Osher Institute offering summer 2015 classes, trips
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Fifteen short-term courses and three daylong trips are being offered this summer by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Western Michigan University.
The summer courses and trips are for personal enrichment and aimed at mature adults. The first of these activities began June 2, but plenty of others are being staged on varying days throughout June, July and August.
Courses and trips
Technology is once again a popular course topic. One class focuses on using and interconnecting "smart" tablets, cell phones and streaming devices, while four classes focus on digital photography or photo manipulation.
Cultural as well as health subjects also are being addressed. They include the effects Africans have had on America's Euro-centric cultural scene, the social history of baseball, brain fitness research and memory loss, and the wellness benefits of group hikes, a class that features outings on prominent Kalamazoo County hiking trails.
One of the three trips scheduled will take participants to Comerica Park Thursday, Aug. 27, for a prime afternoon baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Angels.
The other two excursions feature attractions in northern Indiana. First up will be a visit to the automobile and military vehicle museums in Auburn Wednesday, June 3. It will be followed by tours of various noted gardens, murals, and art and architecture in the Elkhart area Wednesday, Aug. 5.
Additional information
For a summer catalog or course registration, go online to wmich.edu/olli, call WMU's Extended University Programs office at (269) 387-4200, or visit that office on the main campus in 3202 Ellsworth Hall.
Reservations for trips, which are offered in cooperation with AAA, may be made by calling (800) 887-4791.
About the Osher Institute
WMU's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute provides low-cost, short-term, noncredit learning experiences for mature adults in an informal and stimulating environment.
There are no exams and no grades. Courses take place on campus and at local off-campus venues. They usually meet once a week for one to several weeks. Instructors are volunteers, most of whom are retired college and university faculty members or experts from the Greater Kalamazoo area.
Institute courses and trips are open to the public, but those who become members of the organization receive such benefits as early registration opportunities and reduced activity fees.
For more news, arts and events, visit wmich.edu/news.