HONOLULU — With aging comes new opportunities — and more time — to learn and grow knowledge, enrich lives and serve the community. That’s the premise behind the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and the courses they offer for folks “50 and better.”

What You Need To Know

  • Start dates for the fall 2023 session range from Sept. 18 to Nov. 6

  • New members are required to create a profile prior to registering for classes

  • Courses strive to keep the mind sharp, enrich lives and support active social engagement

This fall, OLLI-UHM is offering over 70 non-credit, college-level courses, workshops, lectures, events and more at three new locations for in-person classes: Kapiolani Community College, Leeward Community College and Windward Community College.

Topics include art and art history, literature, poetry, writing, gardening, natural and social sciences, fitness and health, cooking, personal growth, mindfulness and spirituality, a book club, and even learning to play Mahjong. Interested adults can also select courses according to the day of the week.

All strive to keep the mind sharp, enrich lives and support active social engagement.

“Holding OLLI-UHM courses at UH community colleges has long been a goal of our strategic plan,” said OLLI-UHM Director Carole Mandryk in a release. “We have often been asked about bringing classes to the Windward and Leeward sides of Oahu. We have added members from all over Oahu and the neighbor islands via Zoom over the last three years, but we now want to grow our in-person offerings.”

Start dates for the fall 2023 session range from Sept. 18 to Nov. 6, with classes primarily conducted via Zoom and about 30% of them offered in-person at the college campuses.

New members are required to create a profile before registering for classes.

The precursor to OLLI-UHM is the Academy for Lifelong Learning, established in 1996 by a group of community elders, retired professors and UH Manoa administrators. Their goal was to strengthen the connection between UH and the community and promote opportunities for lifelong learning, leadership and community service for the older set.

In the spring of 2003, the name changed to OLLI-UHM after receiving several gifts from The Bernard Osher Foundation. The organization then became a part of a national network of 125 OLLIs across 50 states and the District of Columbia.

“You don’t just sign up to take a class, you become a member of a community of intelligent, interested, interesting people, who bring their life experiences to share with one another,” added Mandryk.

OLLI-UHM also plans to develop in-person courses on Hawaii Island, Maui and Kauai.

Sarah Yamanaka covers events, environmental and community news for Spectrum News Hawaii. She can be reached at sarah.yamanaka@charter.com.