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photo credit Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes

Now a network of 117 higher education institutions spread across the country, Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes (OLLI) offer college-level courses designed to appeal to the interests and experience of older adults. OLLI programs are adapted to the needs and desires of the communities they serve, but they benefit from OLLI’s National Resource Center, which provides a network for sharing innovations in lifelong learning and also sponsors an annual conference. The institutions comprising OLLI range from top research universities to community colleges, and all provide unique programs.

Duke University’s is one of the most successful Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes in the country. The program began as the Duke Institute for Learning in Retirement, which was founded in 1977 as a joint venture between Duke Continuing Education and the Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development. Duke became one of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes in 2004.

photo credit Project SHINE

“When I first came to America, I only knew a couple letters.  I couldn't communicate with anybody.  And I learned about this program and I started (to learn English).  I have been here for three years and now I have built a basic vocabulary that I can carry my daily life.  It basically helped me to live in America." -Project SHINE participant

In the early 1980s, Nancy Henkin, founder and director of the Intergenerational Center at Temple University, was shocked by the news that loneliness and social isolation led an elderly Asian woman to commit suicide, at a time when it was commonly assumed that older immigrants were part of tight-knit and supportive communities. Henkin realized that older immigrants often struggle with language barriers, changes in customs, and differences in social roles more than their younger counterparts, and began working to establish a program that could support them.  Project SHINE was launched in 1985, to reach out and provide aging immigrants with language and cultural resources to help them adapt in their new community. 

The age 65+ population is expected to double by 2030.  How are local communities preparing for this change?  This fall, a new n4a-led, MetLife Foundation-funded survey will look closely at the progress underway in every aspect of community life--including land use and zoning, housing, transportation, social services and civic engagement.

With its partners, the International City/County Management Association, Partners for Livable Communities, the National Association of Counties, the National League of Cities, and the American Planning Association, n4a will poll 10,000 cities and counties across the nation, and look at advances made since the last “Maturing of America” survey was conducted in 2005.   The earlier study found that while initial steps were being taken, much more needs to be done.  n4a will issue a report on this year’s follow-up survey in May, 2011.  Stay tuned!

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A national program that provides a searchable, web-based directory of services, information, and resources for communities across the country.

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An organization that gives low-income families the tools to improve their lives by bringing them access to technology.