local affinity groups, group discounts to local cultural and art events, and social media networks.

OLLI at ASU has earned a reputation as a highly respected program that provides the structure and support for successful aging at its best. We achieve that status by offering a variety of rich, innovative learning experiences and opportunities for meaningful member and community engagement. We establish mutually beneficial partnership opportunities within and outside of the ASU network, particularly when they contribute to the membership and financial growth of OLLI. We establish an effective organizational structure and visible presence throughout the region. We continually challenge ourselves to pursue and create best practices for innovative and dynamic lifelong and inter-generational learning that contributes to the charter of ASU.

To support this mission, the ASU Foundation collects donations for specific use by OLLI at ASU. If writing a check, please make checks payable to “ASU Foundation” and include “OLLI donation” in the memo line. See our website for ways you can donate to OLLI at ASU.

Website: lifelonglearning.asu.edu

ANYONE 50+ CAN BECOME A MEMBER OF OLLI AT ASU!

Members come from all walks of life: many are retired yet others are still working, and there are no educational requirements for our non-credit classes.

“The $20 membership per semester allows people to take as many classes as they want during that time, which works for Arizona visitors,” Swerzenski explains. “Some people take up to 30 classes a semester while others take two or three. This also makes it affordable for someone on a fixed income or who’s retired, where they can take three classes and pay the membership fee and keep it under $75.”

A sampling of the spring courses included :

“Through Women’s Eyes: 20th-Century U.S. History,”

“Beginning Watercolor,” “Tai Chi for Health & Wellness,” “Race to the Moon: Tortoise, Hare, NASA & China,” analyses of the films “Casablanca” and “Rebel Without a Cause,” “Damn the Constitution, Full Speed Ahead,” and “The Two Elizabeths: How Jewels & Fashion Defined Their Monarchies,” along with trail walks at the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy, a craft workshop, birdwatching at Papago Park, and a free learning enrichment group on Zoom.