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OLLI offers unique opportunities for personal growth

Class facilitator and Castle Pines Village resident Ted Atkinson leading a class in Roman architecture at the OLLI South campus.

Article by Carin R. Kirkegaard with photo by Tim Gamble

Tom Carter, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) Curriculum Chair, has a passion for learning and a talent to ferret out people with a story to tell and knowledge to share. The marriage of these two abilities made Carter the perfect pick for the curriculum chair at the OLLI South campus.

OLLI South is a daytime learning program for students age 50 or older and is offered through Denver University. With more than 120 OLLI sites across the United States, the goal of the OLLI organization is to provide an environment and curriculum for older learners who simply love learning, both for the knowledge provided and the individual personal growth.

Carter, a life long learner himself is a strong advocate of the program. When the OLLI South campus opened in the spring of 2009 Carter started recruiting members to help form the curriculum committee. The goal for this group is to develop a course curriculum that is filled with classes that peak the interest of each OLLI member.

“OLLI South is one part arts and science, one part Aspen Institute and one part book club,” said Carter. There is something for everyone.

When Carter describes his own life, a sense for his wide range of experiences is evident. He grew up in Glasgow, Scotland and became a fan of James Joyce and literature at an early age. He then spent his life traveling and living in multiple countries and delving into many diverse cultures. Perhaps it is Carter’s passion for learning and love of life that has made finding interesting class facilitators so easy.

Currently, he has 12 members on his curriculum committee and it is always growing. Carter says he meets people on the golf course, at the library and throughout his daily routine. Once he starts a conversation, he discovers they have a story to tell and knowledge to share.

Carter fondly remembers facilitating a course with three World War II veterans who all served in different capacities in the Battle of the Bulge. As facilitator, Carter set the scene and introduced each veteran to then tell the real life story.

“There is a very low drop-out rate,” said Carter. “It is a brain trust in Douglas County, a way to get ideas flowing,” he continued.

Students are currently enrolling in the spring classes, which begin March 29. All OLLI South classes are held at Valley View Christian Church located at 11004 Wildfield Lane (near South Santa Fe Drive and Titan Parkway.)

To learn more about OLLI or to see a listing of the courses currently being offered, visit www.universitycollege.du.edu/olli/. The schedule is also posted on The Castle Pines Connection website at www.CastlePinesConnection.com.

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