New Courses   

This course will provide an overview of community theater (or "theatre" if you are a snoot) from an old theater hack whose first show was in 1972. (I was single, and it was a great way to meet girls. It worked altogether too well because that's how I met my wife!) Two rules: don't take yourself seriously, and have fun. The rest is the magic you create.

The Sioux Nation signed an 1868 treaty with the United States to establish their Reservation in what is now South Dakota. By 1875, the U.S. was desperate to get parts back, one way or another. They did so in an underhanded manner, leading to Custer’s Last Stand and a Supreme Court case 100 years later.

The ancient game of Mahjong, very popular in the USA in the 1950s and ‘60s, has made a big comeback in recent years. Interested in its history? Want to learn how to play, but you've heard it is difficult and/or confusing to learn? This course will get you going!

This course will be based on the biography Madame Fourcade's Secret War. We will read the book over a five-week period, discuss the book, and look at the background events that influence Maire-Madeleine Fourcade and her resistance group. Please Note: This course has required supplies.

Retirement can open space for greater meaning in health, relationships, learning, spirituality, work, or community, yet the path forward may feel uncertain. This practical workshop series uses behavioral science, guided reflection, peer discussion, and an interactive workbook to help you clarify purpose, build resilience, define achievable goals, and intentionally shape your next chapter.

Online Registration Notice:

Please note that the deadline to register for an online course is 48 hours before the start date for that individual course. This deadline allows us to get the Zoom link to you. Students who miss the cut-off date can submit a request for late registration to osher@uconn.edu with the understanding that there is no guarantee they will be able to register.

Thank you for your understanding!

Ranked Choice Voting is a new, improved method of voting that assures that candidates must be elected by a majority. Learn how it works, where it is currently being used, its strong points, its criticisms, and recent proposals for its use in our Connecticut legislature.

In this course, during America 250, we will explore the lives, contributions to our freedom, and failures of five interesting women, including Martha Washington, Abigail Adams, Mercy Otis Warren, Eliza Hamilton, and Peggy Shippen Arnold.

Come learn the story of how Benedict Arnold went from becoming an American hero to a betrayer of The American Cause of Independence and what happened to him after the American Revolutionary War ends. We will discuss Benedict Arnold's life in detail including how he spent the years after the war and his final days in London. This will be a wonderful two-week class for those interested in American history!

Come learn the story of how Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt became one of the most talked about and controversial presidential couples of the last century - from the earliest days up until the White House years and afterwards. This will be a class that will cover their lives in more detail that any traditional history class.

Over drinks they discuss aging as undocumented Middle Eastern and Asian immigrants in the U.S. They worry about how some 21st-century Americans interpret their teachings, and they cautiously invite us into the conversation as they reflect on love, the Four Noble Truths, the Beatitudes, the Eightfold Path, and other New Testament and Dhammapada verses. It’s not clear who will pick up the tab.

This course brings OLLI and UConn students together to care for the OLLI garden while building connection and intergenerational solidarity. Through hands-on gardening and collaboration with local partners, participants will learn about community engagement and sustainability. Guest speakers and workshops will explore how gardens strengthen community ties and support well-being. The course will be taught on campus, with a couple of classes held at the OLLI garden in Fulton Park, Waterbury.

Please Note: This free course is funded by the Environmental and Social Sustainability Grant funded through the UConn Office of Sustainability. While free, space is limited. Also, students in this course may attend all sessions, but are free to attend any number of session they'd like.

Explore film appreciation through global gems including An Education (U.K.), The Guide (Ukraine), Persepolis (Iran), and The Story of the Weeping Camel (Mongolia). Each session includes an intro, full screening, and thoughtful post-film discussion to unpack artistic choices and deepen your cinematic insight.

What if you could be calm, relaxed, and peaceful when all around you is chaos? What if you could feel calm, relaxed, and peaceful when the world around you is upside down? You can. I am here to guide you to that place.

Online Registration Notice:

Please note that the deadline to register for an online course is 48 hours before the start date for that individual course. This deadline allows us to get the Zoom link to you. Students who miss the cut-off date can submit a request for late registration to osher@uconn.edu with the understanding that there is no guarantee they will be able to register.

Thank you for your understanding!

Embark on an unforgettable journey through Homer's Odyssey, one of the most captivating stories ever told. Together, we’ll explore epic adventures, unforgettable characters, and timeless questions about home, identity, and resilience. This course offers a welcoming space to connect literature with life’s own journeys – whether you're revisiting a classic or encountering it for the first time. Please Note: This course has recommended supplies.

This is the second part of a class given during the Spring 2026 semester. We started our journey in the Pacific Northwest, and now we will be finishing up on the Northeast Coast. In between, we will examine the Southwest, the Southeast, and anything we missed in the spring! We may look at modern Indigenous artists as well.

This is an ideal class for those curious to explore an ancient and unique language. It will incorporate mythology, history, folklore, and geography with an emphasis on conversation. This course requires only paper, a pen, and enthusiasm.

This course explores the principles and practices of meditation and breathwork as tools for mental, emotional, and physiological well-being. Students will explore historical and scientific foundations, with an emphasis on evidence-based applications, for stress reduction, attention regulation, emotional resilience, and self awareness while cultivating a sustainable personal practice.

This will be a compassionate, practical workshop based on The Alzheimer’s Survival Kit. In clear, highly researched layman’s terms, learn early signs, what to expect, and how to stay connected through Alzheimer’s or dementia. This course offers supportive, pressure-free space for anyone facing memory loss personally, through family history, or as a caregiver.

In this introductory course, we will examine the differences between bacteria and viruses and how viruses take over host cells. We will also explore a few DNA and RNA viruses in some detail. In addition, we will look at how the body responds to infection, how vaccines work, and touch upon epidemics and pandemics.

Using the medium of Memoir and Creative Non-Fiction, we will examine moments and episodes from our childhoods, our adolescence, our early twenties, our mature forties, and more. Using weekly prompts, participants will practice various writing techniques to create an effective memoir. This course is an opportunity to perfect one’s craft or simply travel the nostalgia route.

Online Registration Notice:

Please note that the deadline to register for an online course is 48 hours before the start date for that individual course. This deadline allows us to get the Zoom link to you. Students who miss the cut-off date can submit a request for late registration to osher@uconn.edu with the understanding that there is no guarantee they will be able to register.

Thank you for your understanding!