Clarkdale AZ (April 22, 2020) – OLLI (the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) invites local residents to access and contribute to their adult education activities during this Stay at Home period. OLLI usually offers each term dozens of lively in-person programs at Yavapai College campuses in Sedona and Clarkdale, for a nominal fee, which now can be offered only online (through Zoom conferencing).
Those programs are led by volunteers (called facilitators), many of whom are retired. Most don’t feel ready yet to operate online, so OLLI offerings currently are reduced.
Nevertheless, as a community contribution, in the coming weeks, OLLI is offering everyone as its Spring term program a series of 90-minute FREE workshops for OLLI members as well opportunities for FREE programs for adults interested in learning more about OLLI. This is an opportunity for people sequestered at home, locally or afar, to give OLLI a try.
Information is available at the OLLI at Sedona-Verde Valley website at www.yc.edu/ollisedonaverde. Use this link to view the OLLI schedule: https://www.campusce.net/sedonaverdeolli/category/category.aspx?C=&S=2638
Also, community members with some expertise in a topic of general interest may wish to offer to facilitate an OLLI workshop. Here are just a few possibilities:
- An artist or craftsperson offering instruction in creating something lovely and/or useful.
- An art lover (using PowerPoint slides) offering an art appreciation experience.
- A spiritual practitioner teaching an approach to mindfulness or personal development practice.
- An experienced traveler sharing and explaining slides about another culture or natural environment.
- A history lover taking us back to an interesting time in our or another country.
- A reader introducing us to books we all might enjoy.
- A scientist explaining promising new discoveries not yet widely known.
- A computer maven showing social media apps or web sites we might not yet be accessing.
- A music lover exploring some favorite pieces.
- A psychologist offering guidelines for managing challenges of an extended home stay.
The range of topics is broad so everyone is encouraged to contact OLLI with your course proposals. Simply email OLLI at ollisv@yc.edu, with the subject line “Workshop Suggestion,” and provide a brief description.
OLLI will offer some guidance in using Zoom to host a meeting, although experienced Zoomers are preferred. And OLLI will send back information about the next steps to take.
OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) offers academic, not-for-credit programs for adults 50 years old or older at program sites at Verde Valley Campus, Sedona Center, and Camp Verde Library. OLLI at Sedona/Verde Valley is a program of the Division of Lifelong Learning at Yavapai College. Registration opens Monday, April 16 for the Spring Term Online. For information about OLLI at Sedona/Verde Valley, contact Linda Shook, Associate Dean Sedona Center and OLLI Director Sedona/Verde Valley, at the OLLI office, 928-649-4275, ollisv@yc.edu or visit the website at www.yc.edu/ollisedonaverde.