VOLUNTEER WITH OLLI
Help Create Great Programs | Meet New People | Share Your Knowledge & Skills | And More!

OLLI at BCC is volunteer-powered. Over 200 members volunteer to recruit instructors and plan classes and talks, organize special events and trips, provide technology support, and much more. Volunteering with OLLI is a great way to meet interesting new friends and help create the kind of learning opportunities you would most enjoy attending!

Check out the list below of OLLI committees; they welcome new members. Just click on the committee chair's name and send them a note indicating your interest in learning more. 

Learn more about:

Teaching at OLLI - all of our instructors are volunteers!

Starting a Shared Interest Group

Mentoring BCC students in the Mentoring for Success Program

Help Create Classes & Events

Active Living / Hands-on Learning
Develops courses focused on practical skills, physical activities, life planning, etc.
Contact: Kate Kidd – Chair is Vacant

Arts Curriculum Committee

Recruit instructors and develop classes in the performing and visual arts.

Committee Chairs: Chelly Sterman and Chris Guidette

OLLI Art Exhibition Committee
Mounts an annual exhibition of works of art produced by OLLI members.

Chair: Barbara Kalish

Distinguished Speakers Series Committee

Recruits speakers and develops annual speaker series.

Contact: Carol Allman-Morton while chair is vacant

Literature Curriculum Committee

Recruit instructors and develop classes in the literary arts.

Committee Chair: Richard Matturro

Performing Arts Initiative

Develops partnerships and programs with Berkshire performing arts organizations.
Contact: Karel Fisher, Naomi Spatz, Barbara Waldinger, Jeannie Woods & Alice Roth – Group Leadership, no Chair

Science Curriculum Committee
Develops classes and recruits’ instructors focusing on the sciences. These include medicine, technology, mathematics, astronomy, geology, anthropology, et.al.
Committee Chairs: Mary Jane Incorvia Mattina and Shirin Nash

Shared Interest Groups (SIGs)
Member-organized peer-led discussion and activity groups that are free and exclusively for OLLI at BCC members.
Chair: Philippe Jeanjean

Social Science Curriculum Committee

Recruit instructors and develop classes in the social sciences, including history, politics, psychology and more.

Committee Chair: Tom Hodgson (seeking co-chair)

Special Events Committee
Develops and provides staffing for special events, including daytrips and tours to educational, cultural and recreational venues
Chair: Arline Breskin

Tech Impact Collaborative
OLLI@BCC initiated a collaborative partnership with 1Berkshire and the BIC in 2019, and we together produced a series of lectures presented by OLLI on Zoom over the past couple of years to advance regional understanding and readiness in this field of emergent tech - what is happening, why it matters, and how is it being applied.
Contact: Bob Braddick & Art Sherman

Performing Arts Initiative

Develops partnerships and programs with Berkshire performing arts organizations.

Co-Chairs: Naomi Spatz, Barbara Waldinger and Jeannie Woods

University Day Committee

Develops and organizes periodic University Day(s) – held over one or more days. Offerings feature and highlight contemporary issues and feature a variety of engaging speakers and content experts.
Co-Chair: Katherine Kidd and Ellen Croibier

Help Get the Word Out About OLLI's Great Programs

Help Out Behind the Scenes

Development Committee
Raises funds to supplement OLLI’s traditional dues and fee-based revenue. Such funds are used to enhance OLLI’s goals, mission, strategic plan and educational programing.

Chair: Jeff Mann

Diversity Committee
Ensures our programs, members, leaders, instructors and speakers represent and celebrate the full diversity of our communities.
Chair: Leyn Burrows and Julie Jones

Technology Committee

Provides audio/visual support for OLLI events and classes.  Conducts IT data analysis, surveys and demographic studies in support of the Membership and Curriculum Committees.

Chair: Bob Desrosiers

Mentoring Committee
Organizes Mentoring for Success program, pairing OLLI members with Berkshire Community College students in mentor-mentee relationships.
Chair: Nina Keneally and Erin McNamara

Curriculum Council
Consisting of the chairs of the individual curriculum committees (Arts, Social Sciences, Science, Active Living, Literature), the Distinguished Speaker Series, Special Events, Tech Impact and University Day(s).
Oversee the development, coordination, and quality of OLLI’s integrated educational programs. Each Curriculum Committee develops courses for its own designated areas.
Chair: Katherine Kidd

Executive Support and Appraisal
Includes the OLLI President, Board members and one at-large member
Works with BCC President and OLLI executive director to establish annual goas and expectations for the OLLI Executive Director. Monitor progress throughout the year.
Chair: Gordon Josephson

Finance Committee
Includes the OLLI President and Treasurer and others appointed by the Treasurer
Develops and monitors OLLI’s annual budget, collaborates with the OLLI Executive Director on developing regular reports with communication to the Board. Makes recommendations for dues and fee modification to support OLLIs programing and strategic plan. Advisory oversight of OLLI endowment.
Treasurer and Chair: Elie Katzman       

Governance Committee
Includes: OLLI President, Vice President Immediate Past President and three Board Members
Nominates OLLI Members to the Board (New and Board Members completing their 1^st terms). Nominates Officers to the Board. Oversees strategic planning and bylaw modifications and assumes responsibility for the oversight of all other activities related to organizational governance.
Board VP and Chair: Monica Sinclair