Lifestyles   

Understand the stages of dementia, potential treatment options, how to care for a loved one, and prepare for what comes next in your journey.

Explore modern floral design approaches that emphasize color and texture as seasons change from summer to fall. Participants are provided with tools and all supplies necessary for the creation of three unique designs to take home. Styles include: Colorful Tray Collection, Textural Green Ombre, and Fall Elegance in Cylinder Vase. All levels of floral design experience are welcome.

Get festive with fun, homemade holiday gifts! From sweet to savory treats, create delicious goodies perfect for neighbors, party hosts, or anyone on your list. Learn easy, hands-on recipes and creative wrapping ideas to make your gifts extra special— and extra tasty!

Research consistently finds that most people aged 50 and older want to stay in their homes and communities as long as possible. The AARP Home Fit session was created to help people stay in the homes they love by turning where they live into a “lifelong home,” suitable and safe for themselves and anyone in their household.

Anyone can get dementia, and many worry about that. Learn about dementia vs. normal brain aging, including what changes we should and shouldn’t worry about when we see them in ourselves or loved ones. We’ll discuss what might prevent dementia, and address risks diagnosis, treatment and dementia’s impact on families and society.

Celebrate the season at Miracle at Robber’s Cave, a festive pop-up cocktail bar filled with holiday décor, seasonal drinks, and cheerful charm. Enjoy a cocktail, take in the sparkling atmosphere, and share the holiday spirit with your OLLI friends. Dinner features a buffet with chicken breasts topped with Chimichurri sauce (meat-free option available), green beans, mashed potatoes, house salad, and a dinner roll with butter. Join us for a merry and bright holiday outing!

What if this season of life could feel joyful, intentional, and beautifully alive? In this empowering and perspective-shifting class, create your own Personal Palooza — a meaningful, doable plan to bring more passion, purpose, and pizzazz into everyday living. Through guided reflection and honest conversation, rediscover what lights you up, what may be holding you back, and design ways to celebrate the life you’re already living. Be open. Be inspired. Be brave. The life you want is closer than you think.

 

Explore how physical spaces impact productivity, stress, and well-being. Discover how clutter causes distraction and learn actionable, simple strategies to clear excess belongings. Learn from real-life examples to help you build time-saving systems, organize for efficiency, and design an environment tailored to your goals. Take control of your space, boost your daily focus, and spend less time managing belongings so you can focus on what matters most.

Explore how physical spaces impact productivity, stress, and well-being. Discover how clutter causes distraction and learn actionable, simple strategies to clear excess belongings. Learn from real-life examples to help you build time-saving systems, organize for efficiency, and design an environment tailored to your goals. Take control of your space, boost your daily focus, and spend less time managing belongings so you can focus on what matters most.

Take a tour of Nebraska Innovation Studio, a 16,000-square-foot community makerspace featuring a full metal shop, wood shop, rapid prototyping room, and art studio. Innovation Studio is open to university faculty, students, staff and community members for a monthly membership. Following the tour, participants will learn how to use a wood lathe to transform a wood blank into a handcrafted pen to take home. This hands-on woodworking process requires patience, focus, and creativity.

Go nose-to-beak with more than 80 Antarctic penguins! Become a penguin expert and learn about penguins all over the world, including the three types of cold-weather penguins housed inside the Scott Aquarium. Witness their unique behaviors and amazing adaptations from a front row seat at one of the world's premier penguin exhibits. Led by a former penguin keeper, learn about these amazing birds and the conservation issues they face world-wide.

Learn how to turn great photos into masterpieces through post-processing and editing. Discover how to control brightness, contrast, sharpness, cropping, and much more. You will need a laptop with an editing program such as Photoshop, Affinity Photo, Nikon NX-1 or another comparable recent editing program. Bring at least two photos in RAW format and two photos in JPEG format to the class to get started.

When it comes to caring for loved ones, most families don’t have a plan until a crisis happens. Discover how to provide the best care for your loved ones and/or to provide vital information for your children to assist you should that need arise. Receive the tools to plan for future housing needs, caregiving considerations and financial planning for the cost of healthcare. Create a comprehensive plan that includes your home, health, finances, and wishes.

The following video programs are previously recorded OLLI courses. Learn at your own pace, at your convenience. All 35+ hours of programming are available to you for a single cost of $30. You will receive a link in your registration confirmation email to access all recordings. The link will be active from the first day of the term until one week before the next term starts.

All programming originates from OLLI at UNL and is provided with closed caption.

 

BONES, BODIES, AND BESTSELLERS - Dr. Kaitlin East (1 session)

Crime fiction is even more fun when the science holds up. Whether you’re a fan curious about the facts behind your favorite mysteries, or an author eager to sharpen your storytelling, pull back the curtain on science in crime fiction. Explore forensic anthropology and how, when accurately utilized, it can improve mystery stories, learn how a forensic anthropological investigation works, and review literary examples that succeed in incorporating accuracy.

HIGHWAY ARCHAEOLOGY - Nolan Johnson (4 sessions)

The Highway Archeology Program at the Nebraska State Historical Society enables significant cultural resources, both below and above ground, to be taken into consideration when road construction is planned. This partnership with the Nebraska Department of Transportation has been in existence since 1960 and has changed a lot over 65 years. Learn how it came to be and how it continues to protect our shared Nebraska heritage.

READING AMY TAN - Susan Major (4 sessions)

Delve into one of Amy Tan’s highly acclaimed novels, The Kitchen God’s Wife. The story is infused with vivid details of Chinese life and traditions, spanning continents and centuries. It presents a memorable portrait of a courageous woman and a tale that celebrates the bond between mother and daughter.

SPIES AMONG US: A WWII GERMAN SPY IN OMAHA - Anthony Foreman (1 session)

Would you believe that the most famous German spy during World War I had previously been a Nebraska resident? Some other questions might arise: What was he doing here? What did he do as a spy? What happened to him? Tony Foreman has pieced together answers to these and many other questions through archival research in Nebraska, Germany and Great Britain. This is a session about heroism, romance, cruelty, war and espionage.

THE ROMAN REVOLUTION: 133 BCE-11CE - Vanessa Gorman (6 sessions)

The fall of the Roman Republican government was fueled by financial inequalities, class struggles, incompetent leadership, military expansion, and the rise of populist generals. The people learned that they were indeed sovereign and proceeded to vote away their political power in favor of dictators, like Marius and Caesar who brought them bread and circuses, but also decades of civil war, until Augustus was the last man standing and established a principate.

BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE LINCOLN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA - Multiple Instructors (4 sessions)

Learn about the process of putting together a Lincoln’s Symphony Orchestra concert, then attend “Experience the Intrigue.” Executive director Barbara Zach Lee will discuss what an orchestra means to a community, Maestro Edward Polochick will give insights on how orchestras provide transformative experiences, composer Julia Adolphe will share how it feels to hear her compositions performed live, and viola soloist Rita Porfiris will talk about life as a professional musician, and what inspires her.

LINCOLN’S LIBRARY OF THE FUTURE - Ryan Wieber (1 session)

Lincoln’s long-awaited new Central Library in the heart of downtown will open for service in 2028. Designed as a modern library with flexibility and space for community partners to complement library activities, the new library will provide traditional services and collections yet incorporate what is now expected in modern library design, function and sustainability. Walk through the virtual plans for the new facility and discover what will make this a world-class library and help transform O Street.

EIGHT PILLARS OF YOGA: IT’S MORE THAN EXERCISE - Jessica Jewel (1 session)

Yoga is known for physical postures, but its roots are far deeper. Explore the eight limbs of yoga as outlined by the sage Patanjali in his Yoga Shastra. Discover the ethical, physical, and meditative foundations of yoga. Learn how this ancient practice supports clarity, peace, and meaningful living. These teachings provide both a historical perspective and a framework for its true purpose: quieting the churnings of the mind and body.

CAN NUCLEAR POWER GO GREEN IN NEBRASKA? - Multiple Instructors (1 session)

For decades, nuclear power has gotten a bad rap in popular culture, but actual data show that despite some high-profile accidents, few deaths have resulted. With climate change looming, new modular designs with advanced safety features and new applications make it worth a fresh look. Learn how modular nuclear power could help generate ammonia for fertilizer in rural Nebraska.

Explore the science of chocolate making. Learn the importance of each step of chocolate making from growing cocoa trees to molding the final product. Discuss various types of chocolates and the role that each ingredient and processing conditions play in obtaining a high-quality chocolate with outstanding flavor. Common defects found in chocolate and the science behind them will be also discussed. Samples will be provided.

Join us for a holiday celebration unlike any other at Show Stoppers. Enjoy delicious dining, festive entertainment, and joyful moments with OLLI friends. With live performances and holiday spirit around every corner, it's the perfect way to celebrate the season and create memories worth remembering.

Discover the only roller-skating museum in the world housed in a building on the historic register. Established in 1980, the museum provides the public with the history, sport, and recreation of roller skating. In addition to skating, the museum has exhibits of wheel evolution, vaudeville acts, touring tent rinks, rink organs, and the unusual in skating’s 300-year history. Information about rink hockey, speed and figure skating, and artistic skating will be presented in preparation for the championships.

 

Stay active and strong during your golden years with guidance from a certified personal trainer. This program blends education and exercise, focusing on functional fitness, cardio, strength, flexibility, balance, and core training. All activities can be modified to meet individual needs, and take-home workout copies are provided. Wear comfortable workout clothes and tennis shoes. Participants must complete a health questionnaire and UNL Rec Center waiver, which will be emailed for electronic signature before the first session.

Tired of leftovers for lunch? Ready for a new eating adventure? Join us for lunch at the Great Plains Culinary Institute at Southeast Community College. In addition to a delicious buffet lunch prepared and served by the students, learn about the culinary program by taking a tour of the facility and observing a food preparation demonstration. Past participants are welcome to attend again. Parking information will be provided prior to this event.

Relax the body and soothe the mind from the comfort of your own home in a remote yoga experience. All you need is a chair with no arm rests and some comfy clothes or pajamas. Expect gentle mobility, breathing techniques, and mindful movement to improve sleep quality, reduce stress and enhance overall well-being.

Gain greater proficiency in digital photography while using an advanced amateur camera (adjustable), mirrorless interchangeable lens camera (MILC) or digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera. Learn the fundamentals as you practice with your own personal camera. Basic principles of photography will be reviewed and then more sophisticated digital camera operations, such as controls, function and purpose, lighting, composition, hardware options and software will be discussed.

The College Football Playoff is entering its 12th season, the second with 12 qualifying teams, based on game results, criteria and ranking by the CFP Selection Committee.  Using a process like that of the real committee, participants in this course will form a faux committee and have fun ranking a weekly, comparative Top 25 from mid-season on, culminating in the final 12 teams that should be in the tournament for the national championship.

Join in meditation, breathwork, balance, and mindful movements to reconnect your mind, body, and spirit. This class is designed for all levels of experience, and poses will include a variety of positions requiring students to get on/off the floor. The instructor will provide modifications as needed. Learn some yoga tidbits to use in your future practice both on and off your mat. No equipment is needed, but a yoga mat is encouraged. Consult with your physician prior to participating.

Get festive with fun, homemade holiday gifts! From sweet to savory treats, create delicious goodies perfect for neighbors, party hosts, or anyone on your list. Learn easy, hands-on recipes and creative wrapping ideas to make your gifts extra special— and extra tasty!

Being a grandparent is a unique and deeply rewarding journey, but it isn’t always easy to balance everything, especially during the busy holiday season. Learn how to create a safe and fun environment for visiting children, navigate changing family dynamics as our children become parents, and make wonderful memories of your holidays together. Discover new ideas through sharing experiences with others who understand the journey.

Join us at Saro Cider, a Lincoln-based cidery, and discover a history of hard cider in the U.S. Take your taste buds on an adventure through a curated cider flight, showcasing the variety of Midwest cider, including cider from apples grown at Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska City. A snack will be provided during sampling and you will enjoy a short trek through the production facility to learn the art of cider making.

This course is a continuation of the Introduction to Bridge I course and is designed for the student with very limited prior knowledge of bridge. Learn how the game is played, bridge vocabulary, basic Standard American bidding, and basic card play. There will be ample opportunities to play hands that will illustrate class concepts. The students will dictate the pace of the course, so all can grasp the basics of the game. 

“Jeopardy: The Team Edition” brings the classic TV game show to life in a fun, collaborative setting. Teams work together to answer questions from a full-size electronic game board, choosing from a variety of topics and point values. The format encourages teamwork, lively discussion, and plenty of laughs. 

Learn about the disease, changes to expect and how to care for someone on this journey.

Mah Jongg is an ancient Chinese game. Learning the game can be fun and challenging. This class will introduce you to the card, the tiles, the Charleston and the game itself.

Discover what assisted senior living can offer through tours of five Omaha communities. Session one provides an overview of key factors to consider, such as social, physical, medical, and financial aspects when choosing an assisted living option. Each session features a guided tour of a different assisted living community, highlighting unit types, pricing, amenities, and dining. Gain valuable insight into the unique character of each location.

Join fellow OLLI members for a delicious Taste of Omaha experience at The Linden House. Enjoy a specially curated lunch and hear from Executive Chef Jennifer Coco, a four-time James Beard Award nominee and the first woman from Nebraska to earn that distinction. Chef Jenny’s inspiring journey, culinary innovation, and stories from the world of food make this a unique opportunity to savor great cuisine while gaining insight from one of Nebraska’s most celebrated chefs.

Feeling unsure in the digital age? Build your confidence with smartphones, tablets, and the internet. Learn essential skills to stay safe online, including how to block unwanted calls, shop and bank securely, and protect your credit. Explore common scams affecting Nebraskans and gain hands-on experience with practical tools. Whether reconnecting with loved ones or managing finances, gain the knowledge needed to thrive in today’s connected world. This course, formerly called “Crossing the Digital Divide,” has been updated and revised.

Feeling unsure in the digital age? Build your confidence with smartphones, tablets, and the internet. Learn essential skills to stay safe online, including how to block unwanted calls, shop and bank securely, and protect your credit. Explore common scams affecting Nebraskans and gain hands-on experience with practical tools. Whether reconnecting with loved ones or managing finances, gain the knowledge needed to thrive in today’s connected world. This course, formerly called “Crossing the Digital Divide,” has been updated and revised.