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‘Your Life As A Work Of Art.’ NEW!
Instructor: Albert Moore
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Day of the Week: Tu
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Dates: 9/22/2026 - 11/3/2026
This instructor is teaching this course in Charlottesville and Staunton. This is the course offered in Charlottesville. Scroll down to view and register for the course in Staunton.
Number of class sessions in this course: 7
Fee: $98.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 20
Course Description:
Your Life As A Work Of Art is a refinement of a previous class: Applying The Creative Process To Your Life, offered at OLLI UVA and The Center in 2025. Your Life As A Work Of Art focuses directly our inherent creative tools and the Seven Phases of Creation of manifesting/experiencing our intended creations. Albert presents each topic with a dash of humor and the promise of lively discussion.
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‘Your Life As A Work Of Art.’ NEW!
Instructor: Albert Moore
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Day of the Week: W
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Dates: 9/23/2026 - 11/4/2026
This instructor is teaching this course in Charlottesville and Staunton. This is the course offered in Staunton.
Number of class sessions in this course: 7
Fee: $84.00
Course Location: R.R. Smith Center for History and Art (opens in new tab) - Upstairs Lecture Room
Location Address: 22 South New St Staunton, VA 24401
Limit: 20
Course Description:
Your Life As A Work Of Art is a refinement of a previous class: Applying The Creative Process To Your Life, offered at OLLI UVA and The Center in 2025. Your Life As A Work Of Art focuses directly our inherent creative tools and the Seven Phases of Creation of manifesting/experiencing our intended creations. Albert presents each topic with a dash of humor and the promise of lively discussion.
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Breaking in to Book Publishing 101 NEW!
Instructor: Judy Mandell
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Day of the Week: Tu
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Dates: 9/8/2026 - 10/6/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 5
Fee: $70.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 12
Course Description:
This 5-week course will be a workshop for people who know little about the world of book publishing, who may have a manuscript started—even completed —but would like to know the best way to get published. I hope to also make the course interesting for people who are merely curious about the world of book publishing.
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Hybrid Warfare NEW!
Instructor: David White
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Day of the Week: Tu
Times: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Dates: 9/8/2026 - 10/20/2026
(No Class Sessions Scheduled on 10/20 and
10/27
Number of class sessions in this course: 7
Fee: $84.00
Course Location: VPAS-Valley Program for Aging Services. (opens in new tab) - Conference Room
Location Address: 325 Pine Ave Waynesboro, VA 22980
Limit: 20
Course Description:
This course explores how Russia and others pursues its foreign policy objectives using every means available short of overt military invasion. In many cases this means propaganda, criminal elements, intelligence agencies, energy policy, cyberattack, among others. The course will explore the intellectual development of the concept of hybrid warfare, an early case study in Lebanon (2006), Georgia (2008), the main example in Ukraine 2014-2022. The course will explore how adversaries use hybrid means against NATO members, and how China employs its version of hybrid warfare.
Required reading:
Berzinš, Janis. Russia’s New Generation Warfare in Ukraine: Implications for Latvian Defense Policy. (Riga: Center for Security and Strategic Research, 2014). http://www.naa.mil.lv/~/media/NAA/AZPC/Publikacijas/PP%2002-2014.ashx
Hoffman, Frank G. “Hybrid Warfare and Challenges,” Joint Forces Quarterly, 1st Quarter 2009, 34-39. http://ndupress.ndu.edu/portals/68/Documents/jfq/jfq-52.pdf
Maigre, Merle. Nothing New in Hybrid Warfare: The Estonian Experience and
Recommendations for NATO. Policy Brief, The German Marshall Fund of the United States, February 2015. http://www.gmfus.org/publications/nothing-new-hybrid-warfare-estonian-experience-and-recommendations-nato, accessed 26 February 2015.
Chekinov, Sergei, and Sergei A. Bogdanov, “The Nature and Content of the New Generation of War, Military Thought, № 10/2013, р. 13-24 (Сергей Алексеевич БОГДАНОВ Сергей Геннадьевич ЧЕКИНОВ “О характере и содержании войны нового поколения,” Военная Мысль). Translated by Jon White
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Indie Publishing: Soup to Nuts NEW!
Instructor: Dianne Farb
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Day of the Week: W
Times: 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Dates: 10/21/2026 - 10/21/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 1
Fee: $14.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 35
Course Description:
Indie Publishing: From Soup to Nuts is a welcoming, beginner-friendly workshop designed especially for adults who have a story to tell. Whether you’re interested in memoir, fiction, or simply learning how books are made, this step-by-step course guides you through the entire self-publishing process — from planning and editing to covers, pricing, and basic marketing. Participants will receive instruction in a relaxed learning environment. No technical background required — just curiosity and creativity. Perfect for lifelong learners ready to explore modern publishing and bring their ideas to life.
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Orchids: From Knowing them to Growing them NEW!
Instructor: Lewis Miller and Jeff Morris
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Day of the Week: W
Times: 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Dates: 10/21/2026 - 11/11/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 4
Fee: $56.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 11
Course Description:
The first two sessions will cover general information. Questions such as what makes a plant an orchid, how do orchids differ from other plants, how did orchids get their name, how big and diverse is the orchid family, what role did orchids play in the development of science and how old is the orchid family will be addressed. Remaining sessions are devoted to culture. Emphasis is given to the genus Phalaenopsis (beginners orchid). Other orchids commonly grown by hobbyists are also discussed. Topics covered include temperature, light, watering frequency and humidity requirements, potting media choices, dormancy, fertilization, pest and diseases.
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Shakespeare: Our Modern Contemporary NEW!
Instructor: Shelley Bryant
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Day of the Week: Tu
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Dates: 9/8/2026 - 10/20/2026
This instructor is teaching this course in Charlottesville and Staunton. This is the course offered in Charlottesville. Scroll down to view and register for the course in Staunton.
Number of class sessions in this course: 7
Fee: $98.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 25
Course Description:
Great art bestows the ability to find in the past aspects of human experience that sheds light on the meaning of our own times. This was particularly the case for the intellectuals living in post World War II Eastern Europe, who had not only experienced first hand the horrors of concentration camps, totalitarianism, and the threat of nuclear annihilation, but subsequently had also found themselves allied against the reality of everyday life under Stalin. These intellectuals found in Shakespeare’s plays a profound parallel in the playwright’s own proximity to civil war, brutality, ideology, conspiracy, and bloody repression. While seeing in Shakespeare what was termed “universal truth,” they, unlike any of the prominent Shakespearean critics in earlier eras, also found in Shakespeare’s plays the essence of modern consciousness. What was this particular essence that drew them to Shakespeare in a way no other prior critics had glimpsed? We will answer this question by discussing five plays: Richard II and Richard III, Hamlet, Macbeth, and Othello to discover what qualities of modern experience they found.
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Shakespeare: Our Modern Contemporary NEW!
Instructor: Shelley Bryant
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Day of the Week: Th
Times: 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Dates: 10/29/2026 - 12/10/2026
This instructor is teaching this course in Charlottesville and Staunton. This is the course offered in Staunton.
Number of class sessions in this course: 7
Fee: $98.00
Course Location: VPAS-Valley Program for Aging Services. (opens in new tab) - Conference Room
Location Address: 325 Pine Ave Waynesboro, VA 22980
Limit: 12
Course Description:
Great art bestows the ability to find in the past aspects of human experience that sheds light on the meaning of our own times. This was particularly the case for the intellectuals living in post World War II Eastern Europe, who had not only experienced first hand the horrors of concentration camps, totalitarianism, and the threat of nuclear annihilation, but subsequently had also found themselves allied against the reality of everyday life under Stalin. These intellectuals found in Shakespeare’s plays a profound parallel in the playwright’s own proximity to civil war, brutality, ideology, conspiracy, and bloody repression. While seeing in Shakespeare what was termed “universal truth,” they, unlike any of the prominent Shakespearean critics in earlier eras, also found in Shakespeare’s plays the essence of modern consciousness. What was this particular essence that drew them to Shakespeare in a way no other prior critics had glimpsed? We will answer this question by discussing five plays: Richard II and Richard III, Hamlet, Macbeth, and Othello to discover what qualities of modern experience they found.
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Talking History: Controversial Decisions of the Supreme Court NEW!
Instructor: Robert Toplin
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Day of the Week: W
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Dates: 12/2/2026 - 12/16/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 3
Fee: $42.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 12
Course Description:
Toplin will provide information about the cases at the beginning of the meetings and then welcome your judgments about three important Supreme Court rulings. He will discuss the history that led to the decisions, identify the controversies, and describe the rulings’ impact on American society. First meeting: District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) that protected an individual’s right to possess a firearm. Second meeting: Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission (2010) that applied First Amendment rights to specific campaign spending. Third meeting: Trump v. United States (2024) that gave presidents presumptive immunity for official acts.
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The Beatles, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah! NEW!
Instructor: Michael Martucci
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Day of the Week: M
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Dates: 11/2/2026 - 11/16/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 3
Fee: $42.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 35
Course Description:
Remember the fun and excitement of The Beatles and their music? Come listen to the history of The Beatles and share your own experiences. Reminisce about the Fab Four and the people that helped them make music. No tests. A splendid time is guaranteed for all.
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The Healing Narrative: Perception, Memory, and Integration in Autobiography NEW!
Instructor: Ruth Ellen Porter
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Day of the Week: Tu
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Dates: 10/27/2026 - 11/24/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 5
Fee: $60.00
Course Location: VPAS-Valley Program for Aging Services. (opens in new tab) - Conference Room
Location Address: 325 Pine Ave Waynesboro, VA 22980
Limit: 25
Course Description:
Given the contemporary interest in therapeutic writing, this course offers insight into why it works and how to apply it to your own life experiences. Through an interdisciplinary lens of philosophy, art, psychology, and writing, the student explores the fascinating world of personal narrative.
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The Human Microbiome: How Your Microbes Control You NEW!
Instructor: P.J. Rooney
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Day of the Week: Tu
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Dates: 12/1/2026 - 12/15/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 3
Fee: $42.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 25
Course Description:
Imagine an organ as influential as your brain—one that shapes your memory, mood, health, weight, and behavior. This “organ” is your human microbiome, the vast collection of microbes living in and on your body. Gut microbes alone contain about 3 million genes, far exceeding human genes, enabling them to produce essential molecules for survival. These microbes help regulate stress, hormones, immune function, and even brain activity, influencing cognition and behavior. Humans depend heavily on these beneficial organisms. This course explores the fascinating world of the microbiome and offers insights into maintaining a healthy gut.
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The Power of Resilience NEW!
Instructor: Russ Linden
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Day of the Week: Tu
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Dates: 10/27/2026 - 11/24/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 5
Fee: $70.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 12
Course Description:
This course addresses a topic that’s critical these days: Resilience. How do we bounce back from difficult times and challenges? Whether at work, with our family/friends, in our community activities, we all experience stressful times. The question is, how do we respond? The course is very interactive. We’ll use lecture/discussion, video clips, short case studies and a self assessment questionnaire to explore resilience. We’ll draw on both personal and professional examples that illustrate 6 different strategies for maintaining or improving our resilience.
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2026 Mid-term Election
Instructor: Bob Lorish
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Day of the Week: Tu
Times: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Dates: 10/27/2026 - 11/17/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 4
Fee: $56.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 25
Course Description:
Discussion group exploring all aspects of the important mid-term Congressional election. Will the Republicans retain control of the House and Senate? Are the election results being challenged? Emerging politicians for the 2028 Presidential election? Come and present you take and all things related to the current status of US politics.
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A Time To Listen, A Time To Speak
Instructor: John Bates
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Day of the Week: Th
Times: 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Dates: 9/24/2026 - 10/22/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 5
Fee: $70.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 12
Course Description:
“A Time to Listen, A Time to Speak” is designed to create a welcoming environment where participants can openly share thoughts and feelings on topics ranging from social and political issues to current events and beyond. As facilitator, John introduces each session with brief materials— handouts, visuals, or videos—then steps back to let conversation develop, offering occasional prompts to sustain engagement. The goal is for everyone to have a voice, with no single perspective dominating. Because these discussions have no single “right” answer, all viewpoints are encouraged. Past sessions have been thoughtful and enlightening; John has learned as much as participants, and many have requested additional meetings. This forum offers a rare opportunity to discuss topics often overlooked due to lack of space or structure. Participants typically become comfortable quickly and begin sharing openly. While topics from previous sessions may be revisited, this group is especially intended for newcomers seeking meaningful dialogue.
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African Nationalist Leaders: The Founding Fathers NEW!
Instructor: David Throup
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Day of the Week: F
Times: 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Dates: 10/30/2026 - 12/11/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 7
Fee: $98.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 35
Course Description:
The course will examine the careers of six prominent African nationalists leaders: Houphouet-Boigny of Cote d’Ivoire, Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Julius Nyerere of Tanzania, Ahmed Sekou Toure of Guinea, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, and Nelson Mandela of South Africa.
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America and the World In the Age of Jefferson
Instructor: James Sofka
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Day of the Week: Th
Times: 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Dates: 10/29/2026 - 11/19/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 4
Fee: $48.00
Course Location: R.R. Smith Center for History and Art (opens in new tab) - Upstairs Lecture Room
Location Address: 22 South New St Staunton, VA 24401
Limit: 35
Course Description:
This course will examine America’s role in international relations from the Revolutionary War through what some historians have termed the “second war of independence,” the War of 1812. World politics was both a source of great opportunity as well as grave dangers to the Founding Fathers, and most believed isolationism to be impractical. Managing the realities of wars, territorial disputes, and trade rivalries was a constant preoccupation of the Founding generation. In this course, we will examine the critical issues facing early American leaders and the competing strategies they designed to secure American independence in a volatile world. As we honor the nation’s 250th birthday, we will examine the stakes of international relations in its Founding period, the role they played in shaping our Constitution, and the political cleavages they helped create in the new American nation.
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American Health Care: Challenges and Opportunities
Instructor: Robert Powers
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Day of the Week: Th
Times: 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Dates: 10/29/2026 - 12/10/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 7
Fee: $98.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 35
Course Description:
This course offers an opportunity to learn about the structure, function and financing of the health care system in the United States. Lectures and classroom sessions will cover the history and current status of the education and delivery systems, and examine the challenges that face providers, patients, policy makers, and citizens as health care becomes more effective and more expensive. Issues related to manpower, financing, access, disparities, and developing technology will be examined, with discussion of approaches to understanding and addressing significant problems, challenges, and opportunities.
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Another Time to Listen, Another Time to Speak
Instructor: John Bates
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Day of the Week: Th
Times: 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Dates: 11/5/2026 - 12/3/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 5
Fee: $70.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 12
Course Description:
This advanced discussion group is designed for individuals who have completed the initial course, A Time to Listen, A Time to Speak. Conversations will engage with more complex and rigorous themes. Registration in A Time to Listen, Time to Speak is required.
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Augusta County in the Civil War NEW!
Instructor: David White
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Day of the Week: M
Times: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Dates: 9/14/2026 - 10/26/2026
No Class Sessions Scheduled on 10/12, 10/19, 10/26
Number of class sessions in this course: 7
Fee: $84.00
Course Location: VPAS-Valley Program for Aging Services. (opens in new tab) - Conference Room
Location Address: 325 Pine Ave Waynesboro, VA 22980
Limit: 15
Course Description:
This course explores the evolution of the American Civil War in Augusta County. The scene of two significant battles, Augusta County played an outsized role in the war and reconstruction. This course examines the context, trends, personalities, and events that occurred in the county between 1859 and 1869.
Suggested reading: Valley of the Shadow project.
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Breaking in to Book Publishing 102 NEW!
Instructor: Judy Mandell
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Day of the Week: Tu
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Dates: 10/20/2026 - 11/24/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 6
Fee: $84.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 12
Course Description:
This six-session course is for students who have taken my first OLLI Book Publishing course and anyone who wants to delve deeply into book proposals, contracts, working with agents and editors, hybrid publishing self-publishing and other book publishing possibilities.
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Chinese Poetry in Translation NEW!
Instructor: Anne Kinney
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Day of the Week: M
Times: 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Dates: 9/28/2026 - 11/9/2026
One-Hour Class Sessions
Number of class sessions in this course: 7
Fee: $98.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 12
Course Description:
Introductory survey of Chinese poetry from earliest times (first millennium BCE) through the Sung Dynasty in English translation. The course familiarizes students with highlights of Chinese poetry and presents modes of reading, analysis and interpretation. Special emphasis on how to read a poem (in any language)!
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Clinton’s Ditch: A Wild Idea That Actually Worked NEW!
Instructor: Gregory Sampson
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Day of the Week: Tu
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Dates: 11/10/2026 - 11/24/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 3
Fee: $42.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 35
Course Description:
The promotion, construction and operation of the Erie Canal together constitute one rollicking adventure. In this course, we will follow the debates between the nay-sayers and the visionaries who conceived the “crazy notion”. Without getting into any engineering details, we will discuss the construction of the canal, stretching rom Albany to Buffalo—some 400 miles. There were folk songs about the arduous labor of digging the canal, and we will listen to some samples. The dangerous task of canal operation will be described. Finally, the enormous impact of the project on the development of the young nations will be described.
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Comparing Modern Epics NEW!
Instructor: Robin Reid
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Day of the Week: W
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Dates: 10/21/2026 - 11/25/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 6
Fee: $84.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 12
Course Description:
We will compare three pairs of great stories of the modern period: (1) Austen’s Pride and Prejudice vs. Eliot’s Middlemarch; (2) Dostoevsky’s Brothers Karamazov vs. Tolstoy’s War and Peace; (3) Tolkien’s Hobbit and Lord of the Rings vs. Rowling’s Harry Potter saga. We will discuss the question of inclusion (who is left out?), the question of equality and empowerment, the question of freedom, creativity, happiness, and the question of religion, spiritual depth and the end game.
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Instructor: Heather Dudley
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- Day of the Week: W
- Times: 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
- Dates: 11/4/2026 - 11/18/2026
- Number of classes in this course: 3
- Fee: $42.00
- Location: OLLI at UVA ONLINE
- Limit: 100
Enrolled members will receive an enrollment reminder with the link: a week before the first class and again before each class in this course. Registration for this course will close the day before it begins to ensure all enrolled members receive the link.
*Courses are not recorded due to copyright and privacy regulations.
Course Description:
The course would focus on two major It is the best-known document in American history, yet we still grapple with the meanings of equality, liberty, and happiness.? It was meant to be far more than an explanation of why the colonists sought to break away—it was intended as the American Creed, a statement of universal principles about how people should live and how government should function. Many thinkers—James Wilson, George Mason, John Adams, and others—were writing about these very ideas, but it was Jefferson’s extraordinary gift for language that makes us remember the Declaration.
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Early French History: From Prehistoric Caves, Frankish Kingdoms to the Hundred Years War
Instructor: Debbie Corber
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Day of the Week: W
Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Dates: 10/28/2026 - 12/2/2026
Two-Hour Class Sessions)
Number of class sessions in this course: 6
Fee: $84.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 35
Course Description:
This course offers a SURVEY of French History from the Prehistoric period in the Dordogne valley through the Hundred Years War. Subjects will include Roman Gaul, early Merovingian kings, Charlemagne, Feudalism, the Crusades, Joan of Arc and the Hundred Years War. We will also discuss Romanesque and Gothic architecture, a unique contribution from the French in the Middle Ages. The course will highlight unique places to visit in France where all of these events took place.
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Ethical Drugs: What They Are, How They Work, and How They Are Discovered NEW!
Instructor: Brian Pollok, PhD
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Day of the Week: W
Times: 12:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Dates: 11/4/2026 - 12/9/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 6
Fee: $84.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 35
Course Description:
According to the CDC, nearly 90% of people over the age of 60 take at least one type of prescription medicine. While most of us understand what health issue the drug is meant to address, our understanding of what drugs actually are, how they work and are modified in the body, and how they are discovered is often limited. This six-class course is meant to fill in those gaps of understanding about ethical drugs—i.e., those approved by the FDA—using visuals and explanations geared to a lay audience.
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Evil in National and International Affairs
Instructor: Stephen Kennamer
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Day of the Week: Th
Times: 11:15 AM - 12:45 PM
Dates: 11/5/2026 - 12/10/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 6
Fee: $84.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 35
Course Description:
Most discussions of “the problem of evil” eagerly gravitate to the florid malignancies of mass murderers, serial killers, and sociopathic career criminals. This facilitates a neglect of the evils done by national governments, either to other nations or to their own people. In our country, the word “evil” is rarely used for the conduct of our own government. Historically, a conspiracy of silence surrounds our theft of Native American lands. Thoreau cited his government’s enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Law and the invasion of Mexico. How do we identify American evils happening today? How do we confront them?
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Four Radical Books of the Bible
Instructor: Stephen Kennamer
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Day of the Week: Th
Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Dates: 9/10/2026 - 10/22/2026
No Class Session Scheduled on 10/1
Number of class sessions in this course: 7
Fee: $84.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 35
Course Description:
If a waitlist develops, OLLI will work to move it to a larger venue.
This course examines four books of the Bible—Ecclesiastes, Job, Matthew, and Luke—that upended the religious mores of ancient people, who believed that “the gods” reward human merit and punish human sins. The rich and powerful deserve their wealth because the gods have favored them with it. By contrast, Ecclesiastes states that the rain falls on both the just and the unjust; Job demonstrates that terrible afflictions may befall “a perfect and an upright man.” Even more astonishingly, Jesus says that “The last shall be first”— as counterintuitive an assertion as the injunction to “turn the other cheek.”
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From Dust to Man: The Geologic History of Planet Earth
Instructor: Mark Barnhill
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Day of the Week: M
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Dates: 10/26/2026 - 12/7/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 7
Fee: $98.00
Course Location: Homewood Suites (opens in new tab) - Albemarle Room
Location Address: 2036 India Road Charlottesville, VA 22901
Limit: 35
Course Description:
This course will examine the major geologic events that shaped planet Earth during its 4.6-billion-year history from its earliest beginnings from nebular dust to the formation of the continents, to the present ice age. Woven through this geologic history will be the evolution of life on earth from the theories of where and when life began, to man's arrival 300 thousand years ago and his impact on our planet. No prior geologic education is required but helpful.
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From the Page to The Stage: How Theatre Gets Made! NEW!
Instructor: Jeff Sands
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Day of the Week: M
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Dates: 11/2/2026 - 12/7/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 6
Fee: $84.00
Course Location: Homewood Suites (opens in new tab) - Albemarle Room
Location Address: 2036 India Road Charlottesville, VA 22901
Limit: 35
Course Description:
A producer chooses a play to put before an audience. Now what? How does the printed text of a play become a performance? Who will direct it? And what exactly does the director do? Who will design the set, lighting and costumes—and build, install and sew them? Auditions and casting—what’s all that about? Then, the rehearsal process must be carefully planned and rigorously carried out. The list of considerations goes on and on—and on. And every component must be seamlessly woven together to creative a unified, coherent theatrical experience. Whether it’s classical, Elizabethan, modern, contemporary, or avant-garde —comedy, tragedy, farce, melodrama, musical or anything you can imagine, it’s a magical and often mysterious path from the page to the stage. We will wend our way through this creative labyrinth, examining the works of the most respected, influential and successful directors, designers and actors throughout the history of the theatre to show us how it’s done. The course will be almost entirely visual— drawings, photographs, videos—while your instructor serves as a combination tour guide, docent, and critic to illustrate, illuminate, and explicate the most complex artistic process ever devised— the staging of a play.
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Global Ethics
Instructor: Patricia Wrightson
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Day of the Week: F
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Dates: 11/6/2026 - 12/4/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 5
Fee: $70.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 12
Course Description:
This course will examine the ethical aspects of the crises that the world is facing at the time. There will be no required reading, although there will be suggestions. The first session will cover basic ethical ideas and following sessions will use these ideas to discuss current events from an ethics point of view.
Suggested Reading: Blackburn, Simon. Ethics: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press, 2021.
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Great American Architects
Instructor: Richard Guy Wilson
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Day of the Week: Tu
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Dates: 9/8/2026 - 10/13/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 6
Fee: $84.00
Course Location: Unity of Charlottesville (opens in new tab) - Sanctuary
Location Address: 2825 Hydraulic Road Charlottesville, VA 22901
Limit: 100
Course Description:
The history of architecture can be approached) from many perspectives, one of which focuses the work of individuals. This course will investigate the contributions of six American architects and the creation of noteworthy buildings. Six lectures will treat the following: Benjamin Henry Latrobe (1764-1820), Alexander Jackson Davis (1803--1892) with Andrew Jackson Downing (1815-1852), Frank Furness (1839-1912), Bertram Goodhue (1869-1924), Philip Johnson (1906-2005) and the Post Modernism of Michael Graves (1934-2015) and Robert A. M. Stern (1939-2025). They designed and worked on important buildings from the US Capitol to state houses such as Nebraska, giant skyscrapers, private residences from wood to glass, and pioneered many styles, from Classical, Gothic Revival and Post-Modernism.
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Guided Autobiography (GAB I)
Instructor: Ingrid Reynolds
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Day of the Week: W
Times: 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Dates: 10/28/2026 - 11/25/2026
Two Hour Class Sessions
Number of class sessions in this course: 5
Fee: $70.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 12
Course Description:
Guided Autobiography (GAB) is a researched and developed method whereby participants are led through a series of themes and sensitizing questions that evoke memories of events otherwise tucked away or seemingly forgotten. Each participant writes a two-page story on a particular theme that is explored and discussed each week. They then share their story within small groups to connect with one another, reflect on their life’s journey, or leave a written legacy for their family. No writing experience is necessary.
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Hacker-Proof Your Life: Outsmart Cybercriminals, Scammers & Evil AI NEW!
Instructor: Soren Burkhart
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Day of the Week: F
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Dates: 9/11/2026 - 10/16/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 6
Fee: $84.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 35
Course Description:
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Introduction to Buddhism in the United States NEW!
Instructor: Philip Schrodt
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Day of the Week: Tu
Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Dates: 9/15/2026 - 10/20/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 6
Fee: $84.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 35
Course Description:
This course is a general introduction to both the historical and contemporary aspects of Buddhism with an emphasis on the Buddhist approaches most commonly found in the United States, as well as the secular meditation practices such as “mindfulness” that have their roots in Buddhist experience. The course format is largely lecture, using PowerPoint-like slides, but with significant time allocated for questions. It is accompanied by an extended web site with suggestions for readings, though the content should be accessible without the readings.
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Introduction to Conscious Communication NEW!
Instructor: Steven Weingarten
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Day of the Week: Th
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM
Dates: 9/17/2026 - 10/29/2026
10-11:40 a.m. First Class Session; 10-11:15 a.m. Remaining Class Sessions
Number of class sessions in this course: 7
Fee: $98.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 12
Course Description:
This program series is for those curious and interested in communicating with clarity, empathy and care to bring about more connection with themselves and others. Far more than techniques, you’ll learn to transform the thinking, language and moralistic judgments that prevent the quality of relationships you’ve always wanted. Start to more easily resolve conflicts, get what you want without demands, hear the needs of others, strengthen your personal and professional relationships, and live your fullest potential.
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Just Getting Started with AI? Let AI Teach You NEW!
Instructor: Michael Kelley
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Day of the Week: F
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Dates: 11/20/2026 - 11/20/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 1
Fee: $14.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 35
Course Description:
AI leads this lively introduction to AI’s creative and practical possibilities. Participants explore storytelling, idea generation, planning, and simple explanations for everyday questions. The session is supportive, interactive, and designed to make learning enjoyable for all. (There will be a human moderator.)
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Labyrinth: A Practice of History, Mystery, Beauty, and Wellness
Instructor: Mary Ann Wamhoff
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Day of the Week: Tu
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Dates: 9/8/2026 - 9/29/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 4
Fee: $56.00
Course Location: Unity of Charlottesville (opens in new tab) - Classroom
Location Address: 2825 Hydraulic Road Charlottesville, VA 22901
Limit: 18
Course Description:
Have you ever wondered why some folks walk in circles and seem to love it? Do you know the difference between a labyrinth and a maze? Have you ever wanted to build a labyrinth in your yard or on a beach? Are you interested in exploring moving meditation? Would you like some inspiration? Are you in a process of discernment? Would you like to think more metaphorically? Come, explore with us! We’ll learn about the varieties and history of what is constructed using sacred geometry and why it works! We’ll practice on various labyrinths in each session. We plan to take field trips.
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Let’s Bike! Turning On Our Anti Aging Genes
Instructor: John Burt, Jeanette Bowman
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Day of the Week: M
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Dates: 10/5/2026 - 10/26/2026
One hour class sessions.
Number of class sessions in this course: 4
Fee: $56.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 16
Course Description:
We are born with 20,000 genes, and several of them are anti-aging by design. Let’s learn how to turn and keep these genes on while we pedal mini bikes in the comfort of OLLI! We will learn all about anti-aging genes, as well as tips on healthy aging through exercise habits, lifestyle, diet, relaxation, and sleep.
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Listening: "What Did You Say?"
Instructor: Richard Mason
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Day of the Week: W
Times: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Dates: 9/16/2026 - 10/21/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 6
Fee: $84.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 12
Course Description:
Listening is a skill used every day in our lives. How many people could be better listeners? Ironically, for a skill that is so important and used so much, most people never have had any training or education in developing the skill. Listening skills can be developed and strengthened through understanding and practice. In this course the instructor will present a simple model of the communication process. The sessions will include "one-on-one" student interaction and some whole group discussion. Throughout the course, many opportunities will be available to practice new skills.
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Living the Good Life Stoically NEW!
Instructor: Jon Mikalson
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Day of the Week: M
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Dates: 9/14/2026 - 10/26/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 7
Fee: $98.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 20
Course Description:
“Some things are under our control, some things are not.” So opens the handbook of the Stoic philosopher Epictetus (I CE), and he then describes in simple terms how to distinguish which are which and how to deal with each of them in order to have a good and moral life. This small book was one of Thomas Jefferson’s favorites, and we will discuss it and stoicism, and will judge from his most famous letters how “stoic” TJ was in his own life. And, finally, we will ask if stoic philosophy is relevant in our times. Some lecture, mostly class discussion.
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London's Tower Hill Executions History
Instructor: Ruth McWilliams
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Day of the Week: Tu
Times: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Dates: 10/27/2026 - 10/27/2026
This schedule is correct. This instructor is teaching this course in Charlottesville and Staunton. This is the course offered in Staunton.
Number of class sessions in this course: 1
Fee: $12.00
Course Location: R.R. Smith Center for History and Art (opens in new tab) - Upstairs Lecture Room
Location Address: 22 South New St Staunton, VA 24401
Limit: 35
Course Description:
Over 125 people were executed on Tower Hill, London, adjacent to the Tower of London. Using the Tower Hill historical markers as a guide, this presentation highlights the 27 names (plus 3!) and brief biographies of how and why these 30 people were executed on Tower Hill.
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London's Tower Hill Executions History
Instructor: Ruth McWilliams
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Day of the Week: F
Times: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Dates: 10/30/2026 - 10/30/2026
This instructor is teaching this course in Charlottesville and Staunton. This is the course offered in Charlottesville. Scroll down to view and register for the course in Staunton.
Number of class sessions in this course: 1
Fee: $14.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 35
Course Description:
Over 125 people were executed on Tower Hill, London, adjacent to the Tower of London. Using the Tower Hill historical markers as a guide, this presentation highlights the 27 names (plus 3!) and brief biographies of how and why these 30 people were executed on Tower Hill.
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Looking at Photographs NEW!
Instructor: Clifford Brane
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Day of the Week: Tu
Times: 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Dates: 9/15/2026 - 10/13/2026
Two-Hour Class Sessions
Number of class sessions in this course: 5
Fee: $60.00
Course Location: R.R. Smith Center for History and Art (opens in new tab) - Upstairs Lecture Room
Location Address: 22 South New St Staunton, VA 24401
Limit: 6
Course Description:
The goal of this class is to sharpen your eye for what makes an effective photo. One of the challenges of advancing your photography is to become a better judge of your own photographs. This will be a class inspired by the classes at the Maine Media Workshops and College in Rockport, Maine. Students will collect photographic images under different categories and from various sources like magazines, newspapers, social media, medical journals, great photographers of the past, editorial photography, advertisements, and photographic artists. The initial meeting will explain the process. Subsequent classes will have topics assigned to or chosen by the student. Students will present their collected images during class and discuss composition and what attracted them to the photos.
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My Life in Cartoons NEW!
Instructor: Anne Kinney
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Day of the Week: M
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Dates: 9/28/2026 - 10/26/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 5
Fee: $70.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 35
Course Description:
Almost all assignments involve both drawing and writing. Some students may feel squeamish about their ability to convey in drawings exactly what is intended, but you can always compensate with more writing. For example, you might want to feature your new blue dress but feel the drawing doesn’t quite deliver. Solution: make a minimalist drawing but add a descriptive caption: “Here I am in my beautiful new designer dress in Mediterranean Blue.” Most important, however, is to remember that these are comics—no one expects or wants a Rembrandt in this context!
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Paths Not Taken: Possible Outcomes of Key Decisions Made Differently in Modern American History
Instructor: Carl Pales
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Day of the Week: F
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Dates: 9/25/2026 - 10/16/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 4
Fee: $56.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 35
Course Description:
Four US presidents during the twentieth century were presented with decisions that, made differently, would have had enormous impacts on our country and even the world. This course will address both those decisions and the possible consequences had an alternate path been taken.
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Poems for Hard Times NEW!
Instructor: Susan Sharpe
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Day of the Week: Th
Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Dates: 11/12/2026 - 12/10/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 5
Fee: $70.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 12
Course Description:
This course description was written in the spring of 2026, wondering mightily what the fall may bring. Can poetry help us to be calm and hopeful in anxious times? Is it a satisfaction to hear the anger and anxiety of voices from past hard times— and to remember how hard some of those were. In this course we’ll read together poems from the 1930s Depression, from the civil rights struggle, from war and poverty, from environmental collapse. We’ll try some protest songs and some labor songs, and look for voices that speak to our own times.
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Richard Wagner and the Art of the Future NEW!
Instructor: Timothy Snider
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Day of the Week: Th
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Dates: 10/8/2026 - 10/29/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 4
Fee: $56.00
Course Location: WTJU-UVA's Community Radio Station (opens in new tab) - WTJU Radio Station
Location Address: 2244 Ivy Road , VA 22903
Limit: 25
Course Description:
Richard Wagner was one of the dominant artistic figures of the 19th Century. He composed massive operas that remain mainstays of the repertoire today. The opera house that he built in Bayreuth for the staging of his mighty works is still the destination for pilgrimages by his followers. His Art of the Future influenced the course of music and culture for generations. He still inspires passionate devotion and fierce opposition. He was a fervent German nationalist and a thoroughly amoral human being. We’ll explore the art of this operatic titan and challenging personality.
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Rights vs Dollars: The Uneasy Tension Between American Capitalism and Democracy
Instructor: Gary Moore
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Day of the Week: Th
Times: 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Dates: 10/22/2026 - 11/19/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 5
Fee: $70.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 12
Course Description:
Former Council of Economic Advisors Chair Arthur Okun has written: “Contemporary American society is, in a sense, a split-level structure. Its political and social institutions provide universally-distributed rights and privileges that proclaim the equality of all citizens. But its economic institutions rely on market-determined outcomes that generate substantial disparities among citizens in living standards and material welfare. The resulting mixture of equal rights and unequal incomes creates tensions between the political principles of democracy and the economic principles of capitalism.” This course will use the Okun analytical framework to think about and assess the continuing tension between American democracy and capitalism. *Students should really purchase or have access to the short (110 pages) book by Arthur Okun, EQUALITY AND EFFICIENCY: THE BIG TRADEOFF, that costs around $15-20 online. For the especially frugal there is alternatively a 16 page Aspen Institute manuscript that covers much of the same ground and could be reproduced.
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Short Form Narrative Workshop
Instructor: Brent Kitching, James Oglethorpe
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Day of the Week: Tu
Times: 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Dates: 10/20/2026 - 11/24/2026
Two-Hour Class Sessions
Number of class sessions in this course: 6
Fee: $84.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 12
Course Description:
This course about the short narrative form is designed for inexperienced writers who might enjoy exploring their creative potential in a small class setting. Attendees will sharpen their skills through a series of weekly assignments that will be gently critiqued by their classmates. The weekly writings will focus on both fiction and creative nonfiction. Required material - just bring your stories. The participants may wish to read their work each week. The skills necessary for short narrative writing are relevant to many writing genres including short stories, micro fiction, and poetry. This course will focus on student writing.
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Tai Chi for Beginners: An introduction to Yang style
Instructor: Ronald Salomon
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Day of the Week: F
Times: 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Dates: 10/30/2026 - 12/11/2026
One-Hour Class Sessions
Number of class sessions in this course: 7
Fee: $98.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 12
Course Description:
Yang style Tai Chi is the most popular style. It helps participants with strength, balance, flexibility, and concentration. This class will cover the first parts of the Yang 24 sequence. It will also include Tai Chi walking and some basic Qi Gong exercises. As with all exercise programs, people should check with their primary care providers before participating.
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The 5 Domains of Functional Healthspan NEW!
Instructor: Scott Fulton
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Day of the Week: W
Times: 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Dates: 9/23/2026 - 10/21/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 5
Fee: $70.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 35
Course Description:
Over 60% of healthspan is determined by functional markers, NOT disease, according to the WHO. Developing and preserving physical and cognitive functional reserves—the vehicle for extended healthspan—is up to us. The Five Domains of Functional Healthspan research happened here in Charlottesville, with the primary purpose of promoting better healthspan outcomes. Based on the 44 functional markers in the book FUNCTION, this course is a 50:50 blend of lecture and active self-assessments of everyday activities, including dual-task-training— the most proven approach to building and preserving cognition. You’ll discover your current healthspan trajectory, and how to improve it. Plan to discover yourself.
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The Enduring Legacy of Colonialism NEW!
Instructor: Paul Mack
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Day of the Week: M
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Dates: 11/9/2026 - 12/7/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 5
Fee: $70.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 12
Course Description:
This course intends to actively involve participants in dialogue through careful examination of the continuing effects, both obvious and hidden, of colonialism, on both colonized and colonizer. Such consideration, undertaken in a group, can offer essential perspectives on human experience as our global society compresses, and as we acknowledge the lived realities of irrevocably changed lives. Close contact with the lived cultures of others will help us better understand our own culture.
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Instructor: George Conway
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- Day of the Week: Th
- Times: 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM
- Dates: 10/8/2026 - 10/29/2026
75 minute class sessions)
- Number of classes in this course: 4
- Fee: $54.00
- Location: OLLI at UVA ONLINE
- Limit: 100
Enrolled members will receive an enrollment reminder with the link: a week before the first class and again before each class in this course. Registration for this course will close the day before it begins to ensure all enrolled members receive the link.
*Courses are not recorded due to copyright and privacy regulations.
Course Description:
The four canonical gospels offer distinct portraits of Jesus—each engaging and thought-provoking, though rarely perfectly aligned when read together. This course will explore these differences, examining how Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John each developed their own vision of Jesus and why these portrayals have played such a significant role in Christian theology, art, and biblical studies. Through lectures and discussions, we will analyze the gospel texts, focusing on how the differences, including literary tensions and notable omissions, were shaped by historical context and theological debates. Together, we’ll learn how these ancient texts influenced the question: Who is Jesus?
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Instructor: John Hill
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- Day of the Week: M
- Times: 3:00 PM - 4:30 AM
- Dates: 10/5/2026 - 11/9/2026
- Number of classes in this course: 6
- Fee: $78.00
- Location: OLLI at UVA ONLINE
- Limit: 35
Enrolled members will receive an enrollment reminder with the link: a week before the first class and again before each class in this course. Registration for this course will close the day before it begins to ensure all enrolled members receive the link.
*Courses are not recorded due to copyright and privacy regulations.
Course Description:
The History of Rock will begin with the precursors of rock, and a definition. Subsequent weeks will look at Rock a-billy, R&B, The British Invasion, Folk Rock, The San Francisco Sound, The Seattle Sound, and will end with the death of rock with a few post-rock examples like Katy Perry, Snoop Dogg, Lady Gaga, and the Korean Invasion.
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The Life, Times, and Controversies of Presidents Carter, Clinton, and Obama NEW!
Instructor: Robert Toplin
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Day of the Week: W
Times: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Dates: 11/4/2026 - 11/18/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 3
Fee: $42.00
Course Location: Unity of Charlottesville (opens in new tab) - Sanctuary
Location Address: 2825 Hydraulic Road Charlottesville, VA 22901
Limit: 100
Course Description:
We will examine the life, times, and leadership of three recent presidents of the United States. First meeting: Jimmy Carter. Second meeting: Bill Clinton. Third Meeting: Barack Obama. We’ll start with biographical perspectives, noting the upbringing, education, and experiences that influenced these individuals’ ideas. We will discuss the presidents’ domestic and foreign policies. We’ll also identify controversies that developed during their years in the White House and consider the ways these leaders handled them. We welcome your ideas and questions.
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The Political Brain
Instructor: Terry Newell
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Day of the Week: W
Times: 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Dates: 9/16/2026 - 9/30/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 3
Fee: $42.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 20
Course Description:
People rely on reason to make political decisions, yet neuroscience and social psychology suggest these decisions are strongly influenced by emotions. This seminar explores how the brain, especially its emotional centers, shapes thinking and acting regarding political issues. We’ll examine how the brain makes decisions and how people explore political issues, take the stands they do and often resist changing them. We’ll look at the power of public opinion and what leads people to vote as they do. We’ll identify thinking traps and ways to avoid them all aimed at a proper balance of reason and emotion in political decisions. Note: Some of the content in this course overlaps with the course “What Was I Thinking?”previously taught by Terry Newell.
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The Tokyo War Crimes Trials: Why, Who, What, How NEW!
Instructor: Fred Borch
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Day of the Week: Th
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Dates: 10/22/2026 - 10/29/2026
One-Hour Class Sessions
Number of class sessions in this course: 2
Fee: $28.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 35
Course Description:
In April 1946, General Douglas MacArthur, then the top American military official in occupied Japan, convened the International Military Tribunal for the Far East. Its purpose: to prosecute Japanese leaders for their crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity—all committed in the years leading up to World War II and during the war itself. Lawyer and historian Fred Borch will discuss these so-called Tokyo War Crimes Trials. He will explain how these trials are connected to the International Military Tribunal held in Nuremberg and yet why they were different. Fred will also discuss who was prosecuted and why, the trial results, and how the Tokyo proceedings affected the development of international law.
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The Turbulent Tudors
Instructor: Ruth McWilliams
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Day of the Week: M
Times: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Dates: 10/19/2026 - 11/16/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 5
Fee: $70.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 35
Course Description:
The goal is to share Tudor tidbits of history with the audience. The Tudor Dynasty is one of the most well-known to history even though it only lasted 118 years. We’ll discuss the founding, the monarchs, their spouses (yep, definitely including the six wives!) and the power plays both within England and the rest of the world.
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The Uniters NEW!
Instructor: Anna Askounis
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Day of the Week: F
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Dates: 9/11/2026 - 9/25/2026
Two-Hour Class Sessions
Number of class sessions in this course: 3
Fee: $56.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 12
Course Description:
In difficult and troubling times, such as today in our country, sports teams have a unique way of bringing communities and the nation together. People begin to feel they belong to the team and to one another. I call them the Uniters. In this class we will watch and discuss the following three films: Miracle on Ice, the story of the United States hockey team and their victory over Russia in the Olympics, Hoosiers, the story of a small town team competing at a time when there were no divisions based on size of the schools, so they played against the best of the best in their state of Indiana, and finally the film, The Boys in the Boat, the rowing team that competed against Germany in the Olympics just before World War II. I hope you will come and enjoy these films and the discussions that follow with me.
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Thinking Like an Economist NEW!
Instructor: Albert Moore
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Day of the Week: Th
Times: 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Dates: 9/17/2026 - 10/15/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 5
Fee: $70.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 12
Course Description:
At its core, economics provides a way of thinking about human behavior, social organization and needed (as well as unneeded) public policies. In this class we will consider a number of simple yet profound principles of economics, e.g., scarcity, tradeoffs, incentives, exchange; and think about how an application of these principles can help us understand everything from tariffs to affordable housing to the price of Taylor Swift concert tickets.
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Understanding AI: How It Works; How It Will Change Our World NEW!
Instructor: Michael Kelley
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Day of the Week: W
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Dates: 12/9/2026 - 12/16/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 2
Fee: $28.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 10
Course Description:
Ready to go deeper into AI? This course explores the fascinating world of artificial intelligence. In Session 1, you’ll learn how AI actually works (explained simply!), where it’s being used today in healthcare, transportation, finance, and daily life, and what makes it both powerful and limited. Session 2 tackles the big questions: How will AI change jobs and the workplace? Will it help or harm society? Could AI become dangerous? We’ll explore different expert perspectives on AI’s risks and benefits, from job displacement to existential threats, and discuss what safeguards are being developed. This course encourages thoughtful discussion and critical thinking about one of the most important technologies of our time.
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Using Meditation to Calm Your Mind and Sharpen Your Memory
Instructor: Susan Von Hemert
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Day of the Week: W
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Dates: 10/21/2026 - 11/25/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 6
Fee: $70.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 12
Course Description:
Meditation improves memory by strengthening the brain, reducing stress related cortisol, and increasing gray matter density. Practicing mindfulness, focused attention, or meditation for 10-20 minutes daily can significantly boost working memory, concentration, and cognitive flexibility. The program objective for the first class is to provide an introduction and overview to mind body medicine, and how it can improve the lives of everyone, especially our senior community. The benefit of this program is you will have tools that you can take home to allow you to identify stress and utilize relaxation techniques to alleviate that stress.
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What Makes a Great Historian? NEW!
Instructor: John Mason
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Day of the Week: W
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Dates: 9/16/2026 - 10/21/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 6
Fee: $60.00
Course Location: R.R. Smith Center for History and Art (opens in new tab) - Upstairs Lecture Room
Location Address: 22 South New St Staunton, VA 24401
Limit: 20
Course Description:
An historical fact has been likened to a sack that will not stand up till you put something in it. This course will look at what three contemporary historians have put into the sack to make history an engaging and meaningful discipline. British historian, Eric Hobsbawm, examines the origins and consequences of the Industrial Revolution. German historian, Fritz Stern, explores Germany’s catastrophic descent into Nazism. British historian, Timothy Garton Ash, writes an eye-witness account of the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe in 1989. Students will have the opportunity to read key extracts from the works of these historians.
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What’s in a Name? Perks and Pitfalls of Pen Names NEW!
Instructor: Dianne Farb
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Day of the Week: W
Times: 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Dates: 10/14/2026 - 10/14/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 1
Fee: $14.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 35
Course Description:
Have you ever thought about writing under a different name? Whether you’re interested in memoir, fiction, poetry, or simply exploring your creative side, this engaging workshop introduces the world of pen names and what they can mean for writers at any stage of life. Participants will learn why authors use pseudonyms, how a pen name can support creativity and privacy, and what practical considerations—like branding and copyright—come into play. Designed especially for lifelong learners, this program encourages self expression, thoughtful discussion, and creative exploration in a supportive, welcoming environment.
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Whither Music NEW!
Instructor: James Erler
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Day of the Week: M
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Dates: 10/19/2026 - 11/16/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 5
Fee: $70.00
Course Location: Private Residence - Studio
Location Address: details will be shared with enrolled members , VA
Limit: 11
Course Description:
Class sesssions will occur at private residence in Charlottesville, six minutes from Barracks Road Shopping Center, specific address and directions will be sent to those enrolled.
Whither Music is inspired by Leonard Bernstein’s Norton Lecture series “The Unanswered Question” and Mr. Erler’s personal quest to understand why we respond to music and what makes some performances better than others. The course starts with the first sounds we hear at birth and how these lead directly to pleasing harmonies and rhythms through a discussion of the physics of music and the relationship between language and music. The evolution of music is then viewed through harmonic and structural changes. Mr. Erler will talk from the keyboard and will include a Master Class to demonstrate differences in performance.
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With God on Our Side: Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy
Instructor: Jeffrey Pugh
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Day of the Week: Tu
Times: 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Dates: 9/8/2026 - 10/6/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 5
Fee: $70.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 35
Course Description:
This course takes a close look at the rise of Christian Nationalism and its impact on America's political landscape. Looking at the historical background in American civil religion and the more recent manifestations of Christian Nationalism in such movements as Christian Reconstruction, Dominionism, and other right wing religious-political groups, Pugh explores the religious connections that led to the insurrection of January 6th and the ongoing danger to American democracy posed by Christian Nationalism. Suggested Reading: Instructor will provide reading material to those enrolled.
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Writing Your Life Story Part II NEW!
Instructor: Constance (Connie) Jones
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Day of the Week: Tu
Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Dates: 10/27/2026 - 12/1/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 6
Fee: $84.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA (opens in new tab) - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 10
Course Description:
This is a continuation of the process of writing your life story with emphasis on self-editing, reflective writing and and setting goals for the finished product. Open to those who have completed the Writing Your Life Story basic course and who enjoy the encouragement, learning and incentive for writing that comes from group interaction.
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WWII-Submarine Warfare
Instructor: Edward Dillingham
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Day of the Week: W
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Dates: 10/28/2026 - 12/2/2026
This time is correct.
Number of class sessions in this course: 6
Fee: $84.00
Course Location: Homewood Suites (opens in new tab) - Albemarle Room
Location Address: 2036 India Road Charlottesville, VA 22901
Limit: 35
Course Description:
Described as fighting in a “dark, wet hell”, submariners of both sides endured the highest casualty rate of any combat specialty in WWII. Fighting German submarines in every ocean in the world, the Allies successfully prevented the Nazis from starving Great Britain, and by using submarines, successfully destroyed the economy of Imperial Japan. Using pictures, maps and firsthand accounts, this course will examine the men, technology and missions that spelled doom for the Japanese empire and Nazi Germany during World War II.
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