Our 2024-25 academic year is going to be a busy one! Let's raise a glass in celebration at Happy Hour mixer organized by our Member Services Committee on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 3:30–6 PM, at Zino (2086 Allston Way, Berkeley) in the Hotel Shattuck. Come solo or bring a friend. All are welcome! This is a no-host (but yes-fun!) gathering. No need to RSVP. Hope to see you there!
The Village Movement is a membership organization that connects older adults to the community, programming, and expertise they need to continue living lives of agency and purpose, and empowers them to remain in charge of their lives as they age. There are hundreds of Villages in the U.S. At this month's OLLI @Berkeley Vital Aging Forum, guest speaker Roberta Pressman will discuss the Movement in general, and Ashby Village specifically, which serves communities throughout the East Bay. Plus answer your questions.
[For members only • Learn more and register]
Join us for a discussion about the rise of the gender affirmative model and the political push against it, with a special focus on the increase among children and young people living in genders beyond two boxes. The presentation will be done jointly by three of the directors at the UCSF Interdisciplinary Child and Adolescent Gender Center: Diane Ehrensaft, Ph.D. (Director of Mental Health); Abby Cobb-Walch, M.D. (Director of Advocacy); and Joel Baum, M.A. (Director of Education).
[Free and open to all • Learn more and register]
Join us for a guided tour of the Berkeley campus on a lovely (fingers crossed) fall afternoon — Friday, Oct. 11, 1–3 PM. We'll meet at 12:45 PM at the Koret Visitor Center on Goldman Plaza at the CA Memorial Stadium at 2207 Piedmont Avenue, Berkeley. Tours end near Sproul Plaza, an approximately 10 minute walk from the Visitor Center. Limited spots available!
[For members only • Learn more and register]
Join us for an exciting winter season of learning and discovery! Registration opens Monday, Oct. 14, at 9 AM. In the meantime, flip through our winter brochure. Dive deep into music and the brain, the politics of climate change, a rock and roll road trip, science, film, writing, literature, and more. Courses are exclusively for OLLI @Berkeley members. Learn about all the benefits of being a member, as well as our fee assistance program. Classes — in person and online — start the week of Jan. 21 with new ones rolling out through mid-Feb.
We live in a moment of extreme contention and discord when it comes to the circulation of information, a problem made potentially far worse with the rapid spread of AI-generated speech. What role should the media play in our lives and in our societies? How can we ensure the responsible production and consumption of information in the media? This Words Over Time intergenerational dialogue between OLLI members and Cal undergraduates is intended to forge a civil discussion of the media that is engaging, innovative, transformative, and empowering. Facilitated by Berkeley's Darren Zook.
[For members only • Learn more and register]
For all the attempts to understand the state of American politics and the blue/red divide, we’ve ignored what economic and cultural loss can do to pride. What happens when a proud people in a hard-hit region suffer the deep loss of pride and are confronted with a powerful political appeal that makes it feel “stolen”? In this special Berkeley Homecoming event, National Book Award finalist and bestselling author Arlie Russell Hochschild discusses her latest work Stolen Pride: Loss, Shame, and the Rise of the Right.
[Free and open to all • In person on campus • Learn more]
Join us for a private tour of the Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond by longtime Rosie docent and OLLI member Simone Adair. Discover the fascinating stories of the American WWII Home Front, where ordinary people did extraordinary things to support the war effort. From workers in the defense industry to those on the home front, learn about the daily lives, social changes, and cultural shifts that shaped this pivotal period in American history.
[For members only • Learn more and register]
In this month's OLLI@Berkeley Vital Aging Forum, author Louise Nayer will address some of the major fears that appear before retirement: loss of community, loss of identity, health fears and also talk about the three years after retirement and beyond. She'll provide practical tools for soothing anxiety, give examples through those she's interviewed about the courage to try new adventures, as well as the courage to reach out to friends, old and new. Nourishing social connections and staying engaged and active have been great predictors of good health as we age. Everyone's journey is unique!
[For members only • Learn more and register]
Votes have been cast and winners announced. Let's review what happened in the Nov. 5 election, and what happens now. There is much to discuss. Facilitated by Berkeley's Darren Zook.
[For members only • Learn more and register]
Is fear shrinking your radius of activity? Boost your confidence by building a mindset of safety and by learning simple and effective facts and techniques of self-defense in this month's in-person-only Vital Aging Forum with Christine Schoefer.
[For members only • Learn more and register]