The following video programs are previously recorded OLLI courses. Learn at your own pace, on your own time and at your convenience. Over 40 hours of programming is available for a single cost of $30. After registration, you will receive an email with a “Join Code” and instructions on how to access programming.
All programming originates from OLLI at UNL.
Anna Rosenburg: The Busiest Woman in the United States (3 Sessions)
Instructor: Lynn Roper
Anna Rosenberg befriended Eleanor Roosevelt in 1920’s Manhattan and eventually served as FDR’s unofficial advisor, wielding enormous influence. Rosenberg’s career continued as she was asked to be assistant secretary of defense in 1950 prevailing over Sen. Joseph McCarthy for her Senate confirmation. In 1962, she organized JFK’s infamous birthday gala. Rosenberg fought tirelessly for progressive domestic policies from racial integration to women’s equality to national health care while at the forefront of U.S. history from the 1920’s through the 1960’s.
Addressing Climate Change: Lincoln & the World (1 Session)
(Meeting of the OLLI Politics Interest Group)
Kim Morrow, Chief Sustainability Officer for the city of Lincoln, shares what she learned attending the COP28 Climate Conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This annual conference, put together by the United Nations, deals with issues of Global Warming and Climate Change. Kim takes this a step closer to home by discussing Lincoln’s Climate Action Plan, which creates a climate smart future for Lincoln.
Artificial Intelligence: Friend or Foe? (6 Sessions)
Instructors: Rich Sincovec; Zach Wrublewski
Obtain an in-depth introduction to artificial intelligence (AI), including how it works and its applications in various fields such as healthcare, finance, education, and more. Examine ChatGPT - an AI language model that can generate human-like text - with live classroom demonstrations and hands-on exercises. Build your understanding on navigating the ethical and societal issues surrounding AI, emphasizing its potential to impact society in profound ways.
Take a Walk in the Clouds (1 Session)
Instructor: Brad Anderson
KOLN/KGIN TV Meteorologist Brad Anderson shares information regarding the different types and shapes of clouds, the weather they can bring, and how they form. During our childhoods, we may have spent time lying in the grass on a hot, summer day, gazing at the clouds and talking with our siblings or friends about what shapes they formed.
Agrivoltaics: The Marriage Between Agriculture and Solar (1 Session)
Instructors: Christy Eichorn; Peter Bertheisen
Agrivoltaics is an innovative practice that involves using land for both solar panels and agriculture. This approach can include a variety of agricultural activities, such as protecting plants from too much sun, grazing livestock, beekeeping, creating pollinator habitats, and carbon sequestration. Explore advantages and disadvantages of this dual-use approach, as well as how it could impact both energy production and agriculture in the future.
Let Freedom Read: Censorships in School & Public Libraries (1 Session)
Instructor: Vicki Wood
According to the American Library Association, book challenges and bans were at an all-time high in 2022 and 2023. Why is this happening now, what books are being targeted, and how can citizens protect our freedom to read? Delve into the social, political, and personal forces that fuel censorship attempts. Find out how libraries build their collections using the values set out in the Library Bill of Rights, and how citizens can speak against censorship, support libraries and library staff.
Causes and Effects of Political Disagreements (2 Sessions)
Instructor: Pierce Ekstrom
Mounting evidence from political science and other fields confirms what many people suspect: American politics has become more polarized over time. We will explore what that means. In the first session, we will discuss how people arrive (intentionally or accidentally) at their political preferences in the first place and which preferences they are most likely to fight about. In the second session, we will discuss the effects of political disagreement, from how people think, feel, and behave toward their political allies and opponents, to how political conflict can reshape our society—for worse or for better.
Chicago Architecture: From the Great Fire to Last Week (2 Sessions)
Instructors: Kay Logan-Peters; Zeb Lund
Chicago is known as America’s architectural Mecca. Join us for a survey of important buildings and architectural advancements in the Windy City starting with the great fire and the birth of the skyscraper, to important modernist buildings by Mies van der Rohe and his contemporaries, to contemporary structures, some still under construction (think Obama Presidential Library). We will review Louis Sullivan’s contributions, Frank Lloyd Wright’s prairie houses in Oak Park and many other famous and infamous buildings in Chicago.
Lincoln Literacy: Bridgeway to a Better Life (1 Session)
Instructor: Bryan Seck
Learn about Lincoln Literacy’s outreach to the community and literacy services. The history of refugees/immigrants to Lincoln, current numbers and trends will be covered, plus a description of Lincoln Literacy and other agencies who provide services. Lincoln Literacy provides a continuum of services from beginner to advanced English, as well as workforce development focused classes in a variety of areas: certified nursing assistant, commercial driver’s license, working in Lincoln Public Schools, or reentering a profession from their country of origin such as engineering, nursing, teaching, and more. Walk away with an increased awareness of the diversity in our community and the immense talents that these newcomers bring to Lincoln.
How to Identify and Protect Yourself Against Fraud (1 Session)
Instructor: Angela Nielsen
Angela Nielsen shares the tools you need to identify potential fraud and scams. Learn about several common financial scams and ways fraudsters try to take advantage of you and your loved ones and take your hard-earned cash. Nielsen dissects what to watch out for, what you can do to protect your money, and how you can approach emails, phone calls, messages, and texts to identify what is important and what to be aware of.