| |
EIN July Newsletter
Under MANAGING YOUR LLI
-
Curriculum Resources, Part XI – From EIN
-
Web Site Questions – Across the Network
-
Music, Music, Music – L.I.F.E., Newburgh, NY
-
Lunch & Learn, OLLI, University of Florida Tampa
-
Thursday Morning Lecture Series – OLLI, University of Michigan,
Ann Arbor
-
A Security System You Didn’t Know You Had – LLI, NVCC,
Annandale, VA
Under Upcoming Conferences
Under LLI NEWS
Under LLI CONGRATULATIONS
FRIENDS AND FAMILY OPPORTUNITY – A BENEFIT OF BELONGING
TO EIN
EIN is pleased to be able to offer all the members of the almost
400 programs affiliated with the Elderhostel Institute Network an exciting
new, money-saving, learning opportunity. The Elderhostel Friends and
Family program, which is NOT available to the general public, offers
significant savings on selected Elderhostel programs. It’s that
simple! To see the latest offerings, just click on the link above. From
time to time, EIN will send all the LLI offices a quick email with new
program offerings so be sure to watch for them. In turn, feel free to
print them out and see that your members are made aware of them. They
will thank you!
.
SOUTHEAST REGIONAL CONFERENCE
Institutes at the Auburn University, along with University
of Alabama-Tuscaloosa and University of Alabama-Huntsville, are sponsoring
a Southeast Regional conference for institutes for learning in retirement
(lifelong learning institutes), from July 31-August 1. All interested
ILR administrators and members are welcome. All information is available
at
www.auburn.edu/outreach/opo
. Planners have grant underwriting, so have been able to keep the
registration fee to just $40. This will cover all meeting costs, a lunch
and an evening reception. The cost of lodging is not included, but is
available at a special conference fee. Those interested in more information
should email Mary Quinn Burkhart directly at
burkhmq@auburn.edu
, or call her 334-844-3102.
FAREWELL TO PAMELA LEMAY
Pamela LeMay, longtime director of the Creative Retirement
Institute at Edmonds Community College in Lynnwood, Washington is retiring
after nearly 16 years at the helm. She will continue working at the
college on a part-time basis as director of three other programs - Prior
Learning Assessment, College in the High School, and Business Week.
Along with that, she and her husband have a trip to Spain/Portugal planned
for late September thru mid October. We’ll miss you Pam but wish
you all the best.
NEW YORK TIMES HONORS QUEST CENTENARIAN
Ruth Proskauer Smith, an active member of the QUEST Program
in New York City will be 101 years old in August and she’s still
going strong. In April, the New York Times devoted a large article in
their Metro section to Mrs. Smith and her life. She teaches a class
every Tuesday at QUEST about the United States Supreme Court, and runs
a “tight ship” when coordinating and presenting that day’s
lecture. Along with that, as a member of the Quest Acting Class, she
played a lead role in their year-end performance. You can read the entire
article, along with her memories about former Governor Al Smith, buying
her Dakota apartment from the actress Lillian Gish, and learn her secret
to longevity and more at www.nytimes.com/nyregion.
The article is entitled “All Rise! A Centenarian Will Analyze
the Supreme Court.”
ANNUAL WISCONSIN STATE-WIDE MEETING
The PLATO program at the University of Wisconsin in Madison
will be the host this coming September 25-27, 2008 to the annual Wisconsin
state-wide meeting of lifelong learning institutes.
NEBRASKA OLLI AWARDED GRANT
The University of Nebraska -Lincoln OLLI program has been awarded
a Million Dollar Endowment to the UNL foundation and
a $50,000 dollar bridge grant to supplement the interest of the million
dollars and the dues income from the now over 600 members. Congratulations
to the program and to Deanna Eversoll in particular. It was her initiative
starting back in 1988 that eventually launched the SAGE program (Sharing
Across Generations for Enrichment) in 1992, which evolved into the Osher
Lifelong Learning Institute. As Deanna says, it’s wonderful to
know that the program now has the financial foundation to serve many
generations to come.
THANK YOU
Thank you to the Learning in Retirement Association (LIRA)
program at the University of Massachusetts Lowell for their kind invitation
to present an Intersession Program last month. Despite the hot weather
and lack of air conditioning, 20 intrepid learners turned out to hear
me talk about EIN, lifelong learning in the United States and around
the world, and about my book, Learning Later, Living Greater: The
Secret for Making the Most of Your After-50 Years.
20TH ANNIVERSARY ART FESTIVAL
The McGill Institute for Learning in Retirement will be celebrating
its 20th anniversary from August 2009 to June 2010. To celebrate this
landmark, the Committee for the 20th Anniversary of MILR plans to hold
an Art Festival to showcase the work of their creative members in the
artistic and cultural community of Montreal. The underlying theme proposed
for this event is “The Colours and Shades of McGill.” The
Art Festival will be curated by the owner of a local gallery. Members
are invited to send their CV and samples of their work to the Committee.
A TOUCH OF SCANDINAVIA
Members of the Lyceum program in Binghamton, New York recently
enjoyed an evening of Swedish food and history. After partaking of a
traditional Swedish smorgasbord, attendees listened to a brief history
of the Vikings, the notorious sea raiders who ruled the northern coastal
regions of Europe in the 9th and 10th centuries.
CARPOOLING
In an attempt to save money on gas, members of the Osher Lifelong
Learning Institute at Coastal Carolina University in South Carolina
can arrange carpools by calling the OLLI office to set it up. Something
for everyone to think about.
WHO DONE IT?
This spring, members of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
at Granite State College in New Hampshire spent four weeks examining
Who Done It? An Historical Survey of Detective Fiction. They were introduced
to the early practitioners such as Poe and Doyle, who shaped the form
of detective fiction, and to the 20th Century writers such as Christie
and Hammett, who established its direction. This survey also investigated
the conventions, practices and techniques of detective fiction in all
its glory.
WISE AT THE ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY
Last fall, 25 students from WISE (Assumption College, MA) got
a closer look at both the interior architecture of the American Antiquarian
Society and its collection of materials. The course featured a series
of lectures by the museum staff, tours of its stacks and a tour of the
2002 state-of-the-art addition to the building. A hands-on workshop
allowed participants to work with the library’s original materials.
ORGAN CONCERT
Members of the Institute for Continuing Learning at
Young Harris College in Georgia enjoyed a classical concert
of organ and instruments, given by long-time member, Bob Wolfersteig
and some of his musical friends. A Doctor of Music, Fulbright Scholar
and winner of the National Organ-playing Contest, he and his wife Eloise
are noted in ICL for the six Organ Crawls and lecture recitals they
have lead.
SPIRITUALITY FOR THE LATER YEARS
This past spring, members of the new Shoreline Institute of
Lifelong Learning in Guilford, CT addressed successful aging through
such essential tasks as embracing sorrow, savoring blessedness, nurturing
intimacy, re-imagining work and taking on the mystery. Each of the four
sessions included a presentation, time for personal reflection, and
group dialogue.
WEEKEND EXCURSIONS
Members of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Coastal
Carolina University in South Carolina are very busy on the weekends.
Some of their activities include Waccamaw, Birding at Hobcaw, Lowcountry
Excursions to Sandy Island, a Gullah Rice Festival at Parkersville Park,
Pawleys Island, a visit to the Art Works Spring Exhibit Receptions a
POPS Concert, tea at Art Works in the Litchfield Exchange, a trip to
the First Flush Festival at the Charleston Tea Plantation, and a trip
to the opera to enjoy Die Fledermaus.
ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS
Members of the Academy for Lifelong Learning in Saratoga Springs,
NY took part in a “morning after” reviews of the new PBS
Jane Austen Masterpiece films.
Round table discussions about the HBO mini-series John Adams would also
provide stimulating discussions.
L.I.F.E. DRUM SERIES
Thanks to a grant from NYSMF, this past spring the L.I.F.E. program
at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, New York continued a free series
of exciting, percussion programs by percussionist Jeff Haynes. Along
with classes, end-of-month concerts were held on the campus. In March
the programs featured the enchanted sounds of Brazil with Samba and
Bossa Nova rhythms. Jeff took participants beyond the drums and rhythms,
however, on a percussive journey to Brazil to experience various instruments,
music and history. They learned first-hand how this genre connects with
others. The program in April featured the Klezmer. Klezmer is the music
of Jewish culture that celebrates life, love and invites the world to
dance. Drumming is the driving force in the music and Jeff showed the
attendees how to bring the many different rhythmic patterns to bear
with this genre.
THE NAKED QUAKER
Members of the ILEAD program at Dartmouth University in New
Hampshire recently enjoyed a wine and cheese lecture event entitled
The Naked Quaker: True Crimes and Controversies from the Courts
of Colonial New England. The author of this new book by the same
name, Diane Rapaport, brought history to life with true court case -
amusing, poignant, and sometimes shocking – about our feisty colonial
ancestors.
NEW SUMMER SEMESTER
For the first time, several courses will be offered in June
at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Berkshire Community College
in Massachusetts. Three courses are scheduled at this time; other courses
are being developed. Each course is scheduled to meet four times. The
three courses are When Heavenly Bodies Cross Paths; US/Latin American
relationships: Challenges and Opportunities in an Election Year; Berkshire
Cultural Attractions: An Inside View.
A UNIQUE LOOK AT IRAQ
Members of the Chemeketa Center for Learning in Retirement
in Woodburn, Oregon, in cooperation with the Woodburn Public Library
gave the community a chance to learn more about Iraq through the program,
Night of a Thousand Starts and other Portraits of Iraq. Photojournalist
Joel Preston Smith presented his collection taken during a stay in Iraq.
HISTORY COURSES
At the Furman University Learning in Retirement program in
South Carolina, History courses are very popular. During this past winter
they offered the following courses: Historical Shaping of Jesus; History
of Jazz; Planters, Slaves and the Civil War; German History, 19th &
20th Centuries; History of English Cathedrals; America in the 1930s;
Great Jewish Philosophers.
MASTER LEADERS PLAQUE
The Academy for Lifelong Learning at Empire State College in
Saratoga Springs, New York has come up with an excellent way to honor
Study Group Leaders. Those who have led 15 or more classes will have
their names added to the Master Leaders Plaque which was unveiled last
December. The plaque will occupy a place of honor at the program for
all to see.
BEFORE THE DAWN
This past winter members of the QUEST program in New York City
were treated to a fascinating discussion with the author of Before
the Dawn. This book received a 2007 Science-in-Society Journalism
Award. The author has drawn on new findings to present the first portrait
of a special and hitherto mysterious group of human ancestors –
the ancestral human population that lived in Africa 50,000 years ago
and from whom everyone in the world today is descended.
OUR ULTIMATE BELIEFS
What’s worth living for? We don’t often ask that
question out loud or discuss it with our family and friends. But members
of the Academy for Lifelong Learning at the University of South Florida
in Sarasota-Manatee took on this formidable task. Using a round-table
discussion format, they sought to articulate their personal beliefs
through sharing and spiritual practices. They did class exercises in
meditation ritual, contemplation, nature, and self-reflection. There
were several guest speakers and they also examined religious writings
within the context of the class.
ONLINE COURSES
The OLLI-JILL program at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville
offered an online nutrition and fitness course this past spring. BeSmart
was a pilot online course that gave members a chance to experience an
asynchronous online course and to investigate all the commonly used
online course tools as the participants explored and discussed current
research in the areas of nutrition and fitness. Participants could take
the course whenever they wanted it, at their leisure. It was designed
so they could start whenever they wished and complete any of the assignments
that interested them. There was no charge for the course, but participants
had to be members of OLLI-JILL to participate.
CONTRA DANCING
This past winter, members of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
at the University of Alabama in Huntsville enjoyed a new activity. The
evening began with dinner at a local restaurant, after which the group
drove to a local church for a fun evening of instruction and activity
in the art of Contra dancing.
A SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP IS BORN
Learning in Retirement in Athens, Georgia recently developed
a new Special Interest Group (SIG) based on a course that ended last
fall. Two-thirds of the class just didn’t want to let go of the
subject, String of Pearls: Writing Your Life Story. So now
the course has evolved into a SIG writing group that meets monthly to
provide mutual support as participants reach for the mutual but also
individual goal of writing their autobiography. Members listen to snippets
of each other’s writing (3-4 pages) and then critique the writer,
commenting on good points, pointing out elements of confusion, and offering
suggestions. As the group grows, smaller groups will be formed so that
everyone has a chance to read his or her piece and receive the input,
encouragement and support so necessary to stay motivated and keep the
process moving.
GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER
A wealthy philanthropist friend of yours wishes to honor
you by hosting a luxurious diner party and you are invited to bring
several guests of your choice. You may decide to invite legends of the
past, heroes of today and/or leaders in business or the arts. Of course,
you are expected to introduce your guests to other participants. Furthermore,
you have the choice of a restaurant anywhere in the world where you
wish this event to take place, including your choice of menu, as well
as appropriate conversation of common interest. This is how members
of the McGill Institute for Learning in Retirement in Montreal spent
the last five weeks. Participants introduced each guest, discussed their
fame or notoriety, their contribution to humanity and personal details
of their lives. They also stated why each personality was chosen. Finally
they told the group their choice of a locale for the dinner party, including
the menu and wine selections.
U3A’S AND MUSIC
Just like our programs, the U3As in the UK embrace
the study of music in all forms, and have even developed a music appreciation
network throughout the country. A quick look through their curriculum
bulletin Sources shows the following: Opera Appreciation –
Singing and Music Making – Music Workshop – Chamber Music
– Musical Composition – Lend Me Your Ears – Music
Lovers Everywhere – The Same Song Sheet – Listening to French
Song – Exploring Music – What’s the Score –
Listening to Music – Music From 1900 – Vintage Brass –
Singing for Pleasure – Oompah Pah! – Passion for Opera –
A Ring for All Ages – Playing Music – Hand Bell Ringing
– That’s Jazz – All That Jazz – the Jazz Group
– Music Performance – Jazz Outings.
NEW BOOKS FOR LLI COURSES
Thanks to the McGill Institute for Learning in Retirement in Montreal
for these suggestions, taken from their Winter, 2008 newsletter.
Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare, by
Stephen Greenblatt. Written by a noted Shakespearian scholar, this is
a wonderfully researched and readable account of how Shakespeare’s
experiences inform his works.
Hons and Rebels, by Jessica Mitford. This
classic memoir is still the best introduction to this remarkable family.
What Do Muslims Believe?, by Ziauddin Sardar.
A clear and dispassionate answer to most of our questions. Tells us
what most Muslims have in common and explains where they diverge.
Rough Crossings: Britain, the Slaves and the American Revolutions,
by Simon Schama. A brilliant, lively, and moving account of an important
chapter in American and Canadian history.
NEW WEB SITES FOR LLI COURSES
NUCLEAR POWER 2010
Background and updates about this "joint government/industry cost-shared
effort to identify sites for new nuclear power plants, develop and bring
to market advanced nuclear plant technologies, evaluate the business
case for building new nuclear power plants, and demonstrate untested
regulatory processes." Includes a fact sheet, press releases, current
events and projects, and a deployment scorecard listing new applications,
permits issued, and related data on new reactor activity. From the U.S.
Department of Energy.
ALTERNATIVE FUELS & ADVANCED VEHICLES DATA CENTER
The website for this center (formerly known as the Alternative Fuels
Data Center), includes information about alternate fuels (such as biodiesel,
electricity, hydrogen, ethanol, natural gas and propane), vehicle conversions,
emissions, fuel economy, hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids,
idle reduction, and similar topics. Includes a fueling station locator,
laws, news, events, and more. From the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
ARGONNE NATIONAL LABORATORY: TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY R&D CENTER
Background and updates about transportation research at this national
laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy. Provides fact sheets, publications,
and other material about topics such as fuel cells, hybrid electric
vehicles, powertrains, vehicle recycling, heavy vehicle idling and fuel
use, combustion and emissions control sensors, modeling and computing,
and materials and manufacturing. Includes links to related government
websites.
"The secret of a good memory is attention, and attention
to a subject depends upon our interest in it. We rarely forget that
which has made a deep impression on our minds." …Tryon
Edwards
|
|
I WANT TO LEARN ABOUT ...
in
or
Add price, activity level and more.
Tell a friend about Road Scholar and this month you could win a
$800 gift certificate!
Congratulations to our latest winner, Carl E. & Sammie L.
|