Thursday   

This class is for anyone interested in learning the wonderful medium of watercolor painting! At the beginning of each class, the instructor will present a specific technique or concept. Topics of exploration include value studies, color theory, still life, composition, and landscape painting. Students will have the choice of painting from reference photos (provided by the instructor) or from their own photographs or still life set-ups. Students with prior experience will have opportunities for additional challenges. Some prior experience is helpful, but students new to watercolor are always welcome. This course is taught entirely online through the Zoom platform. 

This workshop will examine American Resistance Poetry--poems meant to pay tribute to those who resisted as well as being meant to empower, mobilize, and inspire others to resist. Participants can use these poems as models and inspiration to write their own resistance poems, which can then be shared, discussed, and revised during the workshop. Most of the workshop sessions will be devoted to the discussion of the participants' poems. The writing of poems, as Mary Oliver tells us, will need to be done at the solitude of the writer's desk. Course Note: This course was offered in Spring 2026, but will feature different poets and poems for inspiration. 

This course will expose the origins of the "American" Vietnam War. We will start with the presence of the French in the 1850s and travel through the years, up to and including our involvement in the fighting. Many commonly held concepts and beliefs will be shattered by the information presented. The role that our leaders, both military and political, played will be examined and critiqued. After taking this course, you will likely learn many previously untold truths about the events that happened so many years ago. Course Note: This course has been offered in the past. While the content will be similar, the discussion resulting from questions is always different.  

Everyone has a story to tell! This workshop is designed to give you the space to write about your life, share your legacy. Whether you want to capture your family history for your grandchildren or write about an event that occurred in your life, all stories are valid and welcome. Memoir writing can be healing and magical. When a story persists in your consciousness, it is demanding to be told. You are the best person to tell it. You’re the expert – you lived it. No writing experience is needed. This is a safe zone where you won’t be judged for the content of the story or the writing! You’ll hear where your writing resonates with us, your audience. What to expect? In each session, we will read a brief memoir piece, write for about 20 minutes from a prompt or whatever pops into your head, and finally, read our stories aloud. No one is obligated to share their work, but it's a good way to quiet your inner critic.  

Are you going to France or to a French-speaking country? If so, you need to be able to communicate at least at a minimum to show that you are making an effort toward the culture of the host country. The people there will greatly appreciate (even if they answer in English) and may even be friendlier. In this class you will learn French basic vocabulary and phrases in a conversational setting. The course will integrate the Mango Languages computer program to practice and reinforce your new skills at home.  

When Africa appears in the news, it often looks the same: famine, conflict, poverty, corruption, crisis. But that picture is radically incomplete. Africa is also home to some of the world's fastest-growing cities, most dynamic youth populations, boldest democratic experiments, and most innovative responses to climate change. This five-week course invites OLLI members to look again, more carefully, more curiously, and more honestly. Each session takes a different lens: economics, politics, climate, culture, and diaspora, examining both the real challenges and the stories that rarely make the front page. Drawing on current research and firsthand knowledge of the region, we will move from stereotype to complexity, from headlines to human reality. 

Retirement can open new space for creativity, reflection, and connection. In this five-session course, participants will create one artwork in each class while exploring themes such as music, memory, nature, relationships, and personal growth. Inspired by artists whose works are in Boston-area museum collections, the course offers a relaxed, welcoming space for creative expression. No prior art experience is needed. The emphasis is not on technical skill, but on enjoyment, self-expression, and meaningful conversation. 

Conspiracy theories often emerge during times of uncertainty, or fear when people seek simple explanations for complex problems. While some conspiracies proved to be true, most conspiracy theories rely on weak evidence, selective reasoning, or misinformation spread through media and social networks. Studying conspiracy theories is important because they influence politics, public health, and social trust. For example, conspiracy beliefs about vaccines or elections can shape public behavior and create divisions within societies. This course, therefore, explores what conspiracy theories are, why they deserve critical study, and how they can be identified and evaluated. 

Do you want to learn about the history of South Asia—a region rich in diversity, culture, art, and political history? This four-day introductory course explores South Asian societies through film, media, and visual arts. Students will examine how history, identity, religion, gender, migration, and social change are represented across the region. Students will gain a deeper understanding of South Asian cultures and histories while sharing their own perspectives in an interactive learning environment. 

This course explores why women’s participation in the workforce continues to differ across industries, income levels, and stages of life. We will discuss major barriers women face, including childcare costs, workplace expectations, gender norms, and the motherhood penalty. The course will also examine strategies that support women’s career advancement, policies that reduce inequality, and how technology and changing work environments may shape the future of women’s employment. Through real-world examples, research findings, and discussion, participants will gain a deeper understanding of women’s economic experiences and the challenges and opportunities ahead. 

We will learn about the history of our nation's first capital. We will encounter great Philadelphians such as Benjamin Franklin, Benjamin Rush, Alexander Calder, Albert Barnes, and Charles Willson Peale. This course will be similar to the Cultural History of Boston class from last semester. 

Chair yoga is so popular now….for many reasons. One is because people can get the benefits without getting on the floor and most everyone can do it. It increases circulation, keeps the joints lubricated, promotes relaxation, helps with better breathing, works on balance and increases strength. Come reap the benefits of this practice. You can do it! 

This six-week seminar examines the 2026 U.S. midterm elections through the lens of presidential power, institutional dynamics, and democratic norms. Using the presidency of Donald Trump as a central case study, the course provides a structured, non-partisan space to explore current events, historical precedent, and competing interpretations of American political life. This course will rely in part on OLLI students actively participating by bringing a weekly question or topic based on a news article or other media they have encountered. Zoom breakout rooms will be used for small group discussions. Understanding a pivotal election through history, institutions, and informed dialogue is our aim. 

Sir Peter Paul Rubens was a Flemish artist and diplomat. He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque tradition. Rubens's highly charged compositions focused on works associated with classical antiquity (encompassed the culture of ancient Greece & Rome) and Christian history. Due to the enormity of his work, we will focus on his mature period after he returned to Antwerp in 1609, following his stay in Italy. Early on he served as a diplomat to the Archdukes Albert and Isabella, and negotiating a peace treaty between England and Spain This period also included notable paintings such as “The Elevation of the Cross” and huge commissions like the Medici Cycle. Surprisingly, there came a sea change in his style due to his reencounter with the works of Titian in Madrid in 1628. After retiring  in the 1630s, he no longer worked on commission but rather for his own pleasure. He focused on landscapes and the life of peasants and portraits, characterized by a more relaxed, intimate technique.  

This class is for anyone interested in learning how to draw from life and from reference photos using both pencil and colored pencil. Students will learn some color theory in order to understand layering techniques with their colored pencils. This course will focus on observational drawing in order to capture form and space using simple still life objects for inspiration. Additionally, students may choose to draw from their own reference photos or still life, particularly if they have had prior drawing experience. All levels are welcome. This course is taught entirely online through the Zoom platform. 

Chiang Yee wrote and illustrated this charming book in 1959. Chiang Yee has a vibrant, whimsical, humorous voice which transcends time. For those of us who love the area it is all here: the Boston Common, Beacon Hill, Fenway, Charles River, Salem, Rockport, the Cape and Islands, to name a few. Yee included 16 full color paintings, 60 black and white drawings, and 20 of his poems. What better way to celebrate our 250th than to toast Boston, its surrounding neighborhoods and towns, its history and people, than to share this unique book together? We will read and discuss a portion of the book each week. Please do not read ahead. You can find the 1959 version in a library or purchase a copy from Amazon or eBay for about $8-12.  You can also find it on Internet Archive which allows you to read for free online: https://archive.org/details/silenttravelleri0000chia_u2e8/mode/2up  Long out of print, it was recently republished in 2017 in paperback.  

This five week course provides an introduction to all aspects of current knowledge of Autism Spectrum Disorders: from its history to current information and perspectives, including interventions, schooling and behavior management. 

Conflict Resolution Through Effective Communication explores how communication shapes conflict and how everyday disagreements can become opportunities for growth. Through interactive discussions, role plays, self-assessment exercises, and practical activities, participants will improve active listening, constructive feedback, and communication skills; acquire better self-awareness; and learn strategies for managing difficult conversations. The course does not have any prerequisites, just curiosity and openness for experience sharing and learning. 

This course uses simple, guided writing exercises to help you make sense of your experiences and articulate what matters most. Through short prompts, discussion, and optional reading, we’ll explore how writing can bring clarity, insight, and perspective to everyday life. No prior writing experience is required. 

Many of the most powerful and enduring stories about historical presidents are more myth than fact. That includes famous legends like George Washington chopping down a cherry tree and William Howard Taft getting stuck in a bathtub, as well as lesser-known stories like John Quincy Adams’s pet alligator and Andrew Jackson’s battle against the Bell Witch of Tennessee. In this course, we will explore the real stories behind these myths—where they came from, how they spread, and why they hold such a special place in the public consciousness. 

The objects we use every day - glass windows, paper, electric light, hold stories that have shaped the way we live. This course uncovers the surprising journeys behind familiar materials and inventions, revealing how they transformed homes, cities, and daily routines. Each session explores a different object, connecting its history to the world we know today. Along the way, participants are invited to reflect on their own experiences and memories tied to these everyday items. Together, we will rediscover the ordinary and see how small things have made a lasting impact. 

Are you ready to put AI to work as your project assistant? If you are curious to learn more about what ChatGPT and other AI tools can really do, there’s no substitute for personal experience. With long-time AI user Scott Guthery as your guide, this course will be a hands-on AI workshop for people who want to accomplish a specific objective. No AI experience is required. All you need to bring to the first meeting is a description of what you want to work on during the four-week workshop. This can be planning a vacation, learning about your neighborhood, writing a children's book, starting a business, or anything else that your smart, tireless assistant can help you with. From week to week, you will practice writing ChatGPT prompts that produce the most helpful results, discuss your results with other participants, and explore some of the advanced features that AI has to offer.