LEARNING

DOESNT HAVE AN
EXPIRATION DATE

SEPT. 21
NAMED
LIFELONG
LEARNING
DAY IN
HONOR OF
THE OSHER
LIFELONG
LEARNING
INSTITUTE.

Miranda Squires, Staff Reporter

MSQUIRES@CSUMB.EDU

Santa Cruz mayor Lynn

Robinson has declared Sept.
21 Lifelong Learning Day
in Santa Cruz. This movement is in association with
Osher Lifelong Learning
Institute (OLLI)s 30th anniversary at UC Santa Cruz,
and honors more than 100
national OLLI programs
that have been established all over the country.
The OLLI center at CSU
Monterey Bay is one of
those, and though many
students may not know
the impact this educational
program has on the lives of
adults, it is important to become aware of its benefits
and support our local community of lifelong learners.
According to its course
catalog, OLLI is an adventure in intellectual, cultural,
and social exploration for
adults age 50 and better,
but is open to all ages who
are interested in acquiring new knowledge and
skills without the pressure
of units and final exams.
A report by the National
Center for Education Statistics (NCES) defines adult
education as non compulsory or voluntary learning
activities constituting a
continuous learning process throughout the life.
Intelligence doesnt necessarily depend on memorizing data or test scores.
Instead, developing abilities like problem-solving, group collaboration,
research, dedication, and
interpersonal skills may
be what creates a successful and efficient worker.

4 | Otter Realm | September 18, 2014

Experiencing, studying
and learning are building
blocks of knowledge, which
is what makes university
level courses such a significant part of the education process. According to
NCES, almost 45 percent
of adults participate in lifelong learning programs.
Scientific studies point
to the benefits of lifelong
learning activities such as
influencing positive mental
and physical stimuli, enhancing ones overall health
and well-being and forming personal connections
within a small community.
As students on the CSU
Monterey Bay campus,
supporting OLLI in creating innovative educational programs that help
those interested in gaining
knowledge and exploring
topics such as science, arts,
language, technology and
other areas, is an invaluable
part of becoming a close
knit learning community.
Learning doesnt have an
expiration date; therefore,
students of all ages should
support the OLLI program
and celebrate
Lifelong
Learning Day Sept. 21.
For those who are interested, there are some
discussions and talks in
the OLLI catalog that are

open to the public including Geomorphology: The

Science Behind Stunning
Central Coast Landscapes,
on Wednesday, Sept.24
from 11 a.m. to noon,
along with many others
.
The OLLI catalog consists
of more than just available
courses, but it is a collaborative schedule of seminars
and events that may be intriguing to the students of
CSU Monterey Bay. The
catalog offers a wide variety
of events to allow people to
[come] together to question, to wonder, [and] to
explore. [It is an] exciting
collection of offerings born
out of [a] passion for learning and a desire to share
[that] passion with others.
Lifelong Learning Day
will be announced at UC
Santa Cruzs OLLI annual
kick-off event at Stevenson
Events Center on the UCSC
campus, on Sunday, Sept.
21 at 10 a.m. People of all
ages are encouraged to support the OLLI program and
find out more information
about the courses & benefits
of this organization. We
are deeply appreciative that
the mission of our organization has been recognized by
Mayor Robinson, said Fred
DeJarlais, President of the
OLLI Board of Directors.

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