EIN October Newsletter

New EIN Web Postings for October

• Director of Operations & Communications Job Posting – USM, Maine

Under MANAGING YOUR LLI

• Olli Free Week – Coastal Carolina Osher LLI, SC

• Brotman Lecture Series – OLLI, UNF, Jacksonville, FL

• Powerpoint for Study Groups - IRP, New York City

• Speakers Forum – LLI, Manassas, VA

• Age-Friendly Learning Communities – MILR, Montreal

• Moses Greeley Parker Lecture Series – LIRA Program, MA

• A Fantastic 15th Anniversary Year – A.L.L. Program, NY

Under LLI NEWS

• LLI News for October

Under LLI CONGRATULATIONS

• LLI Congratulations for Octoberr
  

JOB POSTING
If you or anyone you know are interested in pursuing a job opportunity in Portland, Maine be sure to check out the Director of Operations and Communications job posting this month from the Osher National Resource Center at the University of S. Maine.

20th ANNIVERSARY
Congratulations to the Learning in Retirement Association (LIRA) at the University of Massachusetts Lowell as they celebrate their 20th Anniversary. Among other treats and special events, members were treated to surprise gifts at their annual convocation on September 17th.

PRESS RELEASE EXAMPLE
Check out the excellent example of a press release that announces the start of a new Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in New Hampshire. Press releases can be tricky to produce and even trickier to get read. This format is one of the most popular.

MEMBERSHIP AND EXPANSION
Congratulations to the Academy for Lifelong Learning of Cape Cod, Inc. They are expecting to top 800 members this fall, and have added two new course venues. The Bourne Community Center in Buzzard’s Bay and the Dennis Library in East Dennis are two new sites that join the seven others in offering more than 72 courses to their membership.

OLLI MEMBER JOINS IMPROV TROUP
Thanks to enrolling in the Improvisational Acting study group at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Tufts University in Massachusetts, Any Rubin auditioned for and was accepted into New Tricks an improve performance troupe – the only over-50 improv troupe in the Boston area. Congratulations, Amy!

AGAINST THE TIDE OR WITH THE FLOW?
Learning in Retirement, Inc. at the University of Georgia Athens is offering members the opportunity to explore the choices, challenges and consequences of The Light Bearer of Change in Dark Times. The course will draw upon the Promethean Legend, Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, and Ayn Rand’s Anthem as universal catalysts that echo through the cultures. Rand’s Fountainhead will reveal a thinly veiled Frank Lloyd Wright.

WATERSHED ELECTIONS
Members of the Rose Institute for Lifelong Learning at the Menorah Park Center for Senior Living in Beachwood, Ohio have just taken a timely class entitled Watershed Elections in American History. The course considered some of the most important presidential elections in our nation’s history, while wondering if 2008 would be another such election.

MEMBERS SUPPORT ANNUAL A.L.L. FUND DRIVE
Since its inception in 2006, the A.L.L. fund drive has exceeded expectations. For two years in a row, the drive has surpassed $10,000. Most important, 70% of the total contribution has come from current membership. Funds not specifically designated for the endowment fund can be used for operating expenses and help A.L.L. take advantage of new program opportunities as they arrive.

JACKSONVILLE WALKING TOUR
Members of the OLLI program at the University of N. Florida, Jacksonville, recently took part in a Downtown Jax Walking Tour with a wonderful tour guide. They explored architectural treasurers and learned the history behind the buildings and sites of downtown.

PEOPLE’S LAW SCHOOL
Every spring, the Baylor Law School in Texas offers a special presentation of the People’s Law School. These half-day sessions are taught by local attorneys and open to the public. This fall, however, the Law School offered a series of special courses especially for members of the Institute for Learning in Retirement at Baylor. Members had the opportunity to explore several interesting areas of the law, with local attorneys and law school professors. They studied Trusts and Estates – The Judicial System - Immigration Law and Elder Law.

UNIVERSITY GRADUATION VOLUNTEERS
Members of the Institute for Retired Professions (IRP) in New York City can volunteer at university gradation ceremonies and get great satisfaction from participating in the ceremonies. IRP students can also participate in nominating candidates for New School honorary degrees. The university expects to present six honorary degrees at its May, 2009 commencement exercises. Honorees are generally chosen from a discipline that represents the various schools and programs of the university. Honorary degrees will be awarded from the categories listed below. Candidates do not have to be graduates of The New School.
The Arts: Classical Music, Jazz/Contemporary Music, Theater, Film, Television
Writing, Visual Arts - Design, Journalism - The Humanities and Social Sciences
The Natural Sciences - Public Life and Government. Nominations for honorary degree candidates and University in Exile Award candidates are welcome.


PREPARING FOR ELECTION DAY
Members of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Alabama in Huntsville have prepared for next month’s election by studying some political perspectives on current national issues. They listened to balanced perspective by knowledgeable speakers on the following important issues: Global Concerns and American Diplomacy – What’s on Voters Minds? It’s the Economy Stupid! – A Debate on Immigration – Candidates and Conversation.
.
INVESTMENT CLUB
Members of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Coastal Carolina University are learning more about investing thanks to a new Investment Club. They are exploring different kinds of investments as well as the risks and rewards associated with each type. Thanks to the Club they will be able to more confidently construct an investment portfolio designed to meet their specific objectives or more intelligently work with a financial adviser in structuring their investment strategy. They are also learning how to access sources of information, and share knowledge and experiences with other investors as part of a participative learning experience. The Investment Club meets once a month on the second Thursday, in two different locations. They will follow the 11-part online course, Investing for Your Future, developed by six universities (Rutgers, Cornell, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Michigan State and University of Idaho) in cooperation with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. Check it out online at

www.investing.rutgers.edu/main.htm

OMNILORE VOLUNTEERS
The Community Helpline, a neighbor of the OMNILORE program at California State University Dominquez Hills is offering members free lunchtime listening skills classes. One OMNILORE member has already completed the 45-hour training session, and more are welcome.

A TEMPORARY CAMPUS
Renovations at SUNY New Paltz in New York have temporarily limited classroom space for the Lifetime Learning Institute on their campus. For the next year or two, most LLI classes will be held at the Jewish Community Center, the Reformed Church Education building and Deyo Hall. These buildings are in the village of New Paltz, within a short walking distance of each other, and all have ample parking.

THE EDGE OF SANITY
Lifelong Learners at the Fairfield Senior Center, which is affiliated with Sacred Heart University in Connecticut are studying “The Edge of Sanity: Surviving Life, Family, Culture and Politics in the 21st Century,” this fall. This course is a free-wheeling and irreverent look at the modern world, from culture to politics to the media. They will look deeply at many of the aspects of life that amuse, anger or bedevil us – spiraling gas prices, crumbling mortgages and the upcoming presidential election.

NEW INSIGHTS INTO ASIAN ART & ARCHITECTURE
Members of the Academy for Lifelong Learning at the University of S. Florida, Sarasota/Manatee got the opportunity to study four special moments in the history of Asian Art and architecture this past summer – moments that threw light on its evolution, frequently misunderstood by traditional academic historians. They explored the Indus valley civilization in Pakistan, the mosque of Cordoba in Spain, the tomb of Oljeitu in Persia, and the Taj Mahal in India.

MILR CELEBRATES AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR
Members of the McGill Institute for Learning in Retirement in Montreal helped one of their members, Barbara Sala, celebrate the release of her second children’s book, Village of the Heart, this month, with an exhibition of the illustrations used in the book. A local gallery was the setting for a wonderful, magical, musical and joyful event, attended by MILR members. Barbara’s paintings are also shown in Israel and New York.

INTERGENERATIONAL ACTIVITIES
Members of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Yavapai College in Arizona explored Sharlot Hall Museum with preschoolers this past summer. They actively assisted with and observed children from three to six years of age as they joined in an exciting exploration of various aspects of Museum. Activities with the children included walking the grounds, observing demonstrations, and sharing and participating in music time. Members also helped setup and guide the children in playing old-fashioned lawn games, and helped the children make tussie-mussies. Everyone brought their own lunch and ate together with the children at nearby picnic tables.

NEW BOOKS FOR LLI COURSES
The Book Discussion Group at the Learning in Retirement Association (LIRA) program at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell will be discussing the following books over this coming year:

In My Brother’s Image: Twin Brothers Separated by Faith After the Holocaust, by Eugene L. Pogany
The Post American World, by Fareed Zakaria
Free Lunch: How the Wealthiest Americans Enrich Themselves at Government Expense (and Stick You With the Bill), by David Cay Johnston
The Infidel, by Aayan Hirsi Ali

NEW WEB SITES FOR LLI COURSES

FIGHT GLOBAL WARMING

Website for an Environmental Defense Fund campaign designed as a "wake-up call" about global warming, "the most serious environmental challenge of our time." Includes discussions of the dangers of global warming (such as health concerns, extreme weather, and economic impacts) and the science of global warming (such as pollution and improving energy consumption), an energy calculator, and tips for what you can do at home and on the road.

ASIAN/PACIFIC AMERICANS IN THE U.S. ARMY

This presentation highlights the roles and achievements of Asian/Pacific Americans in the United States Army, covering the U.S. Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and the War on Terrorism. It features profiles, photos, Medal of Honor recipients, and links to related websites. From the U.S. Army.

"These tutorials show you how to find Congressional materials in the Library and on the Internet." Topics of these Flash videos include finding recent bills (1989-present), hearings, and Congressional debates. Also includes a tutorial on how to contact your Congressional representatives. Note: Includes links to some sites that require a fee to use.

CALIFORNIA JAPANTOWNS

This website explores "the historic legacies of Japantown communities across the state and the vibrant communities of the three remaining Japantowns in California," in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Jose. Features maps of the three Japantowns with architectural heritage information, profiles of other Japanese American communities in the state, stories, bibliography, preservation resources, and more. A collaboration of the California Japanese American Community Leadership Council and Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California.


That’s all for this month.
Nancy Merz Nordstrom, M.Ed.
Elderhostel Institute Network

Nancy.merz-nordstrom@elderhostel.org

www.elderhostel.org/ein/intro.asp

617-457-5564

"It is time we had uncommon schools, that we did not leave off our education
when we begin to be men and women." …Henry David Thoreau