Welcome to OLLI at UMass Bostons Online Portal!

OLLI Summer Open House

You’re invited to check out the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at UMass Boston and what awaits if you join our learning community! Spotlight on OLLI is our open house event where prospective members (and current ones) can explore a mini-classroom experience, learn more about OLLI’s programs, and connect with fellow learners.

Please note: This program will be offered simultaneously at three locations: online via Zoom, in-person at Thayer Public Library, and in-person at the UMass Boston campus. Please be sure to register for the correct location.

Registration Instructions. Members should use their OLLI accounts to sign up for these programs. Sign-in using your OLLI username and password by clicking on the yellow 'Sign In' button above. If you do not see the "Add To Cart" or "Request Course" buttons, you have not signed in correctly or your membership has expired. Nonmembers should call (617.287.7312) or email the OLLI office to register for the open house.

Back to Courses & Programs

Spotlight on OLLI: Satisfy Your Curiosity!
Date: 6/25/2026
Day: Thursday
Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Number of Sessions: 1

Location: UMass Boston Campus - Integrated Science Complex
Room: Atrium, 1st Floor
Facilitator:
Schedule Notes: You are registering for the UMass Boston location of OLLI's open house event. A Boston harbor boat cruise will occur after the open house ends.
You’re invited to check out the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at UMass Boston and what awaits if you join our learning community! Spotlight on OLLI is our open house event where prospective members (and current ones) can explore a mini-classroom experience, learn what OLLI offers members, and connect with one another. This program will be offered at three locations: online via Zoom, in-person at Thayer Public Library, and in-person at the UMass Boston campus. Each location will offer a specific learning experience and there will be one common presentation for all to learn a bit more on cyber security. After the classroom presentations, all participants will learn more specifics about OLLI at UMass Boston. Refreshments will be served at the two in-person locations, and for those joining us at UMass Boston, you’ll be able to enjoy a Boston Harbor cruise after the event has ended! Please be sure to register for the correct location.

Mini-classroom experience offered at UMass Boston for OLLI's Open House:

"How much DNA can you fit in a cell?" Explore three distinct ways to measure DNA content with OLLI Scholar Michael Allara, and touch on why organisms have different amounts of DNA. Students will extract DNA from a strawberry and discuss the best way to measure the amount of DNA they have extracted relative to the amount of strawberry they started with. A bit about Michael: Michael is a current PhD student at UMass Boston and a former BPS science teacher who currently studies blood cell development in flies. He has contributed to a publication discussing the sexual dimorphism of fly blood and is very interested if any of the effects of sexual dimorphism in human blood are important for disease outcomes.

Spotlight on OLLI: Satisfy Your Curiosity!
Date: 6/25/2026
Day: Thursday
Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Number of Sessions: 1

Location: Thayer Public Library, Braintree
Room: Logan Auditorium
Facilitator:
Schedule Notes: You are registering for the Braintree location of OLLI's open house event.
You’re invited to check out the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at UMass Boston and what awaits if you join our learning community! Spotlight on OLLI is our open house event where prospective members (and current ones) can explore a mini-classroom experience, learn what OLLI offers members, and connect with one another. This program will be offered at three locations: online via Zoom, in-person at Thayer Public Library, and in-person at the UMass Boston campus. Each location will offer a specific learning experience and there will be one common presentation for all to learn a bit more on cyber security. After the classroom presentations, all participants will learn more specifics about OLLI at UMass Boston. Refreshments will be served at the two in-person locations, and for those joining us at UMass Boston, you’ll be able to enjoy a Boston Harbor cruise after the event has ended! Please be sure to register for the correct location.

Mini-classroom experience offered at Thayer Public Library (Braintree) for OLLI's Open House:

"Why You May (dis)Like a Movie." What lens are you using to watch, appreciate, and interpret the themes presented in a movie? Join OLLI course facilitator Caroline Chiccarelli as she helps you review your personal viewing style through the characteristics (mis-en-scene, performance, cinematography, editing, sound) in a sample classic film. And then, discuss how its story connects to the broader human condition. A bit about Caroline: Caroline’s family stories about cinema have inspired her to share her love of film appreciation with life-long learners, their memories, and perspectives. She enjoys reviewing the Hollywood experience through a variety of genres.

Spotlight on OLLI: Satisfy Your Curiosity!
Date: 6/25/2026
Day: Thursday
Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Number of Sessions: 1

Location: ONLINE
Room: Zoom
Facilitator:
Schedule Notes: You are registering for the online (Zoom) location of OLLI's open house event.
You’re invited to check out the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at UMass Boston and what awaits if you join our learning community! Spotlight on OLLI is our open house event where prospective members (and current ones) can explore a mini-classroom experience, learn what OLLI offers members, and connect with one another. This program will be offered at three locations: online via Zoom, in-person at Thayer Public Library, and in-person at the UMass Boston campus. Each location will offer a specific learning experience and there will be one common presentation for all to learn a bit more on cyber security. After the classroom presentations, all participants will learn more specifics about OLLI at UMass Boston. Refreshments will be served at the two in-person locations, and for those joining us at UMass Boston, you’ll be able to enjoy a Boston Harbor cruise after the event has ended! Please be sure to register for the correct location.

Mini-classroom experience offered online (via Zoom) for OLLI's Open House:

"New England Lighthouses and the People Who Kept Them." This is a teaser for a longer presentation Jeremy will be doing on July 13. In this short version Jeremy will focus on the historic lighthouses near Boston: Minots Ledge Light, Graves Light, and Boston Light - the oldest light station in North America. Jeremy always emphasizes the rich human history of these maritime icons. A bit more about Jeremy: Jeremy D'Entremont is the author of more than 20 books and hundreds of articles on lighthouses and maritime history. He is the historian for the U.S. Lighthouse Society and host of the Society's podcast, "Light Hearted." He is a former president of the American Lighthouse Foundation, and founder of Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses.

Some Title

Your Cart