Keep Learning, Keep Growing, Have Fun
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at UMass Boston is a vibrant community for adults who wish to pursue lifelong learning and social connections in a relaxed non-competitive environment.
There are no entrance requirements, grades, or tests; no college background is needed. We value your experience and your love of learning.
Create friendships, experience personal growth and learn new things through a wide variety of courses, lectures, events, shared interest groups, discounted theatre performances, and domestic and international travel opportunities offered throughout the year.
Our goal is to enable our members to thrive in life’s second half.
Join Us. OLLI at UMass Boston WELCOMES YOU!!
There's so much to do at UMass Boston's OLLI...
- Learn about our variety of programs. From courses to theatre trips to overnight travel, OLLI at UMass offers several opportunities for older adults to engage and connect with their peers.
- Mango Languages. A free subscription to Mango Language is an OLLI membership perk. Learn up to 70 languages on your own time. Current OLLI members can request a username and password from the OLLI office.
- Social Groups. OLLI's Shared Interest Groups (SIGs) meet outside the normal OLLI class environment to discuss and enjoy mutual interests and hobbies. Each group is different depending on its focus, and all provide interesting lifelong learning opportunities as well as fun social experiences.
About Us
Part of the UMass Boston's Gerontology Institute, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at UMass Boston brings together curious older adults through courses, presentations, trips, and social activities. OLLI is affiliated with the national network of learning in retirement programs organized by the Bernard Osher Foundation.
Who We Are
We are a community of older adults who enjoy satisfying our curiosity of new ideas and experiences while connecting with our peers. We reside in over 80 communities within the state of Massachusetts (mainly Boston and the South Shore), and thanks to OLLI's online programs, we have members engaging in our programs from different states. Our members range from those born in 1974 to those who have celebrated their 98th birthday!
What We Do
No specific background or education level is required to join, just an interest in learning, the desire to participate actively with your peers, and an open mind.
Through a modestly priced membership, OLLI provides over 200 learning opportunities every year through our non-credit courses, special lectures, social events, theatre outings, and field trips in the United States and abroad. OLLI at UMass Boston values the diversity of its members, staff, facilitators, and volunteers, and we strive to model and promote a welcoming environment by embracing our community, which includes differences in race, socioeconomic status, cultural background, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, and educational background.