Who We Are
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at UC Berkeley is a vibrant community of more than 2,000 learners who share a passion for intellectual exploration, engagement and connection.
From courses and speaker events to field trips and intergenerational exchanges, our members come together to learn, grow, contribute, and have fun — delighting in the ongoing discovery of new knowledge and deeper ways of understanding the world and themselves.
Our programs are designed for learners ages 50+, but are open to all. Everyone is welcome to join! No UC Berkeley affiliation is required — just a love of learning free of homework, exams and grades.)
Mission
Our mission is to create and facilitate a public space for the community and campus to experience the joys and benefits of lifelong learning.
Curated Learning
We offer four academic terms per year — fall, winter, spring and summer — and dedicate months to curating each one. We strive to shine a light on a diverse range of voices and subjects, from international documentary filmmaking to the state of political discourse.
Our members enjoy exclusive access to dozens of in-person and online courses, diving deep into history, politics, literature, music, film, technology, philosophy, writing, art, and more taught by award-winning Berkeley faculty and other distinguished scholars.
In addition, we also host many events outside of the classroom, including a speaker series and regular town halls, which bring in leading voices to discuss some of the most critical issues of our time. These substantive and interactive forums provide ways for members to deepen and perhaps shift perspectives on topics in the news and on the edges.
History
OLLI @Berkeley was established in 2007 with generous support from the Bernard Osher Foundation and is one of 125 Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes across the country.
Land Acknowledgement
OLLI @Berkeley recognizes that the campus sits on the territory of xučyun (Huichin), the ancestral and unceded land of the Chochenyo speaking Ohlone people, the successors of the sovereign Verona Band of Alameda County. We also recognize that every member of the Berkeley community has, and continues to benefit from, the use and occupation of this land, since the institution’s founding in 1868. Read more about the Ohlone land.