Director's Note
Happy New Year!
As we prepare for a new semester, here are some friendly reminders:
- Course registration begins January 15 at 10 a.m. We all know that this can be a super busy time as the phones are ringing and we are working feverishly to help all of our members. Please remember that鈥痠s the鈥fastest way to register for courses鈥攚e have included step-by-step course registration instructions in the Curriculum section of this Newsletter with the hope that this will make the process more effective and efficient for everyone.
- Note that we will have staff support helping during registration, but if you call, you may not get through immediately, so please leave a message and your call will be returned.鈥
- If you are not registering online, you can send your course registration directly to the OLLI office with your payment (preferably by check). Be sure to drop it in the mail early so that it reaches the office before January 15. Please do not include a credit card number.
- To be eligible for the member-discounted course rate, you must be a member at the time you register for courses. If you want to ensure that you will receive the membership discount, make sure you are a current OLLI member. If you are not a member,鈥痶o your cart first, then begin registering for courses.
- Lastly, if you know someone who would like to take an OLLI course but might need a little assistance, please let them know that there are鈥course scholarships available. Just have them call the office at鈥(269) 387-4157鈥痑nd we will be delighted to assist them.
Sincerely,
Toni Woolfork-Barnes, Ed.D.
Director, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at 澳门六合彩官网直播
Curriculum
Are you ready for the winter/spring semester? We have an incredible array of course offerings as we do each semester鈥攁nd thanks to our continued partnership with the wonderful鈥Osher Online鈥痯rogram, you can start learning as soon as the new year begins! Typically, we only have a few courses available before February, but because Osher Online鈥檚 curriculum kicks off in January, our members have special early registration access to their 30+ offerings! These six-session courses begin prior to the start of OLLI at 澳门六合彩官网直播 courses and are perfect for members who want to dive a little deeper into intellectual exploration.
You can easily鈥痳ight now. You will find them by using the link that says 鈥淥sher Online Courses鈥 in the鈥痮f our digital catalog page. Please note, there is a limited number of seats for all Osher Online courses, so registering early means you will have a better chance of securing your spot!
If you have any questions, our OLLI at 澳门六合彩官网直播 staff will be back in the office on Monday, January 6, 2025. Remember, if you need help with Osher Online courses specifically, you are asked to contact their staff directly via e-mail at鈥@email鈥痮r by phone at鈥(312) 503-5555. Osher Online staff will also return to their offices in the first week of January.
Registration for OLLI at 澳门六合彩官网直播 course offerings鈥officially opens January 15 at 10 a.m.
What Do You Like to Celebrate?
Would you please let us know what and how you celebrate by completing this ? It is just 3 questions.
Do you celebrate heritage months or cultural observances during the year, such as Lunar New Year, National Hispanic-Latino month, or National Native American month? Are you curious about the heritage months celebrated in the United States? In the interest of getting to know our members better and create courses that are meaningful as well as educational, the Cultural Observances and Heritage Celebrations sub-committee is promoting OLLI courses, 澳门六合彩官网直播 events, and community events that celebrate our breadth of culture and heritage in Southwest Michigan. Stay tuned and be on the lookout for our 'OLLI at 澳门六合彩官网直播: Cultural Heritage' banner on our starting in January 2025.
Events
Register Now for January Thaw!
Come in from the cold and join us for OLLI鈥檚 annual January Thaw event on Wednesday, January 29, from 1 to 3 p.m. at People鈥檚 Church (). In addition to socializing and meeting the instructors for our winter/spring courses, our membership drive is in full swing鈥攕o spread the January Thaw warmth and invite your family, friends, and neighbors to attend alongside you! Gift memberships will also be available to purchase for anyone you want to experience our lifelong learning community.
We鈥檒l also be collecting鈥, so don鈥檛 forget your donations, and be sure to bring your favorite old reads for our always-popular Book Swap! This is a free event;鈥痶o register by January 15.
Memberships & Marketing
Get Your OLLI at 澳门六合彩官网直播 T-Shirt
Let鈥檚 Show Our OLLI Pride!
We will be taking orders for OLLI at 澳门六合彩官网直播 10th Anniversary shirts in February and March. You will have a choice of a short sleeve or a long sleeve shirt. The cost for short sleeves will be $15 and the cost for long sleeves will be $20. Below are images of two designs that you will be able to choose from. You will also have a choice of shirt colors, which we will announce in the February newsletter. We are excited to wear our shirts as we proudly promote and celebrate our 10th anniversary, and we hope you are, too! Stay tuned for more details...
If you haven鈥檛 鈥渓iked鈥 our Facebook page yet, now is the perfect time to do so! This is a great resource to discover educational opportunities and celebrate all of the wonderful things our lifelong learning community is doing. our Facebook page, tap the 鈥渓ike鈥 button at the top, and stay in the loop with all things OLLI at 澳门六合彩官网直播!
Who Does What in the OLLI Office?
It can be confusing to know who to email or call with what questions regarding OLLI. So, our team鈥擬adison, Shannon, and Toni鈥攈ave created a quick guide to help you better understand what each of us manages.
Toni manages...
- Instructor recruitment
- Development (university and community partnerships, fundraising, grants)
- Strengthening 澳门六合彩官网直播 relationships
- OLLI leadership with the Executive Committee
- OLLI鈥檚 visibility at 澳门六合彩官网直播, in the community, and expanding outreach (public speaking and presentations)
- Connections with the Osher Foundation
- Membership and Marketing approaches with the M&M Committee
- Coordinating Travel
- Contact information: email toni.woolfork-barnes@wmich.edu or call (269) 387-4157
Shannon manages...
- Course creation with the Curriculum Committee and course proposal review
- Instructor recruitment with the Curriculum Committee
- Instructor support (orientation, curriculum design, technology, logistics)
- Coordination with Course Liaisons
- Evaluations (course and event) with the Assessment and Evaluation Committee
- Volunteer recruitment and retention with the Volunteer Committee
- Contact information: email shannon.huneryager@wmich.edu or call (269) 387-4157
Madison manages...
- Memberships
- Registration for courses, events, and SIGs
- Content for printed mailers and the digital course catalog
- Member and participant communications and logistics for all of our courses
- Reporting needs for 澳门六合彩官网直播x, the Osher Foundation, and the Executive Committee student workers
- Contact information: email @email or call (269) 387-4157
Wellness Moment
Top 10 New Year鈥檚 Resolutions for 2025
Tyler Norman, Ph.D.
Manager of Corporate Outreach
ACSM Exercise Physiologist
NCFI Corporate Fitness Specialist
West Hills Athletic Club, 澳门六合彩官网直播
First of all, Happy New Year! 鈥楾is the season for New Year鈥檚 Resolutions, so I thought I would share the top 10 predicted resolutions (according to multiple sources), and the likelihood that we will be successful in keeping them. I have tried and failed many times at resolution attempts like drinking three liters of water a day, stretching while I watch the news, or doing 50 crunches per day. I usually start strong and then fade by spring break. Other resolutions I have been able to keep, like playing guitar every day and reading more for recreation. As it turns out, we have about a 50/50 shot at being successful that found 46% of resolution makers had continued past the six-month mark. Therefore, the way I see it is that we should make multiple resolutions and odds are at least one will stick, statistically speaking of course. If you make a resolution and end up not sticking to it, don鈥檛 feel bad, you鈥檙e normal. The important thing is to make one in the first place and make it attainable. Write it down, be specific, and hopefully it鈥檚 measurable. Having said that, here is the list if you need an idea and happy 2025!
Some of these may be like D茅j脿 vu and sound familiar:
- Exercise more
- Lose weight
- Get organized
- Learn a new skill or hobby
- Live life to the fullest
- Save more money or spend less money
- Quit smoking
- Spend more time with family and friends
- Travel more
- Read more
Kalamazoo Literacy Council
Celebrating Literacy and Lifelong Learning
At the Kalamazoo Literacy Council, we believe that literacy is the foundation of personal and community growth. The past year, our 50th anniversary was鈥痜illed with events and鈥痯rograms aimed at empowering adult learners to enhance their reading, writing, and communication skills. We were excited for opportunities to share our impact with donors, supporters, and volunteers all year long through stories of excellence and resilience from adult learners who are truly achieving their goals. Stories like Maritza's, an English Language Learner who excelled academically and became a volunteer tutor and Peer Mentor to help encourage others, or Meghan, a Special Olympian who works diligently each week with her tutor to hone her literacy skills.
We hosted a series of Family Literacy Days鈥攎onthly gatherings in the Read and Seed community garden that promote multigenerational learning and healthy living in a beautiful setting. We also established the Albert White Literacy Trail, named for the African American mason who built several notable Kalamazoo landmarks, including 澳门六合彩官网直播's Heritage Hall. Along the trail sits Literacy Lane, a formerly blighted area that is now home to a gorgeous street mural featuring 56 different artistic elements that teach about reading, health, the environment, community resources, and more.
As we look ahead to 2025, we are motivated by our past accomplishments and remain committed to our mission of empowering adults to live up to their full potential as parents, employees, and community members. If you are interested in how you can help transform lives by鈥痸olunteering, attending events, donating, or simply learning more about how literacy impacts our community, visit us at鈥痮r call (269) 382-0490 ext. 4786.
What is the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute?
The program was initiated under the auspices of the 澳门六合彩官网直播 Emeriti Council and 澳门六合彩官网直播x. OLLI offers intellectually lively and culturally appealing learning experiences. We accomplish this by focusing on intellectual stimulation, personal growth, social engagement and enrichment. Read more
What do we do?
We offer short courses for one to four weeks. Sessions are usually two hours long. Travel programs are also a part of our offerings. There are no tests and no required homework, just exploring lots of interesting topics.
In the near future we will offer courses in different formats -- noon hour discussions, several sessions in one week, and more evening courses. OLLI courses and activities are developed and produced by its members with the support of the staff of 澳门六合彩官网直播x.
We need your ideas for course topics and instructors. Let us know your suggestions. Call the OLLI office at (269) 387-4157 or send an email. The curriculum committee will review all suggestions.