OSHER Online
Osher Online is a complement to OLLI programs offered by the Osher National Resource Center. The National Resource Center for Osher Institutes (Osher NRC) is a non-governing center of excellence, hosted by Northwestern University, benefiting older adults, through the national network of 125 Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes (OLLIs).
This summer, OSHER ONLINE is offering a set of fully online courses for your enjoyment. These courses- give you access to instructors from other locations in our country
- are six weeks long and focus on diverse topics of interests
- are offered fully online through Zoom
- are flexible to fit into your morning or afternoon schedule
- are affordable
Scroll down and click on a course to see details and view a course overview video. You may register through QuickPick or call the OLLI office (915-747-6280) for information and assistance. To note:
- Each OSHER Online lecture course for Summer 2024 has a $60 fee and each discussion course is $90.
- Classes are 90 minutes long. The OSHER NRC manages these courses and communication to registered students. You must be an OLLI member to attend.
- This program is currently offered to a select few OLLIs. Space is limited per university. Be sure to register early.
Summer 2024 OSHER Online Courses
James Baldwin: Speaking to US at 100
Instructor: Catherine Frank, Ph.D.
6 weeks | Thursdays, July 11-August 15
11 A.M. MT (90 minutes)
Course Fee: $60
Course Description:
American writer James Baldwin (1924-1987) may be best known as an activist and essayist, but he was also a groundbreaking writer of novels and short stories. While he was born 100 years ago, his voice sounds fresh, urgent, and relevant to our evolving understanding of what it means to be American. We will read two of Baldwin’s novels, Go Tell It on the Mountain and Giovanni’s Room, in which he explores race, religion and sexuality. We will analyze Baldwin’s unique voice and talent as a writer. Together we will discuss the ways Baldwin uses his fiction to help us understand what connects us as human beings, despite our differences.
Prerequisites: Participants should be willing to read and engage with complex texts addressing challenging subjects.
Required textbooks (all by James Baldwin): Go Tell It on the Mountain (1952), ISBN: 978-0375701870 and Giovanni's Room (1956), ISBN: 978- 0141032948
An Introduction to the National Park System (Live Lecture)
Instructor: Costa Dillon
6 weeks | Wednesdays, July 10-August 14
11 A.M. MT (90 minutes)
Course Fee: $60
Course Description:
There are more than 400 parks in the National Park System spanning 11 time zones. Have you ever wondered how a place becomes a park, what it takes to manage a park, or why there are so many different types of parks? Take a behind-the-scenes look at the National Parks as we reveal the laws, regulations, policies, and practices of managing these special places of American nature and history. Explore both famous and lesser-known parks and prepare yourself for your next park visit with a better understanding of fees, costs, lodging and camping opportunities, reservation systems, and best times to visit. National parks are in the news almost every day. Become a national park “insider” by learning more about these memorable places.
Download a pdf of the course Register nowThe Great Films From the 1920s to the 1960s (Live Lecture)
Instructors: Jeremy Fackenthal, Ph.D.
6 weeks | Tuesdays, July 9-August 13
11 A.M. MT (90 minutes)
Course Fee: $60
Course Description:
This course will give an introduction to film movements and some of the greatest films made (according to critics…but you can judge for yourself) from the 1920s to the 1960s. We will begin by discussing how and where films were made in the 1920s and how the filmmaking process evolved over the next 40+ years. We will also cover what to look for as you watch the films selected for the course. During weeks 2 through 6, we will watch at least one film during the week, and then during the class session will unpack the film in terms of style, story, filmmaking technique, and impact on society and culture. Over the six weeks of the course you will discover some of the best films made and learn about what makes them great.
Download a pdf of the course Register nowWomen Psychoanalysts: Stories and Theories (Live Lecture)
Instructor: Oliva Espin
6 weeks | Tuesdays, July 9-August 13
5 P.M. MT (90 minutes)
Course Fee: $60
Course Description:
The women included in this course were practitioners of psychoanalysis and wrote extensively about their work. These women have been selected because of the significance of their thought for psychoanalytic practice. Some of them were ostracized by other psychoanalysts and the importance of their thought may have been neglected, ignored, or forgotten, and their work may have been derogated. We will articulate what is different about the contributions of women to psychoanalytic theory. And we will concentrate on women who were considered important: Karen Horney, Melanie Klein, Anna Freud, Ana Maria Rizzuto and others. The goal of this series is to bring out the indisputable contributions of these four women to psychoanalysis and the practice of psychotherapy.
Download a pdf of the course Register nowThe World's Fascination with the Automobile (Live Lecture)
Instructor: Pandora Paul Sardon
6 weeks | Saturdays, July 13-August 17
9 A.M. MT (90 minutes)
Course Fee: $60
Course Description:
The automobile has shaped the way we conduct modern life — from the way we eat our meals down to the songs we sing. It is endlessly fascinating to learn where we have come from and where we are going on our automotive journey. This course will make relevant the impact of the automobile on our everyday lives so even those who do not tout the title of “gearhead” may enjoy the experience and walk away with more knowledge and insight into our world than they had before.
Download a pdf of the course Register nowBugs and their Bizarre Biology (Live Lecture)
Instructor: Brian O'Neill, Ph.D.
6 weeks | Mondays, July 8-August 12
11 A.M. MT (90 minutes)
Course Fee: $60
Course Description:
Join this class to delve into the world of bugs, creepy crawlies, and anything without a backbone. Bugs are interesting, not gross (ok, maybe a little), and understanding their outlook on life can, in turn, change how we perceive the world. Based on biological principles, this course will explore these animals in our lives, society, homes, and even our bodies. Discussions and activities will be a part of every class to more deeply engage in how these creatures go about their lives.
Download a pdf of the course Register now