EIN December Newsletter



Under MANAGING YOUR LLI

Under LLI NEWS

Under LLI CONGRATULATIONS

NEW AFFILIATE
A warm welcome to the Center for Lifetime Learning at Palm Beach Community College, Lake Worth, Florida. Although new to EIN they are currently celebrating their 34th year of operation, and their motto is “Where learning never ends.” As part of their Distinguished Lecture Series this winter, their speakers include a local television anchor and the Mayor of West Palm Beach. See a write-up this month about their founding and format. Welcome!

SNOWBIRD MEMBERSHIP
Be sure to check out the responses from programs around the country to the query about snowbird membership costs, if your program deals with this issue. Our thanks go out to everyone who took the time to respond to this question. It was very helpful.

NEW HAMPSHIRE CONFERENCE
In mid October, the lifelong learning institutes in New Hampshire (and one from Massachusetts near the NH border) gathered for the day at the RISE program at Rivier College in Nashua. They exchanged program information, discussed issues and got to know each other better. EIN was privileged to attend and was given the opportunity to discuss the latest Network news and the state of lifelong learning around the world. It was a delightful day, and I look forward to going back in January to talk with the RISE members.

NEW LOGO
With a change in the name of the MSU for Seniors program to the Mankato Area Lifelong Learners, a new logo was needed. The Council worked with a graphic artist from the Minnesota State University Printing Services to design and develop the new logo.

OLLI EXPLORES ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Maryland presented Explore New Frontiers: Travel through Complementary, Alternative, and Integrative Medicine, in November. In addition to a health expo, classes were conducted on yoga, mindfulness meditation, qi gong, tai chi, seated massage, reflexology, craniosacral, shiatsu, herbs and teas, homeopathy, aromatherapy, integrative primary care and acupuncture. This series was conducted in association with the Center for Integrative Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine.

WORLDWIDE U3A CONFERENCE
The Indian Association of U3As will host the International U3A Lifelong Learning Conference from February 11-13, 2010, in association with the University of Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh. Special transportation and post-conference tours are planned to be a feature of this worldwide gathering. If anyone is planning a trip to India and is interested in taking part in this conference it might help to monitor

www.worldu3a.org

 for more information as details become available. Thanks to issue 95 of U3ASignpost for this early notice.

REGISTRATION SOFTWARE
EIN doesn’t usually promote any particular product but many of you know Jim Frasier, who used to run the OLLI program at Eckerd College in Florida. Jim recently moved back to the Cincinnati area, and has gone to work for a small software company called Lucid-Data. They have a registration and data management system called PDExpress. The company has been in business for over 10 years primarily serving K-12 school districts. They are currently in the process of marketing the program to lifelong learning and continuing education programs. So if your program is in the market for some new Registration Software you might want to check out

his website here

. Or, give Jim a call at 866-582-4373. He’d love to hear from you.

UNPLUG THE CHRISTMAS MACHINE
Members of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Yavapai College in Arizona recently took a look at how to have a simpler, less commercial, more soul-satisfying Christmas celebration. This three session workshop was a process of self-discovery using exercises that allowed members to clarify their unique beliefs, and combine those beliefs into a workable plan for the Christmas season.

OLLI RECEIVES BEST BUY GRANT
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, recently received a $1,000 donation from Best Buy. Jennifer Jackson, a Best Buy employee, volunteered with the institute by lending her expertise for the Gadgets and Technology course. Her efforts resulted in the Tag Team Award donation, given by Best Buy in recognition of an employee's service.

LIRIC DONATES TELEPROMPTER
The Learning in Retirement at Iona College (LIRIC) program in New Rochelle, New York has donated a teleprompter for one of the Mass Communication Department’s cameras at the college. The teleprompter is a token of their appreciation for the many ways Iona College helps the program.

CALL ANTHOLOGY
The Cheshire Academy for Lifelong Learning (CALL) at Keene State College in Keene, NH is working on an anthology of prose and poetry. Members have until the 22nd of this month to send in their submissions. Poetry is limited to 40 lines or less and prose to a maximum of 1200 words. The response has been excellent.

THE THANKSGIVING EXPERIENCE
Members of the OLLI program at the University of N. Florida, Jacksonville were given the opportunity to provide international students with the opportunity to enjoy a quintessential American tradition –Thanksgiving dinner – a perfect way for students far from home to feel welcome and for the program to help cement its relationship with the host school.

NASHUA READS
This past fall, members of the RISE program at Rivier College in Nashua, New Hampshire collaborated with the Nashua Public Library in presenting the popular community reading series. Classes were held at the Nashua Public Library. The Tortilla Curtain, by T.C. Boyle was the featured book.

DIVERSITY COMMITTEE
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of S. Maine in Portland has set up a Diversity Committee. Members of the Committee have been meeting with representatives of the different minority communities in Portland to explore ways of enticing new members. The biggest obstacle so far seems to be English as a second language. OLLI has even set up a special scholarship fund for this initiative, thanks to the generosity of one of OLLI’s member’s and the use of her 90th birthday party as a fundraising vehicle.

DIVERSITY POTPOURRI
As part of their attempt to build more diversity into the program, the Academy for Lifelong Learning in Saratoga Springs, New York continues the diversity initiative they developed for their 15th anniversary year. New programs, focused on diversity include Argentine Culture & Acclimating to America, with an Argentinean immigrant., the difficulty of immediate immersion into the college scene with a Chinese immigrant, offering fair trade products from Paraguay, and Where in the World is Cyprus? with temporary residents of Cyprus.

SPREADING THE WORD
The Membership Committee of the Worcester Institute for Senior Education (WISE) in Worcester, Massachusetts has been busy promoting their program. They recently spoke to members of the Spencer AARP group and to the UMass Medical Center’s Retirement group. WISE membership consistently runs between 400 and 450 members, thanks to the hard work of the many volunteers and members. When new members were asked how many joined because a friend or relative had told them about WISE, 99.9% of them raised their hands. LLI membership is really all about word-of-mouth, the most effective PR of all!

POTLUCK LUNCHEON
Members of the Middlesex Institute for Lifelong Education (MILES) in Middletown, CT recently took part in a potluck luncheon. What made this different was that participants shared their favorite recipes by bringing both the dishes and the printed recipes. All attendees received a copy of the recipe compilation.

SENIOR PROFESSIONALS AWARD GRANT
Senior Professionals of Illinois State University has awarded to the Delta Sigma Theta a Service Learning Grant of $500. The sorority will be participating in a mentoring program with local high school females. The program Delta GEMS (Growing and Empowering Myself Successfully) will show the need to excel academically by providing them the tools needed to enhance their academic progress by planning for the future and create a caring and community minded young women that will actively become involve in their community.

THE SEARCH FOR AMELIA EARHART
Members of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville recently explored the mysteries surrounding the disappearance of Amelia Earhart. The various theories that have been proposed were studied in depth.

TECHNOLOGY RECYCLING
Members of the Learning in Retirement program at the University of Georgia, Athens are helping the Senior Center at the Council on Aging in Athens, Georgia raise money by recycling their old technology. The Senior Center is accepting old cell phones, DVDs, X-Box and Playstation games, ink jet printer cartridges, laptops, mp3 players, portable DVD players, digital picture frames, portable navigation devices and digital cameras as part of a fundraising recycling program through Ecophones (

www.ecophones.com

). The Senior Center will receive payment of varying amounts based on the condition and model of the items. All of these items will be recycled according to EPA standards.

ANSEL ADAMS
Members of the Adult Learning Institute at Columbia-Greene Community College in Hudson, New York learned about Ansel Adams from the founder and president of Film America, Inc. John Huszar spent a month with Adams in 1980, traveling from Carmel, California to Yosemite to San Francisco and then to Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico where he and Adams visited with Georgia O’Keefe. Huszar was directing and producing a one-hour documentary special for PBS on Adams’ life and work.

TWO VERY SPECIAL PROGRAMS
The Institute for Retired Professionals (IRP) in New York City run two special programs per semester open to the membership and the greater community. Many programs draw students from the university and neighboring schools and institutions.

  • Fridays@One, now going into its 9th year, is funded through a bequest in memory of Estelle Tolkin, She was not a member of IRP but her family was affected by her life long dedication to New School programs. This year, the lecture on American Erotic Poetry, was featured in the Special Fall issue of Time Out New York. The talk on New York: The Over-Successful City, focused on maintaining healthy growth without losing the elements that make the city vital, was featured in the New York Times.

  • Their second program is FilmQuest, a 5 session program using films and a novel to explore specific topics. Previous topics have included Aging and Family. This year they look at Politics, Corruption and the media. The program is restricted to half IRP students and half members of the community. The $20 fee includes coffee and refreshments at each
    session, a text book and a "graduation" reception. The film series and almost all events are SRO, drawing 120 to 200 people, filling the available auditorium. This is a wonderful way to reach out to the community and to make contract with people not yet ready to commit to a 12 week learning program.

COVER PHOTOS
To find an appropriate picture for the cover of each of their course catalogs, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Berkshire Community College in Massachusetts holds a photo contest each season. The winning photographer receives a free one-year membership to OLLI.

A.L.L. LITERARY SOIREE
Lat month, the Academy for Lifelong Learning at Cape Cod Community College in Massachusetts held its first ever “A.L.L. Literary Soiree,” as their way of celebrating the amazing writing talent of their membership. Members did not need to be published authors to take part in the event. They encouraged all their writers to come, mingle with other writers, read from their works, make their writings available for sale if applicable, and discuss the nuts and bolts of publication.

U.S. HISTORY THROUGH SONGS, BALLADS & STORIES
This 11-week course at the OLLI program at Duke University in North Carolina looks at how it felt to struggle in the wilderness, fight for independence, journey down the Great Wagon Road to the southern mountain laurel tangles, fight brother against brother, lace the country with steel rails, and come through global wars and hard times. Scores of songs will be sung, to autoharp and dulcimer accompaniment, helping to remind us of who we are.

INTRODUCTION TO HEARTACULTURE
Members of the Osher Lifelong Learning Program at Yavapai College in Arizona were introduced this past summer to the art of awakening their spirits, enlivening their relationships and unleashing their creativity. Heartaculture is the art of making moment-to-moment, internally motivated choices that lead to optimum efficiency and self-fulfillment. It is the practical how-to that when followed even to a small degree, can have profound benefits for enriching life and bringing deeper satisfaction. Through participatory exercises they learned how to quickly choose the most beneficial options for daily actions; accomplish more by doing less; free themselves from the “shoulds”; unlock their natural wisdom to discern what they really want versus what they think they should want, and how to live by a whole new perspective for keeping life sane and more rewarding on all levels.

ACADEMY OF GARDENING
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Coastal Carolina University offers members a unique Special Interest Group (SIG). The Academy of Gardening takes the mystery out of gardening and shows members how to become successful growers. The academy meets on a regular schedule with a master gardener for discussion of new and exciting topics. Seed germination, propagation, container gardening, seasonal planting, rose gardens and growing herbs and spices are just some of the learning experiences. In addition to learning new gardening techniques, the participants will enjoy field trips to local gardens and nurseries, plant swapping and putting their skills to use on campus.

INTRO TO EVOLUTION
Members of the L.I.F.E. program at Mount Saint Mary College in New York took an introductory course which touched on the following areas: Lamarck—early ideas of evolution and related misconceptions; Early 19th century prevailing thought about the nature of life and how the new ideas of evolution contrasted with these early beliefs; Charles Darwin— background on “The Voyage of the Beagle”. This described how Darwin developed his theory of evolution based upon the evidence he collected on his four year journey; Evidence for evolution—geological evolution, the fossil record, embryology, biochemistry, homologous structures and genetics; Modern definition of evolution—changes in the gene frequency of the species; Theories for the origin of life; Changing from single celled organisms to multi-cellular organisms; The evolution of man.

THE HIDDEN TRUTH: A NATIONAL ICON REVEALED
Members of the Lifelong Learning Institute at Northern Virginia Community College – Annandale, are studying The Hidden Truth: A National Icon Revealed. The Lincoln Memorial endures as an icon to which millions of visitors make an annual pilgrimage. However, do you know what lies beneath the statue of Abraham Lincoln or what lies behind the innumerable myths and legends about it? Have you ever pondered the meanings of the 36 exterior columns or stopped to study the intricate details carved into marble and limestone? This course will debunk myths and delve into the deep symbolism contained within each carving, while developing the story of how the Lincoln Memorial Commission rose above raging battles over competing architectural schemes and suitable locations to create the most visited memorial in the nation’s capital.


NEW BOOKS FOR LLI COURSES

Aging in the Church, by Neal Krause. A growing number of studies indicate that social ties that are formed by older people in the church have a significant positive impact on their physical and mental health. This book constitutes the first attempt to provide a comprehensive assessment of the various types of relationships that stem from church involvement.

The Spiritual Journey of Charles Fillmore: Discovering the Power Within, by Neal Vahle. This book sheds new light on the life and work of an important spiritual pioneer. The author uses thorough new research, interviews with those who knew Fillmore, and his intimate familiarity with Fillmore’s writings to introduce readers to the intriguing co-founder of the Unity movement.


NEW WEB SITES FOR LLI COURSES

BARTLEBY


Bartleby claims to be "The preeminent Internet publisher of literature, verse and reference with unlimited access free of charge". Their reference section is very comprehensive. Thanks to issue 95 of U3ASignpost for this information.

THE MAY EVENTS ARCHIVE


This online archive "documents this exciting historical moment with original leaflets, magazines, and newspapers" from 1968, "the climactic year of New Left protest all over the Western world, and especially in [Paris] France where in May of that year ten million workers transformed a student protest into a revolutionary movement by joining it in the streets." Search, or browse by type of material or author.

MAKING THE MODERN WORLD


This site "brings you powerful stories about science and invention from the eighteenth century to today. It explains the development and the global spread of modern industrial society and its effects on all our lives." Includes a timeline, background about dozens of icons of invention in technology and medicine and dozens of "everyday" inventions. Also include learning modules on topics such as DNA, textile production, & stress management.

CIVIL RIGHTS SUITE: Exploring the History of the Chinese American Fight for Equality


Collection of sites featuring materials that "examine the historical impact of the Chinese American fight for equality on our society." Topics include the Chinese of California, "Remembering 1882" (when "Congress passed the nation's first major immigration legislation -- a law to prevent people of Chinese descent from entering the United States"), and Chinese American actions to defend American citizenship and challenge discriminatory laws.

THE BEATS AND BEYOND: COUNTERCULTURE POETRY, 1950-1975


Companion to a 2008 exhibit that celebrates holdings of "post-World War II American avant-garde poetry." Features an exhibition checklist with selected images in areas such as the New York School of Poets, Beat poets, the San Francisco Renaissance, censorship, black nationalism and the black arts movement, feminism, and the Vietnam War.


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



"Learn as if you were going to live forever…Mahatma Gandhi."




 








FREE E-NEWSLETTERS AND
INSIDER BONUS: 10 MUST SEE LEARNING DESTINATIONS
GO

First Place Photos
U.S. & Canada

Amish Scooters
Caroline Harkness

International

Naturally Dyed Peruvian Wool
Louise Alburas