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This is full, please add yourself to the WAIT LIST.
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OLLI staff monitor enrollment and work to open seats before 3/17/2026. We will contact those on the wait list to invite them to enroll when seats become available. Joining the wait list is free; if you are invited and choose to enroll, the $78.00 fee will be collected at that time.
- Date: 3/17/2026
- Day of the Week: Tu
- Fees: $78.00
- Location: OLLI at UVA 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Brainspan — extending how long our mind stays sharp, steady, and capable. Participants will build a personalized Cognitive Health Scorecard to guide long-term resilience. This six-week course explores how the brain ages and what the latest science shows about protecting memory, function, balance, and clarity. We’ll distinguish normal vs abnormal cognitive changes and focus on practical, hands-on, evidence-based prevention strategies. Each session includes fun, active, self-assessments, and take-home activities.
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NEW! Climate Change and The Arts
Instructor: Andrew Wilson
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Day of the Week: Th
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Dates: 3/5/2026 - 3/19/2026
*One-Hour Class Sessions
Number of class sessions in this course: 3
Fee: $39.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 12
Course Description:
This course will examine the artistic response to the climate change crisis. Four disciplines in the arts will be examined and their responses compared: music, theater, fiction and poetry, and the visual arts. We will examine the reactions of the artistic community and the public (OLLI students) to the artistic responses of each discipline. Also of interest: Has the artistic response focused on the causes of climate change or the climate change impacts (wildfires, flooding, species extinction)? Visual and audio material from the internet will be used to provide specific examples to be studied.
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SPACE WILL OPEN ONLY IF AN ENROLLED MEMBER DROPS OUT OF THE COURSE. ADDING ANOTHER SECTION OR MOVING TO A LARGER VENUE IS NOT AN OPTION. IT MAY BE OFFERED IN A FUTURE SEMESTER.
Democracy’s Dangers and Responsible Citizenship. with Terry Newell
Instructor: Terry Newell
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Day of the Week: W
Times: 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Dates: 3/11/2026 - 3/25/2026
*90 minute class sessions
Number of class sessions in this course: 3
Fee: $39.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 24
Course Description:
Our founders feared democracy, thinking its passions would overrule reason. They crafted the Constitution to prevent the very dangers we face today: extreme polarization, social unrest and selfish special interests. This seminar explores how notable leaders have tried to prevent these problems by fostering civic responsibility. We’ll discuss: James Madison’s Federalist #10 explaining the Constitution’s solution; Thomas Jefferson’s Inaugural Address after the 1800 election had threatened national unity; Abraham Lincoln’s Lyceum Address and his warning about mob rule; and Theodore Roosevelt’s Citizenship in a Republic speech on the danger of rampant individualism. All offer insights on what responsible citizenship means for today.
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NEW! Emma, A Novel by Jane Austen
Instructor: Evelyn Edson
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Day of the Week: Th
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Dates: 4/9/2026 - 4/30/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 4
Fee: $52.00
Course Location: Christ Church Glendower, St. Anne’s Parish, Glendo - Meeting Room
Location Address: 900 Glendower Rd Scottsville, VA 24590
Limit: 15
Course Description:
The novel, a work of prose fiction in an unheroic setting, came to maturity in the 19th century. Not only were many of the most outstanding works written by women, but majority of their audience was also female. Jane Austen, one of these novelists, is still widely read and admired today. “Emma,” her last major work, centers on the title character about whom Austen remarked,” I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like.” The opening sentence of the novel: “Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich with a comfortable home and a happy disposition... had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with little to distress or vex her.” The reader can imagine that this is about to change.
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This is full, please add yourself to the WAIT LIST.
Tip: After you sign in, a blue Add to Wait List button will appear below. If you don’t see it, use the Sign In button here:
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OLLI staff monitor enrollment and work to open seats before 3/12/2026. We will contact those on the wait list to invite them to enroll when seats become available. Joining the wait list is free; if you are invited and choose to enroll, the $52.00 fee will be collected at that time.
- Date: 3/12/2026
- Day of the Week: Th
- Fees: $52.00
- Location: WTJU-UVA's Community Radio Station 2244 Ivy Road , VA 22903
At the time of the death of the Apostle Paul sometime in the first century of the Christian Era, there was no Christian church. Instead, there were small, isolated congregations scattered throughout the ancient world. Not all believers accepted the same faith, and indeed there was one school that viewed the new faith as little more than a sect of Judaism. In this series of lectures, we will explore how these diffuse groupings of believers evolved into what became the Christian church, with millions of adherents.
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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: W
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Dates: 3/11/2026 - 4/8/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 5
Fee: $65.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA - 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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Talking History has reached 12 enrolled, maximum enrollment.
This is full, please add yourself to the WAIT LIST.
Tip: After you sign in, a blue Add to Wait List button will appear below. If you don’t see it, use the Sign In button here:
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OLLI staff monitor enrollment and work to open seats before 3/10/2026. We will contact those on the wait list to invite them to enroll when seats become available. Joining the wait list is free; if you are invited and choose to enroll, the $39.00 fee will be collected at that time.
- Date: 3/10/2026
- Day of the Week: Tu
- Fees: $39.00
- Location: OLLI at UVA 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Bob Toplin, a historian, will provide some historical background at the beginning of each meeting and then welcome your judgments about three big questions from history. 1st meeting: What would you recommend if President Truman asked in 1945 whether he should use atomic bombs against Japan? 2nd meeting: Jefferson and Slavery: Praise or Criticize his record? 3rd meeting: Free Speech in Wartime? The Case of the Arrest of Eugene Debs for a Speech He Made During the First World War.
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NEW! The Life and Work of Augustus Welby Pugin (1812- 1852), The Gothic Revivalist
Instructor: James Thunder
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Day of the Week: W
Times: 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Dates: 3/11/2026 - 3/11/2026
Number of class sessions in this course: 1
Fee: $13.00
Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Limit: 35
Course Description:
Pugin made the return of the medieval Gothic style welcome throughout the world, including the gothic chapel at the University of Virginia. In a working life of but 15 years, Pugin designed Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, six cathedrals, 60 churches (Anglican and Catholic), homes —and everything inside them including altar plate, dinnerware, silverware, wallpaper, furniture, floor tile, and stained-glass windows. The talk should appeal to those with interests in architecture, the decorative arts, British history, religious history and more.
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There’s No Fool Like an Old Fool: Three Old Men in Shakespeare
Instructor: Shelley Bryant
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Day of the Week: Th
Times: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Dates: 3/19/2026 - 4/23/2026
*SCHEDULE HAS BEEN UPDATED
Number of class sessions in this course: 6
Fee: $66.00
Course Location: VPAS-Valley Program for Aging Services. -
Location Address: 325 Pine Ave Waynesboro, VA 22980
Limit: 25
Course Description:
As a citizen of the Renaissance Shakespeare copies Aristotle in the belief that humans fulfill their potential only within a civilized society. With this, human error often results from an excess in either eros—the sensual appetites—or thumos, the noble anger that manifests as arrogance. Within this worldview, Shakespeare likes to remind us that age and wisdom are often not the best of friends. We will examine this idea with three older characters: Sir John Falstaff (from Henry IV Parts One and Two), King Lear, and Prospero (from The Tempest). Though reading the plays will enhance understanding and discussion, it is not required, as the instructor will provide thorough background and many excerpts during class time.
Reasons you may be unable to register:
- Registration may not be open
- You have not added a membership to your cart or renewed your membership
- You are not logged in (“Sign In” on the blue bar above)
- You may need to refresh your screen
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This opportunity begins 2/24/2026.
Online registration for this program is currently closed.
- Online registration closes one week before the start date to allow time for preparation, and/or
- Registration remains closed once the program has begun.
You may still be able to participate.
Call the OLLI Office at 434‑923‑3600 to register. Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
There are -1 seats available.
- Dates: 2/24/2026 - 3/17/2026
- Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
- Days: Tu
- Fee: $52.00
- Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
- Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Description: Eugenics was advanced in England the late 1800s by Charles Darwin’s cousin Francis Galton. Embraced by leading politicians, scientists, physicians, and public thinkers, eugenics spread rapidly around the world. In the US, its epicenter was Cold Spring Harbor on Long Island, where thousands were trained in the fine points of eugenics. Eugenics informed multiple national and state policies and shaped everything from immigration policy to military service to marriage laws. We will explore past and present forms of eugenics to help you understand undercurrents in today’s health policy, education, and medicine.
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This opportunity begins 2/19/2026.
Online registration for this program is currently closed.
- Online registration closes one week before the start date to allow time for preparation, and/or
- Registration remains closed once the program has begun.
You may still be able to participate.
Call the OLLI Office at 434‑923‑3600 to register. Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
There are 8 seats available.
- Dates: 2/19/2026 - 3/19/2026
- Times: 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
- Days: Th
- Fee: $65.00
- Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
- Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Description: Simply put, ‘A Time to Listen, A Time to Speak’ has as its mission to create an environment where participants can freely express their thoughts and feelings on a variety of topics which range from political to social to current events and beyond. I act as the moderator who introduces a topic through such means as handouts, projections, videos etc. and then stand back to allow the group to engage, interjecting comments or ideas to keep the conversation going. It is a forum for all to have the floor and for none to dominate. These topics have no right answer that will end the talking and thus all comments are welcome and encouraged. Past sessions have been very illuminating and I can say that I have learned just as much as the participants. Past groups have wanted me to add sessions to continue the forum and I have done so. So, it comes down to an opportunity to get together with fellow citizens and talk about some topics often ignored for lack of a suitable environment or opportunity. After they settle in, the groups open up quickly and said what was on their minds. This is the level of communication which I seek. NOTE: As topics from previous sessions will be included, this group is intended primarily for newcomers.
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This opportunity begins 2/26/2026.
Online registration for this program is currently closed.
- Online registration closes one week before the start date to allow time for preparation, and/or
- Registration remains closed once the program has begun.
You may still be able to participate.
Call the OLLI Office at 434‑923‑3600 to register. Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
There are 19 seats available.
- Dates: 2/26/2026 - 3/19/2026
- Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
- Days: Th
- Fee: $52.00
- Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
- Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Description: “Against All Odds: Amazing Rescues” This course presents stories of dramatic rescues that tested the mettle of rescuers and rescued alike. First, the collision at sea of the “Florida” and the “Republic” ships and the role of new technology that made the rescue possible. Then the international rescue of a boys soccer team from a cave in Thailand as rising waters filled the cave system. Next, two little-known rescues by the US Coast Guard in the Atlantic Ocean and Bering Sea. The final class will be on the famous Berlin Airlift, which saved a whole city, and which will be co-taught with aviation expert Ed Dillingham.
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This opportunity begins 2/16/2026.
Online registration for this program is currently closed.
- Online registration closes one week before the start date to allow time for preparation, and/or
- Registration remains closed once the program has begun.
You may still be able to participate.
Call the OLLI Office at 434‑923‑3600 to register. Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
There are 15 seats available.
- Dates: 2/16/2026 - 3/23/2026
- Times: 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM
- Days: M
- Fee: $78.00
- Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
- Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Description: We will cover the span of American theatre history, beginning with a quick survey of its roots in colonial days and its development over the 19th century. We then behold the explosion of creativity from a new generation of playwrights, actors, directors, designers, composers and producers in the 20th century. Finally, we dive into 21st-century theatre, given new life with the emergence of women, African American, Latinx, Asian, LGBTQ and other historically underrepresented artists. The presentation will be predominantly visual – drawings, photographs, videos. No reading will be required, but an annotated bibliography will guide those who wish to delve further into the subject. Broadway. Off-Broadway. Off-off-Broadway. WAY-off Broadway. Musicals! Dramas! Comedies! Operas! Actors! SHOW BIZ!
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This opportunity begins 2/17/2026.
Online registration for this program is currently closed.
- Online registration closes one week before the start date to allow time for preparation, and/or
- Registration remains closed once the program has begun.
You may still be able to participate.
Call the OLLI Office at 434‑923‑3600 to register. Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
There are 16 seats available.
- Dates: 2/17/2026 - 3/24/2026
- Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
- Days: Tu
- Fee: $55.00
- Course Location: VPAS-Valley Program for Aging Services. - Conference Room
- Location Address: 325 Pine Ave Waynesboro, VA 22980
- *SCHEDULE UPDATE: NO CLASS SESSION ON 2/24, CLASS SESSION ADDED ON 3/24.
Description: This course will look at the Constitutional Convention and the issues facing the Founders in drafting the document and the extent to which discussion, debate and consensus were used to complete the document. We will follow the Constitution through history and discuss the amendments, the amendment process, and the possibility of holding another Constitutional Convention as Jefferson suggested. We will analyze current Constitutional challenges and look for possible solutions.
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This opportunity begins 2/10/2026.
Online registration for this program is currently closed.
- Online registration closes one week before the start date to allow time for preparation, and/or
- Registration remains closed once the program has begun.
You may still be able to participate.
Call the OLLI Office at 434‑923‑3600 to register. Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
There are 5 seats available.
- Dates: 2/10/2026 - 3/17/2026
- Times: 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
- Days: Tu
- Fee: $78.00
- Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
- Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Description: The purpose of this course is to engage participants with issues of building a strong, supportive community. We will examine personal experiences and how they impact the larger community in Charlottesville. We will develop strategies for making Charlottesville a more welcoming community and our personal responsibilities for our community. We will discuss now the history of Virginia impacts daily life in Charlottesville and the implications for us.
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This opportunity begins 2/16/2026.
Online registration for this program is currently closed.
- Online registration closes one week before the start date to allow time for preparation, and/or
- Registration remains closed once the program has begun.
You may still be able to participate.
Call the OLLI Office at 434‑923‑3600 to register. Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
There are 10 seats available.
- Dates: 2/16/2026 - 3/9/2026
- Times: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
- Days: M
- Fee: $52.00
- Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
- Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
- *One-Hour Class Sessions
Description: The 400,000 people who walked the 2,000-mile Oregon trail discovered the secret of willpower. Our course journey will retrace their discovery, stopping along the way to discuss “willpower challenges”. We will bike from the comfort of our OLLI classroom while discussing the source of willpower exhumed from the trail, together with Helen Keller’s willpower discovery under even more difficult situations. Keller summarizes her motivation: “Life is an exciting adventure or it is nothing.” Join us on this aerobic willpower adventure. Aging is not which genes were passed to you, but rather which ones you turned on. *Stationary foot-pedal chair bikes are provided.
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This opportunity begins 2/17/2026.
Online registration for this program is currently closed.
- Online registration closes one week before the start date to allow time for preparation, and/or
- Registration remains closed once the program has begun.
You may still be able to participate.
Call the OLLI Office at 434‑923‑3600 to register. Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
There are 4 seats available.
- Dates: 2/17/2026 - 3/10/2026
- Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
- Days: Tu
- Fee: $65.00
- Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
- Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Description: Get a behind-the-scenes look at the world of book publishing and what it’s like to be on the receiving end of pitches and proposals. This course will walk you through how the submission process works, why agents play such a key role, and what editors are really looking for. We’ll talk honestly about how challenging it is to get published— and what can help your work stand out. Whether you’re serious about publishing a book or simply curious about how the industry works, this course offers a clear, practical introduction. It may be especially helpful for those planning to write a memoir, novel, or nonfiction book later in life, as many people do after retirement. This course will offer advice Judy Mandell learned from the 50 editors she interviewed for her books Book Editors Talk to Writers (John Wiley, publisher) and Writer’s Guide to Magazine Editors and Publishers (Prima Press).
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This opportunity begins 2/12/2026.
Online registration for this program is currently closed.
- Online registration closes one week before the start date to allow time for preparation, and/or
- Registration remains closed once the program has begun.
You may still be able to participate.
Call the OLLI Office at 434‑923‑3600 to register. Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
There are 42 seats available.
- Dates: 2/12/2026 - 3/5/2026
- Times: 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
- Days: Th
- Fee: $52.00
- Course Location: OLLI at UVA Online - Zoom
- Location Address: ZOOM , VA
- *Eastern Standard Time
Description: Most Americans fail to plan adequately for retirement. As a result, they often miss out on opportunities to enjoy the second half of life. Designed for people from age fifty to sixty-five, this course covers how to handle investments; set safe spending rates; navigate retirement benefits, health care, and Social Security; organize estate planning; and manage generational financial planning. By the end of the course, participants will have developed an effective action plan to achieve their life goals.
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This opportunity begins 2/19/2026.
Online registration for this program is currently closed.
- Online registration closes one week before the start date to allow time for preparation, and/or
- Registration remains closed once the program has begun.
You may still be able to participate.
Call the OLLI Office at 434‑923‑3600 to register. Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
There are 9 seats available.
- Dates: 2/19/2026 - 3/26/2026
- Times: 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
- Days: Th
- Fee: $78.00
- Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
- Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Description: The hardest question for every religion is why evil exists if an all-powerful god (or pantheon of gods) is above us and paying attention to us. Whether the Greeks of Periclean Athens believed literally in the Olympian gods is open to debate. This much, however, is incontrovertible: the Greek tragedies were performed as part of a religious festival. The thesis of this course is that every Greek tragedy confronts “the problem of evil” by taking on the hardest cases. In spite of their harrowing content, they all attempt to provide an answer that can be considered “religious.”
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This opportunity begins 2/18/2026.
Online registration for this program is currently closed.
- Online registration closes one week before the start date to allow time for preparation, and/or
- Registration remains closed once the program has begun.
You may still be able to participate.
Call the OLLI Office at 434‑923‑3600 to register. Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
There are 3 seats available.
- Dates: 2/18/2026 - 3/25/2026
- Times: 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
- Days: W
- Fee: $78.00
- Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
- Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
- *Two-Hour Class Sessions
Description: This course is a continuation of the GAB 1 curriculum that was taught in Fall 2025 at OLLI. GAB 2 continues with additional themes and literary device discussion in order to assist participants in their continued drafting of autobiographical stories. With the shared experiences the group already has, these themes become increasingly in depth and sensitive in nature. Prerequisite: Guided Autobiography Part 1
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This opportunity begins 2/19/2026.
Online registration for this program is currently closed.
- Online registration closes one week before the start date to allow time for preparation, and/or
- Registration remains closed once the program has begun.
You may still be able to participate.
Call the OLLI Office at 434‑923‑3600 to register. Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
There are 1 seats available.
- Dates: 2/19/2026 - 3/12/2026
- Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
- Days: Th
- Fee: $52.00
- Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
- Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Description: Americans have long been seen as an optimistic people. But that’s changed in recent times. Why the change? How do we maintain optimism, especially during these difficult times? We’ll look at the benefits of optimism, some causes of pessimism, and explain seven practical strategies you can use to maintain optimism and help others do the same.
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This opportunity begins 2/11/2026.
Online registration for this program is currently closed.
- Online registration closes one week before the start date to allow time for preparation, and/or
- Registration remains closed once the program has begun.
You may still be able to participate.
Call the OLLI Office at 434‑923‑3600 to register. Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
There are -4 seats available.
- Dates: 2/11/2026 - 3/18/2026
- Times: 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
- Days: W
- Fee: $78.00
- Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
- Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Description: This course reviews the data of human evolution as seen by anthropologists. We will examine the changing adaptations of human ancestors over the past 4 million years, their global spread, and the evidence and timing for the emergence of us, Homo sapiens. The evidence we will discuss ranges from fossil bones and stone tools to speech and language, cave art and community ritual. We will begin the course with a critical discussion of Darwinian theory, and its critics, and conclude with contemporary scientific and legal debates concerning the teaching of human evolution.
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This opportunity begins 2/13/2026.
Online registration for this program is currently closed.
- Online registration closes one week before the start date to allow time for preparation, and/or
- Registration remains closed once the program has begun.
You may still be able to participate.
Call the OLLI Office at 434‑923‑3600 to register. Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
There are 1 seats available.
- Dates: 2/13/2026 - 4/24/2026
- Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
- Days: F
- Fee: $78.00
- Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
- Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
- *Meets Every Other Week
Description: This course is an introduction to how and why nation states behave toward each other the way they do. We will look at the four drivers of international relations—need, greed, gumption, and guns—and how they compel nations to vie for, challenge, and give in to power. We will also look at how the impact of modern technology—in weaponry, transportation, communications and now intelligent machines—affect the struggle for power. Finally, we will examine the conditions under which it might be possible to have a world ‘at peace’.
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This opportunity begins 2/10/2026.
Online registration for this program is currently closed.
- Online registration closes one week before the start date to allow time for preparation, and/or
- Registration remains closed once the program has begun.
You may still be able to participate.
Call the OLLI Office at 434‑923‑3600 to register. Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
There are 3 seats available.
- Dates: 2/10/2026 - 3/3/2026
- Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
- Days: Tu
- Fee: $52.00
- Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
- Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Description: This course explores the legal, ethical, and moral basis of lobbying. With that in place, the course delves into how corporations monitor public policy developments in Washington using their Washington office, membership in trade associations and contacts in the administration and Congressional staff. The course also explores how corporations develop their positions on issues through a “Quarterback” position at corporate headquarters. The course will look at the structure of Congressional staff and their weaknesses.
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This opportunity begins 2/10/2026.
Online registration for this program is currently closed.
- Online registration closes one week before the start date to allow time for preparation, and/or
- Registration remains closed once the program has begun.
You may still be able to participate.
Call the OLLI Office at 434‑923‑3600 to register. Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
There are 64 seats available.
- Dates: 2/10/2026 - 3/3/2026
- Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
- Days: Tu
- Fee: $52.00
- Course Location: Unity of Charlottesville - Sanctuary
- Location Address: 2825 Hydraulic Road Charlottesville, VA 22901
- 1-2:30 p.m. is the correct timeframe for this course.
Description: We will examine four major controversies from the American past and consider their relevance for our times. The subjects are: 1) The 1912 Presidential Election: Clashes Between Personalities and Ideas in the Campaigns of a Conservative, Two Liberals, and a Socialist; 2) Hollywood Goes to War: Movies Such as Sergeant York and Casablanca that Challenged Isolationism and Supported Resistance to Nazi Aggression; 3) The Significance of Clashes Between Betty Friedan and Phyllis Schlafly in the 1960s and 1970s Over the Future of Women in America; 4) The United States in the Afghanistan War: Lessons Learned, Some Surprising.
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This opportunity begins 2/16/2026.
Online registration for this program is currently closed.
- Online registration closes one week before the start date to allow time for preparation, and/or
- Registration remains closed once the program has begun.
You may still be able to participate.
Call the OLLI Office at 434‑923‑3600 to register. Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
There are 5 seats available.
- Dates: 2/16/2026 - 4/6/2026
- Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
- Days: M
- Fee: $91.00
- Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
- Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Description: Time travel? Nope! We are talking about failed civilizations in the past and the likely fate of today’s global civilization, if we do not mend our ways. In the past, regional civilizations were founded when groups of people settled in regions of the planet favorable for agriculture and rich in other natural resources. Time after time, each civilization collapsed when their population grew sufficiently to exceed the carrying capacity of their environment, deplete their resources, and alter the local climate. Sound familiar? We’re following a similar pattern that gives scholars reason to believe our global civilization is headed for collapse, which will prove to be cruel and might become everlasting, unless we mend our ways. We will review indicators that this is happening and discuss why it is happening and the cooperative actions we need to take on a global scale and the urgency we need to take them, if we are to move onto a path of sustainability and preserve our planet as a welcoming home for future generations.
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This opportunity begins 2/11/2026.
Online registration for this program is currently closed.
- Online registration closes one week before the start date to allow time for preparation, and/or
- Registration remains closed once the program has begun.
You may still be able to participate.
Call the OLLI Office at 434‑923‑3600 to register. Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
There are 8 seats available.
- Dates: 2/11/2026 - 3/18/2026
- Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
- Days: W
- Fee: $66.00
- Course Location: R.R. Smith Center for History and Art - Upstairs Lecture Room
- Location Address: 22 South New St Staunton, VA 24401
Description: Tony Judt, born in 1948, was one of the world's leading historians of late 20th century Europe until his untimely death in 2010. This course will focus on key essays written by Judt on topics such as the fragility of the revolt of Eastern Europe against communism, the role of intellectuals in politics and the fragility of social democracy. The best introduction to the life and work of Tony Judt is his extraordinary memoir, 'The Memory Chalet' (2010). It is highly recommended that you read this book which will be discussed in the early sessions of the course.
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This opportunity begins 2/12/2026.
Online registration for this program is currently closed.
- Online registration closes one week before the start date to allow time for preparation, and/or
- Registration remains closed once the program has begun.
You may still be able to participate.
Call the OLLI Office at 434‑923‑3600 to register. Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
There are 7 seats available.
- Dates: 2/12/2026 - 3/26/2026
- Times: 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
- Days: Th
- Fee: $78.00
- Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
- Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
- *no class session on 2/26
Description: This course explores how Virginia’s laws on slavery and capital punishment intertwined from the colonial era through the Civil War to abolition. The course examines statutes, court cases, and racial ideologies that shaped the death penalty’s use against enslaved Virginians from 1663 to 1865. Major topics include colonial slave codes, changing reforms, race-based sentencing disparities, and the shifting social significance of legal executions. Using primary documents and recent scholarship, students will critically assess how race, law, and punishment intersected in Virginia history, highlighting the legacy and transformation of capital justice from early settlement through emancipation and the post-slavery period.
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This opportunity begins 2/19/2026.
Online registration for this program is currently closed.
- Online registration closes one week before the start date to allow time for preparation, and/or
- Registration remains closed once the program has begun.
You may still be able to participate.
Call the OLLI Office at 434‑923‑3600 to register. Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
There are 7 seats available.
- Dates: 2/19/2026 - 3/26/2026
- Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
- Days: Th
- Fee: $78.00
- Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
- Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Description:
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream. But *can* we see the content of the character at all, or only the color of the skin? This course will take a more focused look at bigotry than a general Social Psychology course. We will start with an overview of how social perception and cognition happen in general, then concentrate on how the “Us or Them"" component influences how we see others, and what we read into their behaviors. We will address highly controversial issues, such as police shootings, anti-Semitism, sexism, ageism, politicization of science, and other prejudices and discriminations. We will conclude with how to [try to] work against such divisions.
Note: Recommended materials: colored pencils, paper or laptop for taking notes.
Suggested Reading: King, Martin L. I Have a Dream. Speech presented at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, Washington, D.C., August 1968. https://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/mlk01.asp.
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This opportunity begins 2/18/2026.
Online registration for this program is currently closed.
- Online registration closes one week before the start date to allow time for preparation, and/or
- Registration remains closed once the program has begun.
You may still be able to participate.
Call the OLLI Office at 434‑923‑3600 to register. Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
There are 4 seats available.
- Dates: 2/18/2026 - 3/25/2026
- Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
- Days: W
- Fee: $78.00
- Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
- Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Description: Conversation is being challenged by social media, changing values, individual and intergroup bias and a lack of common ground. This course will focus on why conversation is important and how to make it more effective. To address the "how" of conversing, participants will practice in small groups how to start/stop a conversation and how to have that "difficult" conversation.
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This opportunity begins 2/25/2026.
Online registration for this program is currently closed.
- Online registration closes one week before the start date to allow time for preparation, and/or
- Registration remains closed once the program has begun.
You may still be able to participate.
Call the OLLI Office at 434‑923‑3600 to register. Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
There are 9 seats available.
- Dates: 2/25/2026 - 3/25/2026
- Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
- Days: W
- Fee: $55.00
- Course Location: R.R. Smith Center for History and Art - Upstairs Lecture Room
- Location Address: 22 South New St Staunton, VA 24401
Description: This course will rely on group discussions of the following questions:: What is the definition and what are the origins of the concept of the common good?; What is the current state of the common good?; How can the common good be enhanced or restored? Each of the five class sessions will begin with short introductory presentations followed by group exercises focused on the above questions. A summary document addressing the questions will be produced at the end of the class.
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This opportunity begins 2/10/2026.
Online registration for this program is currently closed.
- Online registration closes one week before the start date to allow time for preparation, and/or
- Registration remains closed once the program has begun.
You may still be able to participate.
Call the OLLI Office at 434‑923‑3600 to register. Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
There are 10 seats available.
- Dates: 2/10/2026 - 3/17/2026
- Times: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
- Days: Tu
- Fee: $78.00
- Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
- Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Description: The Hapsburg Dynasty exploded onto the European stage in the 15th century and ruled large swaths of territory around the globe until coming to end after World War I. The long line of rulers and family members includes many with great intelligence, courage, and accomplishments, but also some who were politically inept, motivated by revenge, fanatic in defense of religion, mentally unstable, and physically deformed. No novelist could have imagined such a family, which scaled the heights of power and wealth as well as the pits of absolute failure. This course will delve into the life and times of some of the most interesting and intriguing members of the Hapsburg dynasty. The course will also delve into European politics, culture, and religions from the 1500s to the 1900s as a backdrop to the life and times of this amazing family.
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This opportunity begins 2/18/2026.
Online registration for this program is currently closed.
- Online registration closes one week before the start date to allow time for preparation, and/or
- Registration remains closed once the program has begun.
You may still be able to participate.
Call the OLLI Office at 434‑923‑3600 to register. Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
There are 4 seats available.
- Dates: 2/18/2026 - 3/18/2026
- Times: 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
- Days: W
- Fee: $65.00
- Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
- Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Description: Five lectures, with the aid of audio/video, dealing with of life and music of Richard Rodgers that he created with Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II and several others after Hammerstein’s death.
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This opportunity begins 2/10/2026.
Online registration for this program is currently closed.
- Online registration closes one week before the start date to allow time for preparation, and/or
- Registration remains closed once the program has begun.
You may still be able to participate.
Call the OLLI Office at 434‑923‑3600 to register. Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
There are 17 seats available.
- Dates: 2/10/2026 - 3/17/2026
- Times: 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
- Days: Tu
- Fee: $78.00
- Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
- Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
Description: A study of the Romanov dynasty from Ivan IV (The Terrible) to the advent of the Soviet Revolution of November 1918. WE will examine the lives of the Tsars and the consequences of their reigns on the country and people of Russia. The course will start with the Little Ice Age and finish with the storming of the Winter Palace and the take-over of the government by the Socialist Marxist branch of the Russian government.
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This opportunity begins 3/5/2026.
Online registration for this program is currently closed.
- Online registration closes one week before the start date to allow time for preparation, and/or
- Registration remains closed once the program has begun.
You may still be able to participate.
Call the OLLI Office at 434‑923‑3600 to register. Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
There are 5 seats available.
- Dates: 3/5/2026 - 3/26/2026
- Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
- Days: Th
- Fee: $52.00
- Course Location: Tri-County Riding Club -
- Location Address: 1619 Riding Club Rd Keene, VA 22946
Description: 2026 invites a look back 250 years to the founding of the American Republic and to those now labeled the ‘Founding Fathers’. No one was any more controversial, both then and now, than Thomas Jefferson. Benjamin Henry Latrobe, an architect of the national capitol and so a close collaborator then personal friend of Jefferson’s, noted that he was “different.” As much as Latrobe admired Jefferson’s patriotism and his perseverance in pursuing what he believed to be the most beneficial governmental system for the new Republic, Latrobe had to admit to “a few oddities of appearance and conduct.” But Jefferson had a purpose for these “oddities of appearance.” His public image would shift and change through his long political career and serve to underscore and lend a visual emphasis to his larger political agenda. This series of four classes will follow Jefferson’s political challenges and how he created a public image to support these challenges through his use of clothing, grooming, conversation, deportment and even his residences, entertaining and travel. Jefferson will be studied from a slightly different angle with an emphasis on his use of the material culture around him to support his aspirations for the new American nation.
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This opportunity begins 2/10/2026.
Online registration for this program is currently closed.
- Online registration closes one week before the start date to allow time for preparation, and/or
- Registration remains closed once the program has begun.
You may still be able to participate.
Call the OLLI Office at 434‑923‑3600 to register. Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
There are 62 seats available.
- Dates: 2/10/2026 - 3/17/2026
- Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
- Days: Tu
- Fee: $78.00
- Course Location: Unity of Charlottesville - Sanctuary
- Location Address: 2825 Hydraulic Road Charlottesville, VA 22901
Description: To Thomas Jefferson, architecture was an art that encompassed more than simply shelter but embodied cultural and political values. This course will focus on his architectural and other designs (gardens, interiors, towns, campuses) as well as his interest in the arts and how they relate to Jefferson’s other accomplishments.
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This opportunity begins 2/18/2026.
Online registration for this program is currently closed.
- Online registration closes one week before the start date to allow time for preparation, and/or
- Registration remains closed once the program has begun.
You may still be able to participate.
Call the OLLI Office at 434‑923‑3600 to register. Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
There are 0 seats available.
- Dates: 2/18/2026 - 3/25/2026
- Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
- Days: W
- Fee: $78.00
- Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
- Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
- Two-Hour Class Sessions
Description: We've all got stories! Wouldn't it be great if we wrote them down - for ourselves and our families and friends? This informal class will get you on the road to writing about your life, from the mundane to the marvelous. You don't have to be a "writer" to take this class, and the priority will not be a critique of your writing style or grammar. Each week there will be a writing assignment, with topics chosen by the group. Take a chance on finding out that you've lived a pretty interesting life after all!
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This opportunity begins 2/17/2026.
Online registration for this program is currently closed.
- Online registration closes one week before the start date to allow time for preparation, and/or
- Registration remains closed once the program has begun.
You may still be able to participate.
Call the OLLI Office at 434‑923‑3600 to register. Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
There are -5 seats available.
- Dates: 2/17/2026 - 3/24/2026
- Times: 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
- Days: Tu
- Fee: $78.00
- Course Location: OLLI at UVA - Terrace Level
- Location Address: 1 Morton Drive, Terrace Level Charlottesville, VA 22903
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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This opportunity begins 2/18/2026.
Online registration for this program is currently closed.
- Online registration closes one week before the start date to allow time for preparation, and/or
- Registration remains closed once the program has begun.
You may still be able to participate.
Call the OLLI Office at 434‑923‑3600 to register. Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
There are 12 seats available.
- Dates: 2/18/2026 - 3/25/2026
- Times: 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
- Days: W
- Fee: $78.00
- Course Location: Tuckahoe Clubhouse - Tuckahoe Clubhouse
- Location Address: 37 Stone Orchard Drive Nellysford, VA 22958
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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