Imagine a college with no grades, credits, diplomas or expectations. The only goal is to show up, learn about anything you find fascinating and have fun. Known as the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, that space exists and has been inspiring the minds of retirees in Fort Collins for 20 years.
“At OLLI, you don’t age out,” OLLI Director Meredith Naughton said. “We have folks who’ve been with us for the last 20 years — which gives me goosebumps to think about it, because those are folks who have deep roots in the program.”
Classes are designed as learning environments primarily for adults aged 50 and older. Naughton said OLLI classes are designed to be short, so as to give members the chance to sign up for as many, or as little, as they want. The level of choice within OLLI is unique, and classes are taught by a wide array of experience levels — some instructors have PhDs and others are simply passionate about the subject.
“That really works for our members who are taking classes, but also (for) our instructors who love to teach because they’re passionate about their subjects,” Naughton said.
OLLI has various ways to ensure their classes are accessible to everyone, including Drake Hall’s emphasis on handicap accessibility for those with limited mobility. For people who are hard of hearing, T-coil hearing systems are used to connect directly to an individual’s hearing aids, and if the T-coil isn’t compatible, they have headsets that can be checked out.
Another aspect of OLLI Naughton said she is passionate about is giving older adults the opportunity to socialize.
“We’re just trying to capitalize on what our members are already doing but having them to do it in small groups where they get to know each other,” Naughton said regarding OLLI’s opportunities to learn abroad.
However, Naughton said she has found a similar ability for connection in the everyday interactions right here on campus.
“We have lots of couples who come, and they might take the same class together and then have great conversations afterward,” Naughton said. “Or they intentionally split up so at the end of the day they can talk about the classes that they took that were different.”
Naughton said she believes getting these social interactions are integral to the lives of OLLI students.
“Being able to have a community and to learn new things are kind of two really key areas of healthy aging,” Naughton said. “And OLLI is just a feature that allows this. … It helps you to just age in a much more healthy space.”
Research has backed up Naughton’s statement that social relationships for adults can be difficult to maintain, but they are necessary for healthy living. According to a 2023 University of Michigan survey, of adults ages 50 to 80, one in three reported only having contact with those outside of their homes once a week or less. Another 2022 study by the Journal of the American Heart Association displayed an association between isolation and a negative impact on cardiovascular health in adults, as well as stroke mortality.
“What the class is about isn’t as important as the interesting people that you meet who are taking it,” said Kate Reiter, an active member and instructor at OLLI. “The community at OLLI is full of people who have a thirst, not just for knowledge, but (who) love discovering things. … That’s how you stay alive, really, by discovering things.”
Reiter said she discovered OLLI online shortly after moving to Fort Collins while searching for things to do. She began teaching comedy workshops, as she spent 15 years doing stand-up in New York, and later signed up for classes herself. Reiter said she’s gained multiple new passions thanks to the courses she has taken.
“Poetry has become a new passion and … also learning about Colorado,” Reiter said. “I’m going to take a class where we go into the hills and we learn about the geology, the rock formations, how the mountains were formed, what kind of wildlife lives here (and) what kind of plants and trees (grow here), and that’s a new thing for me because I’m new to Colorado.”
Reiter said OLLI helped her reconnect with her inner childlike curiosity for the world around her.
“No matter what the class you take is, you come out with a deeper understanding of … how many things that you could be in awe of, and you just come back feeling excited about the world again,” Reiter said.
Reach Maiya Kreamer at life@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.
