At the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Stony Brook University, you won’t find what you may think of as your “typical” college or university student. However, you will find students dedicated to learning and experiencing new things.
The OLLI is an educational program open to all retired and semi-retired individuals who are interested in expanding their intellectual horizons in a university setting. The members of OLLI participate in their choice of workshops, lectures, committees and social activities. The OLLI utilizes the talents and experiences of its members to plan and lead workshops and educational programs. These workshops and programs are designed to offer an informal exchange of ideas between all participants within a framework of accomplishing the workshop objectives. Workshops and lectures cover a wide array of topics from Shakespeare to PhotoShop.
The OLLI at Stony Brook was originally started under the name The Round Table in 1988. In 2007, the Round Table was renamed the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute when they received a generous grant from the Bernard Osher Foundation. OLLI at Stony Brook is one of 117 Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes across the nation and one of two in New York State. Last year, the OLLI at Stony Brook received the “People of the Year in Education” award from the Times Beacon Record for its contributions to lifelong learning.
For more information on the OLLI at Stony Brook, please click here.
The term lifelong learning was developed by Leslie Watkins. It recognizes that everyday is a learning process for every human. It means that education is not meant for children or to take place in classrooms only. And means that learning happens throughout our day to day lives. Lifelong learners are motivated to learn and develop because they want to: it is a deliberate and voluntary act.
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