Widener University Receives $1 Million Gift to Support Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

Exton, Pa. (Dec. 15 2010) — Widener University has received a $1 million endowment from The Bernard Osher Foundation to support the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) on its Exton Campus. 

The gift supports the Institute’s commitment to providing adults 50 years of age and older with opportunities for intellectual development, cultural stimulation, personal growth, civic engagement and social interaction.

The Osher Foundation has also provided Widener with a $50,000 “bridge” grant to assist the university with operational costs for OLLI while the endowment grows. These gifts come at an ideal time for Widener, which recently launched “Taking the Lead – The Campaign for Widener,” a $58 million, seven-year fundraising initiative.

Located at 825 Springdale Dr. in Exton, Pa., the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Widener University operates as an academic cooperative run by its members who volunteer their time and talents to teach courses ranging in areas of study from digital photography to genealogy and literature. 

In a letter announcing the $1 million endowment for the Institute, Osher Foundation President Mary Bitterman praised Widener for making “outstanding” progress since receiving a $100,000 grant from the Foundation in June 2006, followed by additional grants of $100,000 in 2007, 2008 and 2009. 

Upon receiving the initial grant, Widener changed the name of its existing lifelong learning program from the Academy for Learning in Retirement to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, joining the growing list of about 120 colleges and universities that host OLLI sites.

“Our initial grant from The Osher Foundation allowed us to expand our facility space and programming to better serve our students and attract additional members to our learning community,” said Emily Richardson, EdD, dean of University College at Widener University, which oversees OLLI. “This new gift guarantees the life of OLLI; we will continue to move forward to engage and enrich the lives of adult learners.”

Widener started the Academy for Learning in Retirement in September 2004 with 12 courses and 69 members. By the spring of 2006, the program grew to 30 courses, and today, with support from the Osher Foundation, the 2010 OLLI fall catalog boasts 50 courses. Furthermore, as of December 2010, Widener’s OLLI has registered more than 600 members.

“My participation in this program has added a valuable dimension to my life,” said member Ross Kersey of Downingtown, Pa., a retired school teacher who currently teaches American history at OLLI. “I have a sense of worth that comes with having a positive impact on other people’s lives.”

For OLLI member Sharon Nelton of West Chester, Pa., the program helped her transition from working as an editor and writer in Washington, D.C. to retiring near family. “OLLI provides the community I was yearning for, one full of challenging ideas, interesting people and valuable new friends,” she said.

The OLLI spring semester begins January 24 and features courses such as “The Historical Sherlock Holmes” and “Medicine in the Great War.” To learn more, call 484-713-0088 or visit www.widener.edu/olli.