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| BATON ROUGE – LSU Continuing Education was recently awarded a $100,000 grant from The Bernard Osher Foundation to establish the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, or OLLI, at LSU. The funding will support educational programs for people over 50 – many of whom are entering retirement – providing them with the opportunity to re-tool their skills for the future, explore new topics, discuss current events and actively engage with peers from all walks of life. “LSU Continuing Education’s mission includes identifying, creating and supporting lifelong learning through quality programs that are timely and capitalize on the university’s expertise,” said Doug Weimer, executive director of Continuing Education. “This generous grant will help share LSU’s resources with a growing segment of our community.” The first and only Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in Louisiana, OLLI at LSU will house the university’s successful Lagniappe Studies Unlimited program. Founded within LSU Continuing Education in 1996, Lagniappe is a member-driven, educational organization for persons 50 years old and older. The program has 781 members and last year alone conducted nearly 80 courses attracting more than 2,500 participants. Lagniappe Studies Unlimited courses range from Spanish for Travelers and Advanced French, to Backstage at the Symphony and Digital Photography. OLLI at LSU will join 111 other institutes located on university and college campuses throughout 47 states and the District of Colombia. The Osher Foundation grant to LSU Continuing Education may be renewable each year for up to two additional years. The foundation also offers funded institutions the opportunity to qualify for a $1 million endowment grant should the institution demonstrate the potential for success and sustainability. “The Bernard Osher Foundation is delighted to include Louisiana State University among its grantees in the growing national network of Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes,” noted Mary Bitterman, Foundation president. “We are confident that the Osher Institute at LSU will build upon the fine work already accomplished by the Lagniappe Studies Unlimited program, and we know that other network participants will learn a great deal from LSU’s experience in serving the intellectual and social needs of seasoned adults in Baton Rouge and beyond.” The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at LSU provides innovative, evolving educational programs for people over 50. The Institute’s provocative courses, forums and interest groups are designed to challenge and inform, as well as to encourage creative expression. OLLI affords the opportunity to join a collegial learning community of peers and functions as a financially self-sustaining institute within a university setting. For more information on the institute, visit the Web site http://www.cel.sfsu.edu/olli/about.cfm. - 30 - |
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