Osher Lifelong Learning Institute slates January Thaw event

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Western Michigan University will host its third annual January Thaw from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14, in the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, 314 S. Park St. The snow date for the event is Wednesday, Jan. 21.

January Thaw has become the institute's traditional kick-off to its winter/spring semester of activities for mature adults. It is free and open to the public, but registration is requested at wmich.edu/olli/courses. Refreshments will be provided.

This year's attendees will have the opportunity to meet Osher Institute instructors and others interested in lifelong learning, find out about new courses and trips planned, register and pay for upcoming activities, and engage in a book swap. They also will be able to learn about the KIA's current exhibits and visit KIA galleries at no cost.

During the winter/spring semester, 44 low-cost, noncredit courses and seven trips will be offered. The courses are short term, lasting one to six weeks, and take place on the WMU campus and at six other sites in the local community. Early bird course registration for Osher Institute members is now open. Nonmembers may register beginning Monday, Jan. 19.

For more information or to register for the January Thaw, visit the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at WMU at wmich.edu/olli or call the institute at (269) 387-4200.

Wide variety of courses, trips

The winter/spring semester features the largest number of courses, interest groups, events and trips that the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute has offered. The courses cover topics such as technology, health, art, history and politics while the trips provide fun and educational daylong excursions to area points of interest.

Courses

• Flower Arranging.
• Genetics and Health.
• Finding Your Family in a University Library.
• Adventures in Mindfulness.
• Life and Death: A Guide to Planning Funerals and Living Well.
• Can Jesus and Darwin Live in the Same Neighborhood?
• Basic Concepts of Photography: Moving Beyond Point and Shoot.
• Sharp as a Tack: Improving Cognitive Function at Any Age.
• The Real Road to Wellville: Dr. John Harvey Kellogg and the History of the Battle Creek Sanitarium.

Day trips

• The North American International Auto Show Jan. 21.
• The Opera Grand Rapids performance of Puccini's lyrical opera Tosca April 29.
• The historic Cranbrook House and Gardens and the Detroit Institute of Arts May 13.
• Underground railroad sites in Cass County May 20.
• The automobile and military museums of Auburn, Indiana, June 3.

Trips are offered in cooperation with the AAA Travel Agency out of Omaha, Nebraska. Reservations may be made by mailing a completed registration form with payment or calling (800) 887-4791.

About the institute

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at WMU provides intellectual and cultural learning experiences for mature adults in an informal and stimulating environment. It is open to the public but those who become members receive benefits such as early bird registration opportunities and reduced course and trip fees.

Courses and other activities are developed by institute members with the support of staff members in WMU's Extended University Programs office. Instructors are volunteers, most of whom are retired college and university faculty members or experts from the local community.

The complete winter/spring semester catalog and registration details are available online at wmich.edu/olli or by calling the Extended University Programs office at (269) 387-4200. Those interested in the upcoming activities should visit the Winter/Spring 2015 Catalog page, as this page contains corrections and updates to material presented in the catalog.