Springfield Sessions For Lifelong Learning

A semester rich in lectures on Vermont history and politics awaits the participants in the Spring 2012 Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in Springfield, Vt., which holds its first session today at Springfield's Nolin Murray Center.
http://www.vnews.com/01312012/8318973.htm

Springfield Sessions For Lifelong Learning
By Katie Beth Ryan
Valley News Staff Writer

A semester rich in lectures on Vermont history and politics awaits the participants in the Spring 2012 Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in Springfield, Vt., which holds its first session today at Springfield's Nolin Murray Center.

In addition to sessions about Ethan Allen's struggles with Vermont's neighbors during the Revolutionary War, and the history behind the Gothic cathedrals of Europe, participants will also have a chance to learn about memoir writing from author Reeve Lindbergh, and challenge their knowledge about bats with Barry Genzlinger, a bat advocate.

The Springfield campus of OLLI, which is one of eight sites around the state run through the University of Vermont, is now in its seventh year of offering afternoon courses aimed at adults 50 and older. Participants in the series, similar to Dartmouth's ILEAD program, typically view it as an opportunity to expand their knowledge, said Marita Johnson, president of the Springfield Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.

“These are people who have a nice outlook on the world. They want to know things about China and about cathedrals, and they want to know about writing and history, not just Springfield history,” she said. Many of OLLI's professors are current or retired college professors, but others come from outside academia, and have expertise in a given topic. Last semester, OLLI-Springfield hosted Mark Breen of the Fairbanks Museum, known for his Vermont Public Radio “Eye on the Sky” forecasts,

Like the other OLLI sites in Vermont, the Springfield campus is organized by a committee of volunteers who set the schedule of lectures each semester and find instructors for each presentation. Vermont and local history are perennially popular topics among OLLI participants in Springfield, but the committee strives to bring a variety of speakers to the Murray Center.

“They love local history. They like Vermont history,” said Johnson. “And we always try to have something with literature and art, and we put music in there sometimes, and we have science and nature. The themes carry over from semester to semester.”

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in Vermont is one branch of a nationwide program of non-credit courses for older adults, begun by Bernard and Barbara Osher in California in 2002. The first Vermont campus, in Rutland, opened the next year. Since then, seven additional sites have sprouted. The program is planned with retirees in mind, and they represent the majority of the audience at each session.

“We're telling people that we're gearing it toward people who are older, who are interesting in learning for the fun of it. This isn't a young people’s crowd,” said Johnson. There are exceptions however; she's seen grandparents and parents bring their children to an OLLI presentation to enhance a home schooling curriculum.

The first session of OLLI in Springfield takes place at 2 p.m. today, with a talk by Robert McGrath, a retired Dartmouth professor, titled “Sister States, Worlds Apart: The Image of Vermont and New Hampshire in the American Imagination.” The class is $8, and a semester membership is available for $40. A full list of this year's spring courses at OLLI's Springfield campus is available at http://bit.ly/zu9F9R.
Achievements

At Vermont Academy, Brendan Leeming of Hanover received high honors for the fall 2011 semester. Also, Jonathan Kraiger of Springfield, Vt., earned honors for the semester. Connor Brown of Springfield, Vt., Karen Porl of Hartland and Marina Porl of Hartland were named to the school's dean's list.
Deans' Lists

At Western New England University, Hannah M. Berling of Charlestown was named to the president's list. Also, Marissa L. Findholt of White River Junction, Megan B. Jason of Hartland, Allison J. Tenney of Sunapee and Justin M. Wardwell of Bridgewater Corners were named to the dean's list.

* At Johnson State College, Christopher Kerr-Ayer of Bethel, Susan Miller of Bradford and Maeghan Paulhus of Windsor were named to the president's list. Also, Nasser Abdel-Fatah of Randolph, Thomas Benton of North Springfield, Vt., Brian Dow of White River Junction, Neomi Hennessy of Perkinsville, Crystal Irish of White River Junction, Kamryn Sidney of Springfield, Vt., Ira Tillberg of Randolph, and Amanda Wood of Hartland were named to the dean's list.