March 11-May 3 and May 6-31
Registration Opens February 12
The spring and summer semesters feature more than 100 courses and programs covering a wide variety of topics. The semester also includes Listening to Women, a 12-week series featuring women whose innovations and accomplishments, locally and globally, are influencing lives, and an Einstein Circle event with the preeminent political scientist Susan MacManus.
(Sarasota-Manatee) — Registration opens on February 12 for the spring and summer semesters at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Ringling College (OLLI at Ringling College). There are more than 100 classes, workshops, lectures, and other programs covering a rich diversity of subjects, including art appreciation, culture and travel, health and wellbeing, global issues, science, philosophy and religion, and more. Classes, lectures, Einstein’s Circle discussions, the Connections documentary film series, and other special events are held at OLLI at Ringling College’s interim headquarters at Temple Beth Sholom, 1050 S. Tuttle Ave., Building #1, Sarasota. Classes are also offered at State College of Florida in Lakewood Ranch, The Center on Anna Maria Island, and Westminster Point Pleasant in Bradenton. Weekly classes run two to eight weeks with half day and full day workshops also available. No refunds on lectures, workshops, or special events; registration is transferrable. To register, visit www.olliatringlingcollege.org or call 941-309-5111.
Exclusive to this semester is Listening to Women, a 12-session series featuring women whose innovations and accomplishments, locally and globally, are having an impact and influencing lives. The series takes place on Thursdays at 1 p.m. from March 14 to May 30 at Temple Beth Sholom. March sessions include “My Story: Breaking Barriers in Classical Music” with Ann Hobson Pilot (March 14); “Women Writers – Literature’s Warriors” with Diane Browne-Sterdt and Tanner Saxon (March 21); and “Visionary Women of the Avant-Garde” with Anne-Marie Russell (March 28). (See the website for complete schedule. For interviews with organizers and speakers, contact Su Byron at subyron@verizon.net.) Prices range from $190 for all 12 sessions to $30 per session. To register and for more information, call 941-309-5111, or visit www.olliatringlingcollege.org.
The Einstein’s Circle in March is “Politics from the Front Row” withSusan MacManus, PhD, the Distinguished Emerita of Government and International Affairs at the University of South Florida-Tampa where she taught 30 years prior to her retirement. With both hindsight and foresight, MacManus will discuss what happened in November 2016 and how things are shaping up for the 2020 elections on Wednesday, March 6, 2:30-4 p.m., at Temple Beth Sholom. $9 for Gold Members; $10 for Silver Members and general admission. To register, call 941-309-5111, or visit www.olliatringlingcollege.org.
Inner Voices: Sex, Intimacy, and Aging with Hedda Matza-Haughtonexplores the unspoken truths about sex, intimacy, and aging through the eyes and souls of four different characters all performed by Matza-Haughton LCSW, who is an actor, drama director, teaching artist, social worker, consultant, and health educator. She has been integrating drama into her work in schools and other community settings locally and nationally for more than 25 years, and is the president and founder of For the Health of It Consultation Services, co-chair of Arts for Health Sarasota-Manatee, Inc., and creator of the nationally-acclaimed “Laugh For the Health of It” and improvisational drama program “Words Not Spoken.” Matza-Haughton’s presents on Thursday, March 7, 2:30-4 p.m., at Temple Beth Sholom. $15. To register, call 941-309-5111, or visit www.olliatringlingcollege.org.
OLLI at Ringling College’s documentary film series, “Connections: Exploring Today’s Global Issues,” is an opportunity for students to connect to many of today’s pressing global issues via the penetrating perspectives of contemporary documentary films. The moderator of the series is Julie Cotton, a member of the Advisory Council’s Strategic Program Committee, executive coach, and aficionado of documentary films. The spring term features “Mercury 13” (March 12), a remarkable story of the women who were tested for spaceflight in 1961 and who reached for the stars but were ahead of their time. “Served Like A Girl” (April 2) is an engaging and honest look at an often-unseen reality for women veterans. Students may register for the entire series or for individual films. The films are shown on Tuesdays, 2:30-4:30 p.m., at Temple Beth Sholom. Fees are per film $11 for Gold Members; $12 for Silver Members and general admission. To register, call 941-309-5111, or visit www.olliatringlingcollege.org.
Janna Overstreet is OLLI at Ringling College’s executive director. Lifelong learning is both her passion and profession.
“Studies show that lifelong learning enhances our understanding of the world around us, improves our quality of life and boosts health and longevity,” says Overstreet. “We offer educational opportunities for adults to pursue new interests, expand intellectual horizons and enrich their lives.” She adds that courses cover a wide range of stimulating topics and are taught by scholars, retired university faculty members, and professional practitioners in an engaging, collaborative manner.
“Our motto is “Stay Curious. Stay Connected,’” she says. “That’s exactly what happens at OLLI at Ringling College. We provide people with vital intellectual and cultural stimulation in an informal, supportive atmosphere encouraging them to be open to new ideas, perspectives, and solutions. Our students and faculty engage in creative discussions that open up new worlds of ideas and insights. The OLLI learning environment encourages connection to other students, faculty, and to the community in which we live. Building community is what sets us apart; we embrace and encourage growth of that distinction through opportunities for social discourse and by providing volunteer leadership opportunities within our organization. We are a student-driven organization. The result is a program that is a true meeting of the minds between the institution of higher learning and students pursuing knowledge for enlightenment and joy.”
About Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Ringling College
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Ringling College, or OLLI at Ringling College (formerly Ringling College Lifelong Learning Academy), offers noncredit educational opportunities for adults to pursue new interests, expand intellectual horizons and enrich their lives. Courses cover a wide range of stimulating topics and are taught by scholars, retired faculty members, and professional practitioners in an engaging, collaborative manner. Visit www.olliatringlingcollege.org.
About Ringling College of Art and Design
Since 1931, Ringling College of Art and Design has cultivated the creative spirit in students from around the globe. The private, not-for-profit fully accredited college offers the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 12 disciplines and the Bachelor of Arts in two. The College’s rigorous curriculum employs the studio model of teaching and immediately engages students through a comprehensive, first-year program that is both specific to the major of study and focused on the liberal arts. The Ringling College teaching model ultimately shapes students into highly employable and globally aware artists and designers. www.ringling.edu.