Lifelong learning opportunities abound this fall

The Organization for Lifelong Education, commonly known as OLÉ, has a full schedule of classes and activities this fall for Anchorage-based learners. In Fairbanks, a program through the University of Alaska Fairbanks also offers courses.

Sandra Christopherson is one of the founders of OLÉ. She a group of friends thought Anchorage needed more opportunities for adult learners. They put together a nonprofit in 2007 with that aim, enlisting people known for getting things done, such as Gretchen Bersch, who had worked in adult education at the University of Alaska Anchorage, and Eric Wolhforth, an attorney who had served as Alaska commissioner of Revenue and chairman of the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation board.

"The courses are designed for people over 50 but welcome to everyone," said Christopherson, who served on the curriculum committee for much of the existence of OLÉ.

Christopherson said that OLÉ has shifted and adapted to the changing needs of its audience. At the beginning, Christopherson said, the group veered away from offering courses like yoga and crafts, that are available elsewhere in town.

But the current schedule is a mix of academic courses and practical courses, many tailored to the stage-of-life questions seniors have.

For example, one course is called "The Aging Brain," and will be taught by Dr. Adam Grove, a naturopathic family practice doctor. This class and many others are taught via Zoom, a practice that started during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We have people all over the Lower 48 takes a class," Christopherson said. "We can get a teacher from anywhere. We've had one from (University of California) Berkeley. We have lots of resources available to us."

A good example is that OLÉ is offering a course taught by acclaimed author and environmental historian Bathsheba Demuth. "History of the Yukon River: Environmental, economic and cultural changes of the last 200 years." The four-week course will examine the history of the Yukon River, from its mouths along the Bering Sea to the headwaters in northwestern Canada, with a focus on how changes in law and economic goals influenced cultures and ecologies of the river.

To participate in OLÉ courses, members pay $200 per rolling year, which allows them to register for as many courses as they'd like. Classes are held at several venues around the city, including the University of Alaska Anchorage campus. There are two eight-week semesters per year. The fall semester starts at the end of September and finishes the week before Thanksgiving; the spring semester begins in February and finishes in April with a one-week pause for spring break.

OLÉ also offers an array of tours and interactive experiences. This fall, members can go on a tour of KTUU (Alaska's News Source), the dominant television newsroom in the state. They can also tour and learn more about AWAIC, Alaska's largest domestic violence safe shelter. For a more lighthearted experience, there is a tour of the Maggie Moo Ice Creamery and a learning experience about indoor plants, featuring the UAA grounds team.

OLÉ is always looking for volunteers to get involved, Christopherson said. The organization need people to facilitate the class, making sure the technology works or people don't talk over the speaker on Zoom. It's an entirely volunteer-run organization, Christopherson emphasized.

Lifelong learning in Fairbanks

In Fairbanks, learners can sign up for classes through OLLI at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. There are courses in art, exercise and recreation, history, literature, music, religion, science and math, food preparation, senior issues such as tax-wise retirement distribution. https://www.campusce.net/uafolli/category/category.aspx

Disclosure: Paola Banchero has taught several courses for OLÉ.