The Osher Network

The Bernard Osher Foundation

The Bernard Osher Foundation, headquartered in San Francisco, was founded in 1977 by respected businessman, philanthropist and community leader Bernard Osher. The Foundation seeks to improve quality of life through innovative funding in higher education and the arts.

 

The National Resource Center for Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes

The National Resource Center (NRC) for Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes is administered by the School of Professional Studies on the downtown Chicago campus of Northwestern University. The NRC serves as the convening center for the network of more than 120 independent Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes (OLLIs) on university or college campuses throughout all 50 states. The mission of the National Resource Center is to help OLLIs thrive by connecting OLLIs to each other and to resources, collaborating with OLLIs and partner organizations, consulting with OLLI leaders to find solutions, and celebrating the camaraderie and growth of OLLIs and their members. The NRC is not a governance body, but is a center for excellence and dissemination of information on effective educational programming for older adult lifelong learners.

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The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Network

The more than 120 Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes (OLLIs) span all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Each is a part of a college or university and is funded in part by The Bernard Osher Foundation. All Osher Institutes offer a wide variety of intellectually stimulating, university-level, non-credit courses and learning opportunities designed for people “50 and better.” Each Institute is unique and operates as an independent initiative of its host institution with offerings tailored to meet the needs and interests of its community. There are no tests and no grades. It is learning solely for the joy of learning. Osher Institutes fulfill the promise of education in its best sense:  To develop the mind and spirit for a lifetime of purpose and human flourishing. Find a map of Osher Institute locations and contact information on the NRC website.