Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

This map shows all of the Osher-affiliated programs in the United States

The Osher Program where I teach and take classes began in the 1980s as the Christopher Wren Society – named after the architect who didn’t actually design the Wren Building on the old campus at William and Mary. A few years ago, the program chose to affiliate with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.  This has had an impact on the way the program functions, but it still fulfills its promise – to provide opportunities for lifelong learning to older people who live in the Williamsburg area.

A little history is in order. The Bernard Osher Foundation, headquartered in San Francisco, was started in 1977 by Bernard Osher, a respected businessman and community leader. The Foundation seeks to improve the quality of life through support for higher education and the arts.  In 2001, the foundation began to support a lifelong learning network for adults over the age of 50; there are now Osher programs at 125 Universities in the United States, spanning all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  These programs do not all follow the same model, but their goals are the same – to meet the needs of what they call “seasoned” adults who are interesting in learning for the joy of learning.  I think “seasoned” sounds better than “old.” More than 160,000 people nationwide are members of Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes. 

Bernard Osher

In Virginia, the following universities have Osher Institutes:

• University of Richmond

• University of Virginia

• George Mason University

• The College of William and Mary

• Hampton University      

If you live, say, in the Boston area, here are your more-or-less local Osher programs:

• The University of Massachusetts at Boston

• Tufts University

• Brandeis

In addition to the university-based programs, the Osher Foundation maintains the National Resource Center for Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes at Northwestern University.  According to their website https://sps.northwestern.edu/oshernrc/, the center’s mission is to help Osher institutes thrive:

• by connecting the 125 Osher Institutes to each other and to resources within higher education, lifelong learning, and purposeful aging;

• by collaborating with and among Osher Institutes and partner organizations that value lifelong learning and purposeful aging;

• by consulting with the independent Osher Institutes, their host colleges, universities, and members regarding effective practices, operations, and solutions;

• by celebrating the successes, camaraderie, and growth in Osher Institutes and in individual members with their shared love of learning.

Our involvement in our local Osher program has been an important and rewarding part of our retirement years.  When the catalog comes out each semester, we review the course offerings and schedule the classes we want to take.  In our program, the $135 membership fee per person allows members to take up to eight 3-6 week classes and an unlimited number of one-time lectures.  Some semesters I end up having three or more classes in a given week; I feel like I’m in college again, but I don’t have assignments or tests or papers. And I can skip class if it’s too cold or too hot or too rainy outside.

You probably live within easy driving distance of an Osher program (or an equivalent program).  I recommend checking it out.