A special class for a group of seniors citizens at the University of Denver has grown to include 2,700 students. Established by the Osher Lifelong Institute (OLLI), the class is exclusive to enrollees above 50 years old, proving that even in old age, one can never stop learning.
"We wanted to have a program that was available to anybody that was interested in lifelong learning," said Vonnie Wheeler, OLLI's executive director via Fox 31 Denver.
The idea to create a class for retirees sprung years ago and the classes were about science, history and economics, among others. The program was first called "Senior College," but was eventually changed to the Osher Lifelong Institute, according to the Bernard Osher Foundation.
"We started out offering nine classes and we had 76 people, and now we offer over 200 classes and we have 2,700 people," said Wheeler.
The OLLI program is now at many campuses. In fact, Texas Tech University's classes just started this week, according to Mason County News.
The fee per term is $100 and students are not required to pass any tests.
"People who join OLLI, they are inquisitive, educated, they're well-read and I've learned so much from a lot of them," said Sydney Myers in the Fox report. Myers, a facilitator in one of the classes, is also a student. About 80 percent of the facilitators are also enrollees of the program themselves.
"I thought people needed a way to return to college in adulthood, in an adult way," said retired professor Jim Earl via Register Guard. Earl facilitates an OLLI class at the University of Oregon. "People are hungry for reading and discussion and when you finish a class, they thank you. That is not the case with most college classes," he added.
