The community is invited to learn more about the University of Delaware’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute by attending an open house in Lewes Aug. 7, Wilmington Aug. 8, Ocean View Aug. 9 or Dover Aug. 10.

The open houses take place 10 a.m. to noon, except for the Wilmington event, which is set for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Open houses feature classroom tours and refreshments, with opportunities to meet volunteers and fellow Osher Lifelong Learning Institute participants, and pick up a course catalog. In-person registration will be available.

The open houses are held at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute’s primary classroom locations:

• LEWES - Trinity Faith Education Building, 15516 New Road, Lewes
• WILMINGTON - Arsht Hall, 2700 Pennsylvania Ave., Wilmington
• OCEAN VIEW - Ocean View Community Center, 32 West Ave., Ocean View
• DOVER - Wyoming Church, 216 Wyoming Mill Road, Dover

As a volunteer-driven learning cooperative for adults age 50-plus, University of Delaware’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute has nearly 2,000 active members and holds classes throughout Delaware and online, featuring a variety of learning and social opportunities with no exams or grades.

Fall classes start Sept. 5 and include:

• “All News, All the Time” provides an insider view on the American news media, co-presented by former CNN journalist Ralph Begleiter of Ocean View, with retired National Public Radio host Liane Hansen of Bethany Beach. These veteran journalists share their insights about how media changes have affected American democracy and public perceptions of world affairs. Offered in Ocean View, Lewes, and online.
• “Light, Sight and Color: How We See the World” is led by Jim O’Leary, host of Radio Rehoboth’s weekly “Skywatch at the Beach” and retired senior scientist from the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore. What is light, and how does it translate into sight and color? Discover bioluminescence, what causes colorblindness, how some people see colors in music, the future of bionic eyes and more. Offered in Lewes and online.
• “American Art: An Introduction,” taught by Laura Fravel, curator at the Biggs Museum of American Art in Dover, along with Susan Salkin, former deputy director of the Delaware Division of the Arts and vice president of the Biggs Museum’s board of trustees, covers American art from the colonial period to the present with a focus on Delaware art and artists. This online course highlights objects in the Biggs collection, and includes an optional class visit to the Biggs Museum in Dover.
• “Henry VIII and His Women” explores one of the most fascinating monarchs in British history from the perspective of the women who shaped his youth, his reign and the Tudor dynasty, including not just his wives, but also his sisters, mistresses and niece, as well as his more famous daughters. Taught by Osher Lifelong Learning Institute volunteer instructor Susan Watkins of Camden. Offered in Dover and online.

With volunteer instructors at the heart of the program, the expertise from their professional careers, educational backgrounds, avocations and passions provide the source material for the breadth and depth of Osher Lifelong Learning Institute’s class offerings.

A sampling includes:

Lewes

• Acting for the Fun of It
• Ancient Jewish History
• Basic Woodworking Using Hand Tools
• Basket Weaving for Fun
• Card Making
• China-Russia Convergence: New Global Order
• Delaware: The First State
• Environmental Lectures with UD College of Earth, Ocean and Environment
• Helicopters: How They Fly and How to Fly Them
• Investing and Planning
• Stained Glass Fundamentals
• Chorus
• Traditional Music Slow Jam
• RV Travel Lifestyle
• From Mad Men to Mobile Marketing
• Women in the American Revolution

Dover

• Book Club: The Rebellion of Jane Clarke
• Classic War Films from Wings to Good Morning Vietnam
• Critical Race Facts: History of Racism in America
• Great Women in American Life
• Hitchcock: Master of Cinema
• Holocaust in France
• Knitting to Unwind
• Antietam: The Battle and More
• Pastels 

Ocean View

• Toast, Tribute or Talk: Giving Presentations
• Creative Card Making
• Mah Jongg
• Pacific Island Dance
• The 1920s: Significant Decade in America
• World War II: U.S. Campaign in Europe

Online

• American Sign Language: Practice
• Assassination of JFK: Enduring Mystery
• Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
• Genealogy
• Obituaries: As You Like It
• Ikebana: Japanese Flower Arranging

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute’s fall semester kicks off on Sept. 5 with 13-week, 11-week and five-week sessions. A second five-week session starts Oct. 17.

To register for Osher Lifelong Learning Institute classes, participants sign up for Osher Lifelong Learning Institute membership with a flat membership fee of $260 for the semester, which includes unlimited classes and activities at all University of Delaware Osher Lifelong Learning Institute locations and online. A few classes may have an additional fee noted in the course description, for supplies or special partnership programs.

There is no cost for parking at University of Delaware Osher Lifelong Learning Institute locations. Delaware residence or prior Osher Lifelong Learning Institute membership is not required, and need-based financial assistance is available.

For more information, visit olli.udel.edu.