Happy 20th Birthday to The Athenaeum—Home to Lifelong Learning at RIT

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A. Sue Weisler

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute members Al Ornstein, center, and Keith and Phyllis Hackleman, created a stained glass gift, Kaleidoscope Sunset, to honor the organization’s 20th anniversary.

Milestones are mostly age-related.

So it comes as no surprise that the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Rochester Institute of Technology, formerly The Athenaeum, is honoring its 20^th anniversary on June 1 with a gala celebration from 5 to 10 p.m. at the RIT Inn & Conference Center.

RIT’s learning center is a far cry from the Athenaeum founded in ancient Greece—but very similar in the principles of shared knowledge and intellectual enjoyment. It is the forerunner of the first Rochester Athenaeum established by RIT in 1829 where local citizens gathered to share ideas and friendship.

“OLLI at RIT is a wonderful success story and a testament to RIT’s legacy as a university that has always had strong roots in the community and a mission that includes lifelong learning,” says RIT vice president for government and community relations Deborah Stendardi. “As part of the RIT family, the members of OLLI contribute significantly to the vibrancy of our university and are wonderful ambassadors on behalf of RIT within the greater community.

“The 20^th anniversary is a great opportunity to recognize and celebrate their achievements and their love of learning.”

Not much has changed except the name—after being awarded a grant from the prestigious Bernard Osher Foundation last year—and the organization continues to honor creative expression and dialogue in a learning-for-learning-sake non-credit environment. In other words, OLLI @ RIT is proof that grey matter increases with age, a liberating experience for the 375 plus-active members (ages 50 and over) who embrace their talents and share them with one another.

Since 1987, OLLI at RIT has offered a variety-pack of classes, which are developed and conducted by members in a variety of fields—from arts, literature and sciences, to history and government. The courses run the genre gamut, from Shakespeare in Performance, Talking Back to Talk Radio, and The Uncivil Civil War, to Memoirs, Italian for Beginners and Second-Guessing the Academy.

And as Julie Blowers, OLLI’s program director, says, “Our logo, ‘A Class Act’ says it all. It’s a wonderful place where people can continue to teach, learn and remain active in their retirement years.”

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at RIT, formerly The Athenaeum, celebrates its 20^th anniversary as an academic-style learning center for adults over 50. Members enjoy unlimited participation in stimulating courses, social activities and travel tours, and access to RIT campus amenities. OLLI at RIT is open to the public and new members are welcome.