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• Summer Two 2026 OLLI Term

  • Start
    Monday, July 13, 2026
  • End
    Friday, August 21, 2026
  • Location
    Online and In-Person

  OLLI at Berkshire Community College
  

  Summer Two 2026 Term

  Beginning July 13, 2026

  Online Registration Closed. Call 413-236-2190 to register.
  

  
  

  Our Summer Two term runs July 13 - August 21, 2026, and includes a mix of in-person, online, and hybrid (online and in-person) courses. All classes take place in Eastern Time.

  Summer Two 2026 course descriptions can be found here.

  Hiking classes are using a separate registration form. Register for hiking classes here.
  

  Course cost:
  $60 for one courses
  $110 for 2 courses
  $150 for 3 or more courses

  To sign up for courses, you need to be an OLLI at BCC member. (Not a member yet? Join here.) Not sure which classes you want to take? Sign up for one or more Flexpasses, which allow you to attend six individual class sessions of your choice within a semester, as long as the class is not full. Click here to learn more about Flexpasses.

  Note that our online courses are recorded, unless otherwise noted. If you cannot attend live, or if you miss a session or two, you can access that course's Padlet for the recording link and watch it at your convenience.

  Questions? Contact us at olli@berkshirecc.edu or 413.236.2190. We look forward to hearing from you!

  OLLI at BCC Sponsors include: Berkshire Health Systems
  

  Show details
• Jacob's Pillow with OLLI at BCC

  • When
    Friday, August 14, 2026
  •  
    11:45 AM
  • Location
    Jacob's Pillow, 358 George Carter Road Becket, Massachusetts 01223
  • Spaces left
    0

  Join waitlist

  The OLLI at BCC Special Events Committee presents an afternoon at
  

  Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival

  Martha Graham Dance Company
  

  Friday, August 14, 2026

  Norton Owen, Preservation Director,
  will talk at Blake’s Barn at 11:45 a.m.

  Bring a Bag Lunch – OLLI chefs provide desserts and drinks
  

  
  

  Martha Graham Dance Company
  

  Schedule:

  11:45 a.m. Talk with Norton Owen, Historian and Founding Director of Preservation, at Blake’s Barn

  12:30 p.m. Lunch (bring a bag lunch with you, our OLLI chefs will provide dessert and drinks) 

  1:00 p.m. Dessert

  2:00 p.m. Performance

  Martha Graham Dance Company celebrates their 100^th anniversary! Founded in 1926 by the legendary contemporary dancer Martha Graham, it is the oldest American dance company. It has been called "one of the great dance companies of the world” by The New York Times and “one of the seven wonders of the artistic universe” by The Washington Post. Many of the great 20th and 21st-century modern dancers and choreographers began their careers with this prestigious company, including Merce Cunningham, Pearl Lang, and Paul Taylor.                                

  Tickets are limited and seating will be in order received. 

  Wheelchair accessible seating is available, be sure to note that when you register.

  Ticket Prices:
  

  • OLLI at BCC Members: $103
  • Guests: $113
  • Dessert only with your own Jacob's Pillow Subscription: $9

  No refunds unless space is filled from a waiting list!
  This program is in-person at Jacob's Pillow
  358 George Carter Rd., Becket, MA

  Thank you to OLLI at BCC's Special Events Committee for organizing this and so many other great OLLI events!

  Show details
• Exploring Chinese Medicine: Pathways for Resilience and Wellbeing

  • Start
    Monday, August 17, 2026
  •  
  • End
    Monday, August 24, 2026
  •  
  • Schedule
    2 sessions
  • Location
    Berkshire Community College
  • Spaces left
    0

  Join waitlist

  Exploring Chinese Medicine: Pathways for Resilience and Wellbeing

  Monday, August 17 and 24
  10:30 am - noon. ET
  In-person at Berkshire Community College

  Program Cost:

  OLLI at BCC Members: $35
  Non-members: $45  

  The two-part series will include Chinese Medicine Strategies for Treating:

  Part I:  Stress and Exhaustion:

  • Suggested lifestyle considerations for protecting your adrenal/ kidney function and staying in the healing (parasympathetic) rather than stress (sympathetic) state
  • Chinese medical treatments for hypertension, fatigue, upper back and neck tension, headaches, weak digestion, and insomnia
  • Practice time for "Rage on the Page" an enpowering tool to release emotions that can lead to chronic pain, migraines, fatigue and other physical disease

  Part 2:  Allergies and Immune Function:

  • Invigorating qigong practices to open your lungs, clear your sinuses, and boost immunity
  • Introduction to single and multiple ingredient Asian medicinal teas for immune support
  • Acupressure for colds, coughs, and allergies
  • The deeper mental-emotional patterns which science is now showing contribute to long term recurrent illnesses such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, fibromyalgia, chronic lyme, long-haul Covid, and extensive allergies.

  Note: please wear comfortable clothes and bring a notepad and writing utensil to class

  Come be guided by acupuncturist, herbalist, and qigong teacher Kelly Clady through the world of Traditional Chinese Medicine.  Having received her master's of science degree in San Francisco, Kelly has been practicing Chinese Medicine in the Berkshires now or nearly two decades; she spent over 6 years living in China in 4 different cities, and is thrilled to again bring her humorous style as well as her deeply passionate love of the Chinese language, culture, and medicine to OLLI.

  OLLI at BCC Sponsors include: Berkshire Health Systems

  

  Show details
• Strengthening Hope During Times of Conflict: The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies Work Between Israelis and Palestinians

  • When
    Tuesday, August 18, 2026
  •  
    4:00 PM
  • Location
    Hybrid In-person and Online

  Register

  OLLI at BCC Distinguished Speakers Series
  Sponsored by Kimball Farms Life Care 

  Strengthening Hope During Times of Conflict: The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies Work Between Israelis and Palestinians 

  
  

  Tuesday, August 18 at 4 p.m. ET
  Hybrid - In-person and Online via Zoom
  

  $10 for OLLI Members
  $15 for non-OLLI members
  Admission is free for students, staff and faculty from Berkshire Community College, MCLA, and Williams; youth 17 and under, and those holding WIC, EBT/SNAP, or ConnectorCare cards.
  

  Thirty years ago the doors of the Arava Institute opend on Kibbutz Ketura. Since then it has brought together Israelis (Jews & Arabs), Palestinians, Jordanians, Moroccans and other college age students from around the world to study and live together. These past years have been a stress test for the work of the Institute, but it has remained true to its mission. In addition to its academic program, the Institute is the home of a number of Transboundary research centers as well as the Center for Applied Environmental Diplomacy which is active in Gaza. Rabbi Michael Cohen, who has been involved with the Institute since its doors opened dividing his time between Vermont and Ketura, will share firsthand experiences, lessons, and insights from the past three decades.

  Rabbi Michael Margaretten Cohen is a faculty member of the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies. He is also the Director of Community Relations, for the Friends of Arava Institute. He teaches courses on conflict resolution, the Bible, and the environment. Rabbi Cohen has been a Policy Advisor to the Office of the Special Envoy for Middle East Peace, U.S. Department of State and a Speechwriter Adviser to the Office of the White House Speechwriters. He has served on the Advisory Board of the Middle East Peace Partnership (MEPPA) of USAID established by Congress. Cohen, the rabbi emeritus of the Israel Congregation in Manchester Center, Vermont is the author of numerous articles that have appeared in the Middle East and the United States. He has been a regular Torah commentary in the Jerusalem Post as well as being an ongoing columnist in the Jerusalem Post. He is the author of "Einstein's Rabbi: A Tale of Science and the Soul."  He also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Burr & Burton Academy,  the Mount Equinox Preservation Trust, KaTO Architecture, and the Jerusalem Peacebuilders. He is a recipient of the Eliav Sartawi Award for Middle East Journalism from the Search for Common Ground.

  OLLI at BCC is also sponsored by Berkshire Health Systems

  
  

  Show details
• OLLI at BCC and BNRC Joint Hike - Clam River

  • When
    Wednesday, August 19, 2026
  •  
    9:30 AM
  • Location
    Clam River, Sandisfield
  • Spaces left
    0

  Join waitlist

  OLLI at BCC and Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC) Joint Hike

  
  

  Wednesday, August 19 at 9:30 a.m.

  Clam River

  The trail system at Clam River is like a bar bell with loop hikes at both ends.  For this hike, participants will hike the Wolf Tree Trail and the northern loop of trail system.  The Hammertown loop is among the most beautiful sections of this beautiful trail.  Part of the trail is along the top of the ridge above the river in a dense hemlock grove, perfect for a hike on a warm August day.

  Hikers will park at the Sandisfield town hall lot and carpool to the Hammertown trailhead. 
  
  Directions to the trailhead and additional information about the hike are at https://www.bnrc.org/reserves/clam-river

  OLLI at BCC and the BNRC are offering joint hikes this summer and fall. These hikes are free for OLLI at BCC and BNRC members.  You must register in advance and space is limited.

  All hikes are on Wednesdays and begin at 9:30 a.m. We strongly recommend using hiking poles. If you don’t have them, we can provide poles for the hike.  Good hiking shoes are essential. If we need to cancel the hike due to rain, we will notify participants by email by 7:00 a.m. the day of the hike.

  Registration will open on Monday, August 3 at 9 a.m.

  Show details
• Ice Cream and Intro to OLLI

  • When
    Thursday, August 20, 2026
  •  
    3:30 PM - 5:30 PM
  • Location
    Berkshire Community College
  • Spaces left
    78

  Register

  
  

  Ice Cream and Intro to OLLI
  All are welcome to attend!

  Join us to learn more about OLLI at BCC, attend sample mini-classes from the upcoming Fall Term, and meet with friends new and old while enjoying afternoon tea and treats! 

  Thursday, August 20, 2026
  3:30 - 5:30 p.m. at Berkshire Community College

  Free and open to the public.
  Registration required.
  

  Schedule
  

  3:30 p.m Welcome and Intro to OLLI 

  4:00 p.m. Treats and Tabling with OLLI members, volunteers, and staff. Tech help with registration will also be available.

  4:30 p.m. Sample classes

  
  

  Registration for Fall courses will open
  on Tuesday, August 18 at 10 a.m.

  Show details
• Workshop: At Risk for Falls? - Added Sessions

  • Start
    Tuesday, August 25, 2026
  •  
  • End
    Wednesday, August 26, 2026
  •  
  • Schedule
    2 sessions
  • Location
    Berkshire Community College
  • Spaces left
    7

  Register

  Workshop: At Risk for Falls? 

  
  

  New!  Additional Times!

  Two sessions:
  Tuesday and Wednesday, August 25 and 26, from 9:00 - 10:30 a.m. 
  at Berkshire Community College

  In-person only.

  Falls are some of the greatest risks older adults face.  As we age body systems change. By 65, 1 in 4 older adults falls each year. A fall can lead to injury, pain and decreased quality of life. Even if an individual does not sustain an injury, the fall can negatively impact an individual’s confidence and limit their activities. Efforts to maintain quality of life, participation in physical activities and confidence can be impacted by a fall.

  Recognizing risk factors and identifying mechanisms to reduce the risk of falls are important in maintaining quality of life and well-being. On Day 1 participants will complete a questionnaire and participate in a brief falls screening to examine to risk.  On Day 2, factors contributing to falls and strategies participants can employ to reduce the incidence of falling will be discussed.   Participants should be dressed in comfortable, movable clothing with closed-toe shoes. 

  Dr. Dale Scalise-Smith has held key leadership positions in higher education.  She has published in the area of motor development and control in typically and atypically developing children.  She led students, faculty and practitioners on humanitarian trips to Albania and Romania. As a consultant, she works with university leaders exploring diverse and innovative educational opportunities in physical therapy.  She has served in key positions for the American Physical Therapy Association’s Academy of Pediatrics and currently holds the position as Vice President for the International Organisation for Physical Therapists in Paediatrics, a subgroup of World Physiotherapy. Dr. Scalise-Smith currently resides in the Berkshires with her husband and dogs.  

  Cost: $30 for OLLI at BCC members,
             $35 for non-members

  Sign up today!
  

  Register online or call 413.236.2190 (M-F 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.) to register by phone with a credit card.  
  

  Show details
• The Minute Man Exhibition at Chesterwood

  • When
    Tuesday, August 25, 2026
  •  
    10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
  • Location
    Chesterwood
  • Spaces left
    0

  Join waitlist

  Join OLLI instructor Danielle Steinmann and curator Dana Pilson for a tour of:

  The Minute Man: Examining Patriotism, Victory, and Loss

  This program is part of the OLLI course "Spirit of '76"

  
  

  Tuesday, August 25, 2026
  Tour begins at 11:00 a.m.

  In-person only at Chesterwood

  
  

  
  

  Centered on Daniel Chester French's iconic Minute Man, a lasting symbol of American patriotism, this exhibition explores liberty, victory, and the sacrifices of military service through portraits, monuments, and memorials by French and other artists of his era. Contemporary works extend the conversation, offering fresh perspectives on these enduring themes. Curated by Dana Pilson, Chesterwood’s Curatorial Researcher and Collections Coordinator.

  
  

  Admission

  $20 OLLI Members and Guests

  Priority to OLLI members registered for Spirit of '76

  Space is limited, register today!

  Register online or call 413.236.2190 (M-F 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.) to register by phone with a credit card. 

  This event is part of OLLI's Rev250 Project celebrating the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. 

  Show details
• Workshop: At Risk for Falls?

  • Start
    Tuesday, August 25, 2026
  •  
  • End
    Wednesday, August 26, 2026
  •  
  • Schedule
    2 sessions
  • Location
    Berkshire Community College
  • Spaces left
    0

  Join waitlist

  Workshop: At Risk for Falls? 

  
  

  Two sessions:
  Tuesday and Wednesday, August 25 and 26, from 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
  at Berkshire Community College

  In-person only.

  Falls are some of the greatest risks older adults face.  As we age body systems change. By 65, 1 in 4 older adults falls each year. A fall can lead to injury, pain and decreased quality of life. Even if an individual does not sustain an injury, the fall can negatively impact an individual’s confidence and limit their activities. Efforts to maintain quality of life, participation in physical activities and confidence can be impacted by a fall.

  Recognizing risk factors and identifying mechanisms to reduce the risk of falls are important in maintaining quality of life and well-being. On Day 1 participants will complete a questionnaire and participate in a brief falls screening to examine to risk.  On Day 2, factors contributing to falls and strategies participants can employ to reduce the incidence of falling will be discussed.   Participants should be dressed in comfortable, movable clothing with closed-toe shoes. 

  Dr. Dale Scalise-Smith has held key leadership positions in higher education.  She has published in the area of motor development and control in typically and atypically developing children.  She led students, faculty and practitioners on humanitarian trips to Albania and Romania. As a consultant, she works with university leaders exploring diverse and innovative educational opportunities in physical therapy.  She has served in key positions for the American Physical Therapy Association’s Academy of Pediatrics and currently holds the position as Vice President for the International Organisation for Physical Therapists in Paediatrics, a subgroup of World Physiotherapy. Dr. Scalise-Smith currently resides in the Berkshires with her husband and dogs.  

  Cost: $30 for OLLI at BCC members,
             $35 for non-members

  Sign up today!
  

  Register online or call 413.236.2190 (M-F 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.) to register by phone with a credit card.  
  

  Show details
• 2026 OLLI Donor Appreciation Party

  • When
    Tuesday, August 25, 2026
  •  
    5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
  • Location
    The Mount, Lenox, MA

  Register

  

  You are invited to our
  

  OLLI at Berkshire Community College Donor Appreciation Event

  Join other members of the OLLIvers Circle

  Tuesday, August 25
  5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

  The Mount

  2 Plunkett Street

  Lenox, MA

  Enjoy heavy hors d'oeuvres, drinks, private tours of the house and grounds (weather permitting), and great company!

  Complimentary for OLLI at BCC donors for the 2025 - 2026 academic year and a guest.
  

  Show details
• OLLI at BCC and BNRC Joint Hike - The Boulders, Pittsfield/Dalton

  • When
    Wednesday, September 02, 2026
  •  
    9:30 AM
  • Location
    The Boulders, Pittsfield/Dalton
  • Spaces left
    20

  OLLI at BCC and Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC) Joint Hike

  
  

  Wednesday, September 2 at 9:30 a.m.
  The Boulders, Pittsfield/Dalton

  The Boulders is a 645-acre oasis tucked between Pittsfield, Dalton, and Cheshire.  Owned by the Crane family for more than a century, its six-miles of trails wind through diverse ecosystems.  Participants on this hike will take the Blue Trail to the Boulders at the top of the reserve where they will see the quartzite boulders for which the reserve is named.  Beautiful views to the east and south, are the reward for the moderate ascent and descent on a forest road once used by cars to visit this Berkshire destination.  Today, hikers see the mixed hardwood forest close up including oaks, maples, black cherry, hemlocks and white pines. 
  
  Directions to the trailhead and additional information about the hike are at https://www.bnrc.org/reserves/the-boulders 

  OLLI at BCC and the BNRC are offering joint hikes this summer and fall. These hikes are free for OLLI at BCC and BNRC members.  You must register in advance and space is limited.

  All hikes are on Wednesdays and begin at 9:30 a.m. We strongly recommend using hiking poles. If you don’t have them, we can provide poles for the hike.  Good hiking shoes are essential. If we need to cancel the hike due to rain, we will notify participants by email by 7:00 a.m. the day of the hike.

  Registration will open on Monday, August 17 at 9 a.m.

  Show details
• Allyn Burrows: TV or not TV: The Future of Shakespeare in the Berkshires

  • When
    Wednesday, September 02, 2026
  •  
    3:00 PM
  • Location
    Shakespeare and Company, Lenox, MA

  Register

  OLLI at BCC Performing Arts Initiative Presents:
  The Nancy Vale Memorial Talk

  Allyn Burrows, Artistic Director at Shakespeare and Company will speak on:

  TV or not TV:  The Future of Shakespeare in the Berkshires

  Wednesday, September 2, 2026
  3:00-4:30 pm (note time change from original posting)

  Free and open to the public, registration required.

  In-person at the Shakespeare and Company, Lenox, MA

  Allyn Burrows has been Shakespeare & Company’s Artistic Director since 2016. He was an artistic associate for several years and acted in numerous productions, including King John (King John), Much Ado About Nothing (Benedick), Henry V (Henry V), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Oberon), Henry IV, Part 1 (Hal), Measure for Measure (Angelo), Betrayal (Jerry), The House of Mirth (Lawrence Selden), Love’s Labours Lost (Berowne), Macbeth (Macduff), and The Complete Works of Shakespeare.

  Allyn was the Artistic Director of Actors’ Shakespeare Project in Boston for seven years where directing credits included Romeo & Juliet, Pericles, Jon Lipsky’s Living in Exile, Richard II, and The Tempest. Acting credits for ASP include The Winter’s Tale (Leontes), Henry VI Part 2 (Gloucester and Jack Cade), Henry VIII (Henry VIII), Twelfth Night (Malvolio), Henry IV, Parts 1 & 2 (Hotspur and Pistol), Timon of Athens (Timon), All’s Well that Ends Well (Parolles), King Lear (Kent), Measure for Measure (Duke Vincentio), and Richard III (Duke of Clarence). In the Boston area, he has performed in productions of Can You Forgive Her at the Huntington Theatre, Breaking the Code at Underground Railway Theatre, Shipwrecked at The Lyric Stage, Oceanside, The Seafarer, Pursuit of Happiness, and The Homecoming at Merrimack Repertory Theater, and Five by Tenn, at Speakeasy Stage. He was an Elliot Norton Award recipient for The Homecoming, King Lear, and Five by Tenn and an IRNE Award Winner for Breaking the Code. Off-Broadway credits include Bug, Killer Joe, Louis Slotin Sonata, Closetland, and The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd. He has worked at a number of theaters around the country, including Actors’ Theatre of Louisville, The American Conservatory Theatre, Long Wharf Theatre, The Denver Center, and The Walnut St. Theatre. Television credits include The Broad Squad, Law and Order, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, and Against the Law, and he can be seen in the films Don’t Look Up, The Company Men, Julie & Julia, and Manchester by the Sea.

  Please note this program will be held in a tented outdoor theater.

  Light refreshments will follow the talk.

  -----------------------------

  This event is supported through the generous philanthropy of Nancy and Michael Vale, whose bequest established the Michael and Nancy Vale Performing Arts Program at OLLI at Berkshire Community College. This endowed fund supports theater-based OLLI programming.

  Show details
• 2026 Walking Tours: Indian Town, Stockbridge

  • Start
    Saturday, September 05, 2026
  •  
    10:00 AM
  • End
    Sunday, October 04, 2026
  •  
    3:00 PM
  • Location
    Stockbridge, MA

  Register

  Walking Tours:
  Indian Town, Stockbridge, Mass.

  
  

  Seven Sessions to Choose From!

  All tours are in person and onsite, rain or shine.

  • Saturday, September 5 at 10:00 a.m.
  • Sunday, September 6, 1:00 p.m.
  • Saturday, September 12, 10:00 a.m.
  • Sunday, September 20, 1:00 p.m.
  • Saturday, September 26, 10:00 a.m.
  • Saturday, October 3, 10:00 a.m.
  • Sunday, October 4, 1:00 p.m. 

  
  

  Indian Town was chartered in 1737 as a mission to the Mohican tribe to teach them English, about Christianity and about English agricultural practices. Recently, the Stockbridge-Munsee community in Wisconsin worked with Housatonic Heritage and other local partners to create a tour of the most important Mohican sites along the main street of Stockbridge. Trained by one of the creators of the walking tour, OLLI members will lead participants along Main Street to learn about the Mohicans, who lived in what is now Stockbridge for thousands of years, and aspects of their culture which are still present today. Stops include the Carriage Barn at the Mission House, the burial grounds and the site of the 2021 archeological dig for the Mohican meeting house.
  

  This walk is approximately 1.5 mi. round trip, and the sidewalks are accessible. Participants should be prepared to be walking and standing for about two hours.

  This walking tour has been developed by the Stockbridge-Munsee Community highlighting the years in which they lived in Stockbridge. Presented in partnership with Housatonic Heritage. The walking tours are free and open to the public. 

  NOTE--Does not include a tour of the museum interior. An inside tour, for a fee, can be arranged before or after the free Heritage Walk.

  A more detailed description of the tour can be found here.

  For more information about the Stockbridge-Munsee Community, click here: https://www.nativeamericantrail.org/stockbridge-walking-tour/

  
  

  Show details
• Member Tour at the Berkshire Museum

  • When
    Tuesday, September 08, 2026
  •  
    10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
  • Location
    Berkshire Museum
  • Spaces left
    17

  Register

  OLLI Special Events presents:

  Berkshire Museum - Member Tour

  
  

  Tuesday, September 8, 2026
  Tour begins at 10:30 a.m.

  
  

  In-person only at the Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield

  
  

  Join OLLI for a tour of two special exhibitions at the recently reopened museum.

  
  

  
  

  Voices of Rebellion: Berkshires Revolutionary Legacy

  This exhibition commemorates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence while contributing to nationwide efforts to mark the United States’ semiquincentennial. It explores the role of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, and its residents in the lead-up to the American Revolution, with particular attention to how the conflict shaped the lives of historically marginalized communities, including women and Black and Indigenous people. This exhibition features dozens of pieces from the museum’s collection, including a rare “broadside” of the Declaration of Independence, printed by Ezekiel Russell on July 17, 1776.

  
  

  
  

  Mediterranea: American Art from the Graham D. Williford Collection

  On loan from the Graham D. Williford Foundation, this exhibition features seventy-three works of late 19th and early 20th century paintings. The works provide an overview of the Mediterranean region and the rich diversity of its nature and culture, as seen through the eyes of American artists. Their paintings capture the environment, the distinct colors and atmosphere, the varied flora and fauna, and the uniqueness of the people who lived an ocean apart.

  
  

  Admission

  $15 OLLI Members and Guests

  $5 OLLI Members with Berkshire Museum Membership

  
  

  Space is limited, register today!

  Register online or call 413.236.2190 (M-F 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.) to register by phone with a credit card. 

  This event is part of OLLI's Rev250 Project celebrating the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. 

  
  

  William Clothier Watts, Grazing Sheep, Temple of Luxor, Egypt, c. 1915. Watercolor on paper. The Jean and Graham Devoe Williford Charitable Trust.
  

  Show details
• Author Talk with Linda Kaye-Moses

  • When
    Wednesday, September 09, 2026
  •  
    4:00 PM
  • Location
    In-person at BCC
  • Spaces left
    73

  Register

  Join local author and artist Linda Kaye-Moses for a talk on her new novel: 

  The Argentera and the Tales of the Six Arabesques

  Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 4:00 p.m.
  In-person at BCC
  Free and open to the public

  

  For over six hundred years, a Jewish goldsmith’s journal, describing the making of an enameled necklace, has been wandering far from where it was created in the Alsace to the Berkshire hills of western Massachusetts. And on one bright spring day, in a used bookstore in upstate New York, the journal is finally found by Miriam, a studio jeweler and book lover. Feeling that the journal found her, she sets out to solve the mysteries the journal poses and find the lost jewel. From an ancient tale in the 5th century BCE to the journal’s original home in the 14th century, to Venice and Spain, Miriam’s search reveals long-held secrets, changing her life and the lives of those around her forever. The Argentera and the Tales of the Six Arabesques, a generation-spanning story, is ultimately about the stubborn, uncompromising and unshakeable strength of the human will and the possibility of transformation hidden in every object formed by a creative hand.

  
  

  

  Linda Kaye-Moses is an uppity, unruly octogenarian author and an award-winning studio jeweler, living a life amazed by the magic inherent both in writing and in her objets. She graduated from the University of Vermont with unofficial majors in psychology, drama, and ancient history, so, naturally, she has been making her jewels for five decades and has always been a writer. She is the author of The Argentera and the Tales of the Six Arabesques; Pure Silver Metal Clay Beads; and a self-published memoir, Roots Stems and Branches; A Recollection. Her writing was included in Strong Shoulders and in Writing Fire: An Anthology Celebrating the Power of Women’s Words. She was a Writer’s Digest 2023 Award Winner. She lives with her husband in an old farmhouse, surrounded by lilacs and the green hills of western Massachusetts.

  Show details
• It's Not What You Think: An American Woman in Saudi Arabia

  • When
    Thursday, September 10, 2026
  •  
    7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
  • Location
    Online via Zoom

  Register

  The OLLI Distinguished Speakers Series presents:

  
  

  It's Not What You Think: An American Woman in Saudi Arabia

  September, 10 at 7:00 p.m. ET

  Online via Zoom

  Sponsored by Kimball Farms Life Care

  Sabeeha will take you through her journey in her book, It’s Not What You Think. An American Woman in Saudi Arabia. What compelled her—a hospital executive, living in New York City—to relocate to Saudi Arabia, where women couldn’t even drive? What was it like to don the abaya? Did she feel restrained or liberated? Were women treated differently in the workplace? She will share the contradictions in the Saudi culture and the veiled power of women. She will take you on her pilgrimage to Mecca—the Hajj, and she will relate to you what it was like to be there on 9/11. It wasn’t what she thought.  
  

  Sabeeha Rehman, author, podcaster, blogger, playwright, and speaker on the American Muslim experience, is best known for her memoir Threading My Prayer Rug. She has co-authored with Walter Ruby, We Refuse to be Enemies. How Muslims and Jews Can Make Peace, One Friendship at a Time, and they co-host a podcast with the same title. Her third book is titled It’s Not What You Think. An American in Saudi Arabia. Her writings have been published in The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, New York Daily News, Forward, The Baltimore Sun, Washington Jewish Week, Tiferet, and Patheos.com. She and her husband Khalid have given over 250 talks on Islam in over 100 cities at houses of worship, academic institutions, libraries, and community organizations. 

  _________

  This lecture will be recorded and available for viewing at the convenience of registrants.

  Ticket information:
  

  Admission is $10 for OLLI at BCC members and $15 for the general public.

  Admission is free for students, staff and faculty from Berkshire Community College, MCLA, and Williams; youth 17 and under, and those holding WIC, EBT/SNAP, or ConnectorCare cards.

  

  Show details
• Envisioning a Better Future with Christopher Nye

  • When
    Monday, September 14, 2026
  •  
    4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
  • Location
    Online via Zoom and in-person at Berkshire Community College

  Register

  The OLLI Distinguished Speakers Series presents:

  
  

  Envisioning a Better Future
  with Christopher Nye

  September 14 at 4:00 p.m. ET

  Online via Zoom and in-person at Berkshire Community College
  Free and open to the public.

  Sponsored by Kimball Farms Life Care

  “Where there is no vision, the people perish,” says the proverb. In a time of anxiety, division, and uncertainty, a clear and constructive vision of the future can offer not only hope, but courage for the present. Drawing on ideas from his recent book, Beyond Tomorrow: Planning a New Civilization, Christopher Nye invites participants to imagine what a future of genuine human flourishing might look like. With broad and provocative strokes, he will explore alternative economic models, regenerative approaches to agriculture, and—most important—a transformed vision of education capable of changing how we think, solve problems, relate to one another, and draw on our deepest sources of meaning and strength. This presentation is not a blueprint for the future, but an invitation to envision one. Participants will be encouraged to consider how new ways of learning and living might help spark cultural renewal—a “second renaissance”—and how each of us might participate in shaping a more humane and hopeful world. OBJECTIVES: participants will—

  • Be introduced to Otto Schamer’s technique for “learning from the emerging future.”
  • Learn what happens when people lead lives that lack meaning and purpose.
  • Come to appreciate lessons that can be drawn from certain successful intentional communities.
  • Lay a foundation for further envisioning of a thriving future.

  Christopher Nye is president of Springboard Foundation for Whole Person Learning. He co-founded Educate the Whole Child, a project of the Myrin Institute. His recent book, Beyond Tomorrow: Planning a New Civilization shows how, over time, the right kind of education could transform our culture and spark a second renaissance. Dr. Nye has a PhD in American studies. After retiring from Berkshire Community College where he was a division dean and then director of special programs, he became board chair of Orion Magazine. He is published poet and also manages a wildlife preserve. See chris-nye.com

  _________

  This lecture will be recorded and available for viewing at the convenience of registrants.

  
  

  

  Show details
• OLLI at BCC and BNRC Joint Hike - Thomas and Palmer Brook Trails, Great Barrington

  • When
    Wednesday, September 16, 2026
  •  
    9:30 AM
  • Location
    Thomas and Palmer Brook Trails, Great Barrington
  • Spaces left
    20

  OLLI at BCC and Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC) Joint Hike

  
  

  Wednesday, September 16 at 9:30 a.m. Thomas and Palmer Brook Trails, Great Barrington

  
  BNRC and OLLI hikers will return to the Thomas and Palmer Brook trail this fall to hike the familiar trails through the meadow, past the wetland, and up to Whale Rock.  Participants will then hike the newly opened connector trail that now links the Thomas and Palmer Brook system to the Three Mile Hill trails.  Join this hike to explore this new trail that provides for human hikers but also adds a new link to an important wildlife corridor connecting Beartown State Forest and Monument Mountain.  The trail ranges from accessible to moderate in difficulty.
  
  Directions to the trailhead and additional information about the hike are at https://www.bnrc.org/reserves/thomas-palmer-brook 

  OLLI at BCC and the BNRC are offering joint hikes this summer and fall. These hikes are free for OLLI at BCC and BNRC members.  You must register in advance and space is limited.

  All hikes are on Wednesdays and begin at 9:30 a.m. We strongly recommend using hiking poles. If you don’t have them, we can provide poles for the hike.  Good hiking shoes are essential. If we need to cancel the hike due to rain, we will notify participants by email by 7:00 a.m. the day of the hike.

  Registration will open on Monday, August 31 at 9 a.m.

  Show details
• The Battle of Bennington at the Bennington Museum

  • When
    Thursday, September 17, 2026
  •  
    10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
  • Location
    Bennington Museum
  • Spaces left
    13

  Register

  The Battle of Bennington at the Bennington Museum - Member Meet up!

  
  

  Thursday, September 17, 2026
  Gather at 9:45 a.m.
  Tour begins at 10:00 a.m.

  Stay for lunch after the tour

  (option to buy a boxed lunch when you register)

  
  

  In-person only at the Bennington Museum

  75 Main Street

  Bennington, VT 05201

  
  

  Meet OLLI at BCC members at the Bennington Museum private tour of "The Battle of Bennington" with curator Jamie Franklin.

  
  

  The Battle of Bennington, fought on August 16, 1777, has come to be known as a turning point in the American Revolution and an event that defines our town to many in the popular imagination. This reinstallation of objects and archival materials from the Museum’s permanent collection, the first in 25 years, centered around the museum’s beloved WPA-era mural by Leroy Williams, will tell the complex stories of the diverse participants and lives that were touched by the battle. From Joseph and Sarah Rudd’s first-hand accounts of their experience of the battle, including taking Loyalist neighbors as prisoners and fleeing to Williamstown on horseback with four children, to a portrait of Lieutenant Jonathan Holton, depicting the scars received from being shot in the face by a musket ball, this exhibition will bring visitors up close and personal with the people who lived through this historic event.

  Participants will meet at the Bennington Museum.

  You will have the option to pre-purchase a boxed lunch ($21.00) to enjoy with OLLI friends in a private room in the museum following the tour.

  Cost: $25 for OLLI at BCC members and their guests

  Optional boxed lunch: $21.00 per person

  Space is limited, register today!

  Register online or call 413.236.2190 (M-F 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.) to register by phone with a credit card. 

  This event is part of OLLI's Rev250 Project celebrating the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. 
  

  Image: Prisoners Taken at Bennington Battle, August 16, 1777, 1938 Leroy Williams (1878-1965), Oil on canvas, 72 x 144 in., Bennington Museum Collection, Courtesy of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), Vermont Federal Art Project (FAP), A2048

  Show details
• Fall 2026 OLLI Term

  • Start
    Tuesday, September 22, 2026
  • End
    Friday, October 30, 2026
  • Location
    Online and In-Person

  OLLI at Berkshire Community College
  

  Fall 2026 Term

  Beginning September 22, 2026

  Registration Opens on Thursday, August 18 at 10:00 a.m.

  
  

  Our Fall term begins on September 22, 2026, and includes a mix of in-person, online, and hybrid (online and in-person) courses. All classes take place in Eastern Time.

  Fall 2026 course descriptions can be found here.

  Hiking classes are using a separate registration form. Register for hiking classes here.
  

  Course cost:
  $60 for one courses
  $110 for 2 courses
  $150 for 3 or more courses

  To sign up for courses, you need to be an OLLI at BCC member. (Not a member yet? Join here.) Not sure which classes you want to take? Sign up for one or more Flexpasses, which allow you to attend six individual class sessions of your choice within a semester, as long as the class is not full. Click here to learn more about Flexpasses.

  Note that our online courses are recorded, unless otherwise noted. If you cannot attend live, or if you miss a session or two, you can access that course's Padlet for the recording link and watch it at your convenience.

  Questions? Contact us at olli@berkshirecc.edu or 413.236.2190. We look forward to hearing from you!

  OLLI at BCC Sponsors include: Berkshire Health Systems
  

  Show details
• Hiking Classes - Fall 2026

  • When
    Tuesday, September 22, 2026
  •  
    9:30 AM
  • Location
    Various Locations in Berkshire County

  Fall Hiking in September and October!

  Hiking is a very popular OLLI at BCC offering.

  To enable more people to be able to participate, registration for hiking classes is done separately, through this event page.
  

  • All OLLI at BCC members can sign up for one hiking class.
    
  • Each class costs $60 and is a separate charge from Fall 2026 course registrations.

  Hiking Course Listings:
  

  For full descriptions, click here.

  Hiking in North County
  Instructors:  Wendy Donovan and Barry Weitzler
  Thursdays
  Time: 11:00 a.m.
  Six Sessions - 9/24, 10/1, 10/8, 10/15, 10/22, 10/29
  Limit: 12

  Nature Walks in the Berkshires
  Instructor: Bess Dillman
  Fridays
  Time: 9:30 a.m.
  Six Sessions - 9/25, 10/2, 10/9, 10/16, 10/23, 10/30
  Limit: 15

  Register online or call 413.236.2190 (M-F 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.) to register by phone with a credit card.  
  

  Show details
• Osher Online Fall 2026

  • When
    Tuesday, September 29, 2026
  • Location
    Online

  Register

  
  

  Osher Online is a program from the Osher National Resource Center (NRC) at Northwestern University.  These classes are delivered by the Osher NRC via Zoom, with participants from all over the country. All times listed are Eastern time.

  OLLI at BCC is excited to be a part of this program. Space is limited! Register early.

  Osher Online classes are $60 each, and available to OLLI at BCC members only.
  

  Each class has a limit of 13 students from each participating OLLI.

  Registration closes September 14.

  Osher Online classes are not recorded.

  After you register for Osher Online classes, you will receive a welcome email from the Osher NRC. This email will include an Osher Online username and password as well as a link to the Osher Online Website, through which you will access your classes.
  

  You will also have access to a pre-class orientation, where you'll get helpful information for accessing your class. There you'll find the class Zoom link, syllabus, discussion board and Customer Care contact information.

  
  

  Available Courses:

  The History and Experience of Route 66

  Instructor: Peter Dedek
  Mondays at 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
  Six Sessions - 10/7, 10/14, 10/21, 10/28, 11/4, 11/11

  A Cosmic Grand Tour: The Realms of the Universe

  Instructor: Andrew Fraknoi

  Tuesdays at 5:00 - 6:30 p.m.

  Six Sessions - 9/29, 10/6, 10/13, 10/20, 10/27, 11/3

  
  

  Apple at 50: How it Revolutionized Computing and Transformed Daily Life

  Instructor: Leander Kahney
  Tuesdays at 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
  Six Sessions - 9/29, 10/6, 10/13, 10/20, 10/27, 11/3

  August Wilson and His American Cycle - The First Five: 1904-1957

  Instructor: Ladrica Menson-Furr
  Wednesdays at 5:00 - 6:30 p.m.
  Six Sessions - 10/7, 10/14, 10/21, 10/28, 11/4, 11/11

  The Magic Behind Film Scores:
  The Role of Music in Great Movies-Part II

  Instructor: Mike Argon
  Wednesdays at 5:00 - 6:30 p.m.
  Six Sessions - 9/30, 10/7, 10/14, 10/21, 11/4, 11/11

  Tracing Our Roots: DNA, Family History, and the Politics of Identity

  Instructor: Angelo Cervantes
  Thursdays at 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
  Six Sessions - 9/30, 10/7, 10/14, 10/21, 10/29, 11/4

  Early 20th Century Avant-Garde: From Rebellion to Abstraction

  Instructor: Lauren Weingarden
  Thursdays at 5:00 - 6:30 p.m.
  Six Sessions - 10/8, 10/15, 10/22, 10/30, 11/5, 11/12

  Class details and videos from instructors can be found here.

  Show details
• The Dressmaker's Mirror: Sudden Death, Genetics, and a Family's Secret

  • When
    Tuesday, October 06, 2026
  •  
    7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
  • Location
    Online via Zoom

  Register

  OLLI at BCC and Knesset Israel presents:

  The Dressmaker's Mirror: One Family's Secret and How Genetic Testing Could Save Yours

  with Dr. Susan Weiss Liebman

  October 6 at 7:00 p.m. ET

  Online via Zoom

  

  In the wake of her 36-year-old pregnant niece’s sudden collapse and death, geneticist Susan Liebman embarked on frantic search for answers. The hunt culminated in the discovery of a previously unknown heart disease gene and an Ashkenazi Jewish mutation within it. Against this backdrop, Liebman's The Dressmaker's Mirror: Sudden death, genetics, and a Jewish family's secret, intertwines heartfelt stories of generations of love, loss, and resilience, with insights into genetics and the ongoing genetic revolution. The book offers a compelling call to action, guiding readers of all ethnicities how to use the frequently overlooked tool of genetic testing to safeguard their families’ health and save lives.

  
  

  

  Susan Weiss Liebman, PhD, is a geneticist who studied at MIT as one of relatively few women at the time, then taught genetics while running her own research laboratory for fifty years — first at the University of Illinois at Chicago and later the University of Nevada, Reno. After the sudden death of her young niece revealed a hidden genetic mutation running through her family, she became a medical detective and an advocate for genetic testing that can save lives. She is the author of The Dressmaker's Mirror: Sudden Death, Genetics, and a Jewish Family's Secret. She and her husband of fifty-seven years have two children and four grandchildren. 

  _________

  Ticket information: Free and open to the public. Registration required. 

  This lecture will be recorded and posted to our YouTube channel. 
  

  This program has been generously sponsored by Marc Rudoltz and Lisa Hochman
  

  Show details