Study Groups Build on Common Interests

When Dorothy Strickler,comes to her weekly Study Group meeting at Bradley University, she knows she will be changed.                                           

This is the typical outcome for a new program, offered by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Bradley (OLLI), which brings together individuals, age 50 and over, to explore common interests in a concentrated way. 

Based on the concept of peer learning, Study Groups are informal classes in which each group member contributes as both a resource and participant.  The facilitator, who is generally the organizer of the class, assists the process by contributing readings and activities to direct the discussion.  Study Groups usually meet once or twice a week for up to eight weeks.

Now in its second year, OLLI Study Groups have already served nearly 200 individuals who are choosing to continue their education in their late career and post-career lives.
“The OLLI study group gave me a new perspective,” says OLLI member, Dorothy Strickler.  “Not only did our instructor lead us in thought-provoking discussion, but she gave us enlightening information.”

Study Groups have other benefits according to Brooks McDaniel, another OLLI Study Group member.  “We learn from each other and encourage each other, and getting together motivates and enriches our lives and our lifelong learning.  We imagine possibilities through association that would never have occurred to us alone.”

In a recent Study Group about life story writing, participants shared their memories of growing up.  “Even though members’ age range covered over 20 years and two generations, it was clear that the writing was a bridge.  After the class ended, several of the members continued to meet informally to discuss their writing—and more,” said the group’s facilitator, Carla Rich Montez.

Beginning in January, more Study Groups are being offered on topics including green gardening, learning Spanish, and chance.  For more information, contact Jon Neidy, director of the OLLI program, at 309.677.2374

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Bradley University is a group of over 700 individuals, age 50 and over, who learn together through three distinct programs:  OLLI Classes, OLLI Study Groups, and OLLI Learning Trips.  Now in its 15th year, OLLI offers nearly 100 educational events each fall and spring with additional programs available during its abbreviated winter and summer sessions.