UK Happenings

OLLI Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Lifelong Learning at UK

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 22, 2014) – The University of Kentucky Osher Lifetime Learning Institute (OLLI) will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Lifelong Learning Jubilee at 10:45 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 29, in the Keene Barn and Entertainment Center at Keeneland.

The event will feature special guest UK President Eli Capilouto and the debut of a video titled "Celebrating 50 Years of Lifelong Learning at UK."  Entertainment will include the UK Niles String Quartet, and musician Tedrin Blair Lindsay, UK vocal coach and lecturer. Reservations for this limited-seating event are $35 and include dinner. All guests who wish to attend the 50th Anniversary Lifelong Learning Jubilee are asked to register by Thursday, Oct. 23. To register for this event, click here.

UK's lifelong learning program was the brainchild of former UK President Herman Donovan, who envisioned a program for continuing education for persons 65 and older. In 1961, he proposed to the White House Conference on Aging that colleges and universities, particularly public ones, owed the success of their institutions to the work, support, gifts, taxes and votes of their elders, and could easily provide an opportunity for educational resources to them.

Three years later, the UK Board of Trustees approved the Herman L. Donovan Fellowship for Senior Citizens, allowing a tuition waiver for individuals over the age of 65. The first 16 Donovan Scholars, ranging in age from 65 to 84 years old, were admitted in the fall of 1964.

Since then, UK has worked through the Donovan Fellowship and OLLI to ensure that "curiosity never retires" in the Commonwealth. Through tuition waivers and community-based classes, workshops, and social events, Kentuckians over the age of 50 find intellectual stimulation, physical activity, creative outlets and social engagement.

Now in its 50th year, UK's lifelong learning program maintains the Donovan Fellows tuition waiver for students over 65. Fifty-three degrees, including five doctorates, have been earned through the program, and today more than 1,500 intellectually ambitious members enroll in more than 100 educational and enrichment courses in Lexington, Morehead and Somerset.

Additionally, OLLI at UK has evolved to include non-credit educational programs and shared interest groups. These are held not only in Lexington but also in Morehead and Somerset. The beginning participation age for community events has been lowered to 50. These expansions were made possible when the Bernard Osher Foundation invited UK to join a national network of institutes to encourage professional collaboration with other universities. The Bernard Osher Foundation supported OLLI by providing a grant in 2006, when the program became one of 117 Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes across the United States.

OLLI is administered through the UK College of Public Health on the Lexington campus. A variety of courses are offered including humanities, technology, foreign languages, studio and performing arts, as well as wellness and fitness. OLLI members can also participate in shared interest groups, participate in musical productions, take day trips and attend seminars.

To learn more about OLLI membership opportunities, call (859) 257-2656 or visit the OLLI website. 

MEDIA CONTACT: Mallory Powell, mallory.powell@uky.edu