Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Berkshire Community College
Fall 2023 Course Schedule
September 18 - November 9
No tests, no grades, just learning for the joy of learning!
Click on the course names below for individual course descriptions and instructor bios. All times are Eastern.
Classes marked limited registration may fill up quickly.
Our schedule includes courses online and in-person at Berkshire Community College, 1350 West Street, Pittsfield, MA; Kimball Farms, 235 Walker Street, Lenox, MA; Williams College, 880 Main St, Williamstown, MA; the Berkshire Museum, 39 South St, Pittsfield, MA; and on the hiking trail!
Most courses held online are recorded so if you miss one, or your schedule doesn't work for a particular course, you can access the recordings and watch the class sessions on your own time. (Note: in-person classes are not recorded.)
Watch the Open House for Online Classes!
Online registration is closed, but to register by phone call the OLLI at BCC office at 413.236.2190.
We look forward to seeing you!
(Note: you need to be an OLLI at BCC member to register for courses. Membership information can be found here.)
2023 Fall Semester Course Schedule
-- Click on the course names below for full descriptions and instructor bios. --
MONDAYS
Times: 9:30 - 11:00 a.m. | The course will be a survey of the entire Middle East and North Africa from Morocco to Iran. In addition to looking at individual countries, we will look at history, culture, language, religions, oil and gas, and foreign relations. |
Times: 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. & Ed Lane | This
course will examine a range of issues related to Social Security and
Medicare including historical background, the structure of benefits and financing for each program,
alternative approaches to improving the solvency of each program, and a
look at how other countries provide social insurance and healthcare to
their populations. |
Times: 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. | Today's Headlines is a moderated discussion course that provides an opportunity to voice your opinions on national and international issues. |
Times: 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. | This class for genealogical research is designed to meet the needs of those who are new to searching their family tree as well as a good refresher course for anyone who may have researched in the past. CLOSED - AT CAPACITY |
TUESDAYS |
Times: 9:30 - 11:00 a.m.
|
The
novel reflects the racism, the religious fanaticism, the loss of civil rights,
and the violence Faulkner witnessed in the 1930s, and thus is quite pertinent
to the world we find ourselves in today. It also bears out what is probably the
most famous quote from Faulkner: “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”
|
Times: 9:30 - 11:00 a.m.
| This four-session online course includes discussion and brief writing exercises to help you examine your life history, explore your values and capture important insights. It offers advice, encouragement and a model structure to help you draft and complete your own legacy letter. |
Times: 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. | How do we assess true, resonating leadership for leaders... as well as for their followers? This is our primary goal. A second goal is to explore our own leadership styles, successes, and challenges. CLOSED - AT CAPACITY |
Times: 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. | This five-week course will discuss specific case studies from the 19th through 20th centuries whose impact on museums in the 21st century has been profound. |
Times: 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. | In this workshop-style course, participants will use the art and craft of storytelling to transform their personal story into one that connects with readers. CLOSED - AT CAPACITY |
Times: 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. | We will discover and listen to the compositions of those who wrote and played their own incredible music, and those extraordinary individuals who carried on their legacy and perform those remarkable creations. |
Times: 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. | Calling all adventurous foodies who love to travel! Enjoy learning everything about French food culture and vocabulaire. |
Times: 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. in-person at BCC Limit: 80 in-person, none online | This 4-class series aims to inspire home gardeners who want to get better at what they enjoy. We will discuss what autumn shut-down tasks are critical to garden health, while serving beneficial garden visitors, and how to organize plans to improve our efforts - and designs - for next year. |
WEDNESDAYS |
Times: 9:30 - 11:00 a.m.
| Topics to be discussed include the geologic happenings that shaped our landscape, land use history, climate impacts, basics for identification of common flora and fauna, and the interconnectedness of it all. CLOSED - AT CAPACITY |
Times: 9:30 - 11:00 a.m.
| In this class, we will look at how design, camera, sound, editing and performance create the meaning and the emotional impact of a good movie. We will look at classic films, old and new, to develop a deeper appreciation for how a movie works and why, in the end, our affection for it endures. |
Times: 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.
| This course will examine the role environmental law plays in the United States today in light of how that role has developed during the fifty years since the modern era of environmental law began. |
Times: 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. | Sessions will cover specific topics from before, during and after the Presidency, with particular attention to foreign and domestic issues as well as the political climate of the period. |
Times: 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. | This course is designed for people with no or very little experience with Argentine Tango. No partner is necessary! CLOSED - AT CAPACITY |
Times: 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. | Through the lens of common concerns in women's health, this dynamic series will review the role of movement, stress, sleep, nutrition and social connection and outline practical strategies for women to implement in their own lives to support optimal health and well-being. |
| The Artful Plate is about how to get beyond the daily routine of making meals, how to think about what makes food, no matter how simple, look delicious and inviting, and above all, how to have fun making that happen. Postponed till Spring |
Times: 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. | Have you always wanted to cruise or travel to Dubai, Egypt, or some other hotspot where everyone speaks Arabic? This interactive/engaging course teaches you basic literacy for shopping, eating, asking for help, directions, and basic cultural norms in Islamic countries. |
THURSDAYS |
Times: 9:30 - 11:00 a.m. Limit: 40
| A survey of many of the operatic masterpieces of Giuseppe Verdi including Oberto, La Traviata, Un Ballo, Aida. |
Times: 9:30 - 11:00 a.m. | This course will explore the challenges and opportunities inherent in our mobility systems. It will highlight the agencies and firms that serve Berkshire transportation needs – and hopefully, through the participation of key stakeholders, enable a discussion and dialog between users and providers of essential services. Postponed till Winter |
Times: 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. | The purpose of this course is to teach the introduction of African rooted dance techniques, from the African Diaspora using steps that are easy to follow. This course will help you understand the fundamental movements and the communication between Drummer and Dancer. |
Times: 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. | We will read poems by great poets such as Robert Frost, Elizabeth Bishop, John Keats, and Emily Dickinson and also fine contemporary poets such a Louise Glück, Philip Levine, and Henri Cole. We’ll study the way poets use traditional forms such as the sonnet and villanelle to harness their passions. CLOSED - AT CAPACITY |
Times: 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. Limt: 30 | As Colette put it, “the human face has always been my greatest landscape.” We will explore this landscape through a collection of her short stories. |
Times: 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. Limit: 30 | In this workshop-style class we will look at and work with key concepts that are the foundation of personal and spiritual growth including: self-acceptance; letting go; stories that do not serve you; forgiveness of self and others; fearlessness; and opening the heart and dropping judgements. |
FRIDAYS |
Times: 9:30 - 11:00 a.m.
| Paradise Lost still retains the power to engage readers in its universal drama. The emphasis in this class will be on the experience of reading the poem: How does Milton draw us into his grand vision? What happens to us as we read? |
Times: 9:30 - 11:00 a.m. Limit: 20 | A collection of geometric areas of math used to create a variety of arts and crafts, peppered with some math jokes, quotes and puzzles to stimulate the mind. |
Times: 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. | Join us to discuss science news appearing in the Tuesday “Science Times” section of The New York Times, plus magazines and journals. |
Times: 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. | Where is wisdom to be found? In this course we will explore what various areas have to offer. What positives and negatives do they present? What can we learn from each? The course will be part lecture and part discussion. |
Times: 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. Limit: 20 | In this highly participatory course, each week will focus on the works of a single author or author-illustrator, as we have fun reading aloud, looking closely at illustrations, and examining the ways that a wonderful picture book can be illuminating and inspiring for all generations. CLOSED - AT CAPACITY |
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Please note that you must be an OLLI at BCC member and have created a login account to register for classes online. How to create a login account. You can register by phone from 9:00 a.m. through 4:00 p.m. Eastern at 413.236.2190.
OLLI: the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Berkshire Community College |
