By Matthew Cimitile, University Communications and Marketing
A popular adult learning program that offers classes, workshops, lectures and social networking opportunities for individuals aged 50 and older is expanding its diverse educational offerings in St. Petersburg.
During the fall semester, adult learners can join the the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at USF St. Petersburg and take courses on storytelling, history, international politics, love, happiness and more from faculty and community experts.
“OLLI offers not just educational opportunities with fantastic faculty for attendees, but often social groups spawn from connections made in the classroom,” said Caryn Nesmith, director of community relations at USF St. Petersburg. “It really builds community.”
OLLI is a member-based community that provides high-quality, low-cost learning opportunities for older adults. An annual membership costs $50, and the average cost of an individual class is around $25.
The program has been highly successful on the USF Tampa campus for years, reaching thousands of adult learners, and launched last spring on the St. Petersburg campus.
“I took a social media class because I have recently started a business and wanted to learn how I could best utilize social media for those purposes,” said Denise Shields, a certified retirement coach who will also be teaching an OLLI course this semester. “It will be the first of many classes that I take.”
A handful of classes were offered during the initial semester. For the fall semester, thirteen classes are being taught, including:
- “Happiness: Finding Meaning and Wellbeing” by USF Anthropology Professor Heather O’Leary (older adults will take this class with students and even be interviewed by them on the themes explored during the course)
- “NATO: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” by Lynn Platt, a career U.S. Foreign Service official and co-founder of the St. Petersburg World Affairs Council
- “10 Foods that Define Florida” by USF Historian Gary Mormino
- “Retirement Planning: Beyond the Financials” by Certified Retirement Coach Denise Shields, PhD
- “Storytelling and (In)justice” by USF Criminology Professor Dawn Cecil
“When people are continuously learning, they are growing and connecting with others. I believe lifelong learning is one of the biggest keys to living a healthy and satisfying life,” Shields said.
USF has offered adult learning programs for more than 30 years. It was officially named the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in February 2005, following a generous donation from The Bernard Osher Foundation.
The Bernard Osher Foundation currently supports a network of 125 lifelong learning programs at colleges and universities nationwide, with eight located in Florida. Each program offers intellectually stimulating, non-credit learning opportunities specifically designed for adults aged 50 and older. There are nearly 1400 members through the USF Tampa campus.
USF St. Petersburg will hold an open house on this semester’s OLLI programming on September 15 from 10 a.m. to noon inside the University Student Center ballrooms. The event provides an opportunity for attendees to learn more about upcoming courses and meet the faculty and community experts teaching them.
“We are a premier research institution with world-class faculty doing really innovative and beneficial work. When we can find ways to harness this expertise that can benefit residents of our region, which this adult learning program does, it's a win-win,” said USF St. Petersburg Regional Chancellor Christian Hardigree.
You can find the OLLI catalog and register for Fall 2025 Classes and the open house here