May 24, 2024 - The 13,000-year human history of the Channel Islands paired with a
field trip to Santa Rosa Island is part of 鈥 (黑料正能量) 2024 Summer Taste of OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.) The series
also includes classes like 鈥淐harlie Parker: Jazz Pioneer,鈥 鈥淧rimer on Nuclear Perils,鈥
鈥淚nspired Retired鈥 and much more.
Registration opens at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 28 for Summer Taste of OLLI, a smorgasbord of 25 single, two-hour classes designed to give adults an idea of what OLLI has to offer. The summer session begins June 10 and lasts through July 18.
鈥溾楽ummer Taste鈥 is always a great way to showcase a diverse range of 25 one-time, two-hour lectures,鈥 said OLLI Program Coordinator Shaina Salin. 鈥淭his summer in particular, we wanted to try out offering different opportunities for hands-on learning, typically outside of the classroom.鈥
Classes can be in-person, on Zoom, or hybrid, which is a combination of both, but this summer, OLLI is adding the field trip to Santa Rosa Island, an in-person lab on graphic design, and an in-person session offering insight into what aging can be like by immersing students in an aging person鈥檚 shoes through virtual reality.
The two-hour virtual reality class will be on campus on June 13, facilitated by Associate Dean of Extended University Jaime Hannans and Nursing Faculty Emeritus Colleen Nevins.
鈥淭his is a touchpoint to help people navigate really difficult situations,鈥 Hannans said. 鈥淲hether or not they are health care providers, it gives people some basic education on how to help people in their lives managing aspects of aging.鈥
Anthropologist and Executive Director of Regional Educational Partnerships Jennifer Perry will present 鈥淭he Human Story of California鈥檚 Channel Islands鈥 and will later co-lead a trip with Political Science faculty Emeritus Dan Wakelee to explore the long and diverse human story of Santa Rosa Island. Wakelee is a member of the Channel Islands Naturalist Corps with a wealth of information about the islands.
Being home to many unique plants and animals, the Channel Islands are well-known for their biodiversity, whereas fewer know about the incredible time, depth and continuity of people living on the islands or the diversity of cultures represented on the islands historically, according to Perry. Channel Islands has been home to ranching, farming, winemaking, fishing, hunting, filmmaking, recreation, and military operations are among many other activities.
鈥淎 lot of people don鈥檛 realize how important the islands have been and continue to be in terms of our national security,鈥 Perry said. 鈥淒ifferent branches of the military have had a presence on every Channel Island. Beginning in World War II, the islands became especially important in terms of monitoring activities in the Pacific Ocean, as well as for trainings and developing new technologies.鈥
As a political scientist, Wakelee can speak about the politics and policies that have determined the islands鈥 growth and development鈥攐r lack thereof鈥攖hrough the centuries.
OLLI students can let their imaginations travel around the world with courses like 鈥淭he Art and Architecture of Pompeii,鈥 by Santa Monica College Professor Emeritus of Art and Architectural History Eleanor Schrader; or 鈥淎 Taste of Botswana: Living with Elephants鈥 by 黑料正能量 Professor of Biology Amy Denton.
Those looking to explore contemporary issues can take 鈥淭he Big Pharma Drugs that Killed鈥 by 黑料正能量 Professor of Biology Nitika Parmar, 鈥淒isinformation and Free Speech鈥 by Jackie Gardina, Dean and Chief Academic Officer at the Colleges of Law, or 鈥淩ecent Decisions of the Supreme Court鈥 by Carolyn Dorrance, president of the Institute of World Culture at UC Santa Barbara and founding member of Oxnard College.
There are many more courses covering everything from the wonders of the summer night sky to the last of the Romanovs and the Russian Revolution. A full list of courses is available in the catalog. OLLI courses are designed for those 50 and up, but all adults are welcome to enroll.
Each two-hour class is $15, or take unlimited hybrid and Zoom classes this session for $60 for
individuals or $90 for couples. There is a $5 New Member Fee for students who have not paid the OLLI Annual Membership Fee between Fall 2023-Spring 2024. Hybrid and in-person classes are located in Camarillo and Ventura.
Beginning May 28, you may .