To promote lifelong learning and personal growth for adults over the age of 50.

Short coursesRelaxed atmosphereNo entrance requirements No gradesMust love to learn!!

Casper College received grant notification in December of 2006

May 2007 held first open house to introduce the institute and courses

First classes held June 18 through August 17, 2007

Taught by current & retired Casper College faculty as well as local experts in various fields

Calling all YodelersAre you a fan of traditional cowboy music? We don’t mean the packaged pop crossover country music you hear played on the radio today, but that genuine old-time western music from the earlier and grittier days of the genre. If the plaintive and lively sounds of the yodeling of such classic country artists as Jimmie Rodgers, Patsy Montana, Wylie Gustafson, and Gene Autrey gives you a thrill, then this is the class for you. You will learn about where yodeling began and how it worked its way into the early western music repertoire to become a standard sound heard in early country music and in bluegrass music. Those of you who feel inspired may also learn a few yodeling tricks from your instructor to impress your friends and family at your next family gathering.

The Age of Fighting Sail and the Novels of Patrick O’BrianDuring the two decades between 1794 and 1815 the world was at war. It was the time of the Napoleonic Era in Europe and the War of 1812 between Great Britain and America. In this class you will learn about the naval aspects of war and the most complex, deadly machines of the time, the fighting ships. Learn how they were built, armed, manned, navigated, and used in battle. The novels of Patrick O’Brian vividly bring this period of history to life. We will use examples of his writing to foster understanding of the life and times of those who went to sea and the loved ones that they left behind.

Beyond Herbs: Introduction to Holistic Treatments and TherapiesPeople often associate holistic medicine with common treatments such as herbs, oils, and aromatherapy, and manual and body therapies such as massages and chiropractic care. However, a holistic approach can be much more comprehensive. The instructor will use historical and cultural perspectives of holistic medicine as a backdrop to this exploration into complementary and alternative medicine known as holistic treatments and therapies.

Civilians in War: Two Americans Caught Up in the First Gulf WarOn August 2, 1990, Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait and was condemned by the international community for his actions. A United Nations coalition force led by the United States and Great Britain retaliated and Operation Desert Storm began. Our instructors were just 100 miles away from the events of the First Gulf War when it started. They became staff members in an allied forces hospital in eastern Saudi Arabia and found themselves in the unique position of civilians in a war zone where they endured scud missile attacks and other wartime events. Hear their firsthand accounts and experience their audio and video recordings of the events they witnessed.

Drama On the High SeasSome of Hollywood’s best films took place on the high seas. From romance to drama you’ll see four of the best made during the golden age of Hollywood featuring such stars as Bette Davis, William Powell, Kay Francis, Freddie Bartholomew, Franchot Tone, Charles Laughton, and others.

Echoes of Ancient VoicesIn this class we will learn about traditional Sioux Indian culture, art, and spirituality on the Northern Plains. We will see examples of native style art, modern Native American painting, herbs, and objects used in ceremonies, such as the sweat lodge, vision quest, and Sun Dance. We will also listen to and discuss tapes of Native drumming and flute music.

Olives to Olive OilCome learn how olives are farmed at the Vlastos Farma in the Amari Valley on the Island of Crete with the same ancient trees planted in the 12th century. The Vlastos family grows the olives on Crete and sells the olive oil here in Casper, Wyoming. We will cook with olive oil in ways inspired by various Greek cooking techniques using low heat that is derived from the stick fires used in village cooking hearths. By the conclusion of the class everyone will understand the health benefits of olive oil and be able to shop for their own favorite type of olive oil to use for cooking.

Orthodox Christianity: The Church of the EastAfter Jesus’ resurrection, apostles and missionaries traveled throughout the known world spreading the Gospel. Soon five major locations were established as centers for the faith: Jerusalem, Antioch, Rome, Alexandria, and Constantinople. In the year 1054 the Roman church broke from this united Church and five hundred years later Protestant churches began breaking away from Rome. But the original Church has remained united in the Apostolic Faith since the first century. This is Orthodox Christianity. This class includes an elementary introduction to the Bible, particularly the New Testament, and a survey of the teachings, history, traditions, iconography, and worship of the Orthodox Church.

Reading Between the Lines: A Look at the Dying Newspaper IndustryGone are the days of young boys selling newspapers on the corner shouting, “Read all about In the years it.” Come learn about the history of newspapers and how the in-print newspaper industry has been slowly declining over the years, especially since the proliferation of online news sites. We will tour the Casper Star Tribune building and learn what goes into publishing a daily paper.

Prisoners of Wyoming: The Camp Douglas Prisoner of War Camp SiteThe Officers Club is the last intact building of Camp Douglas, a 687 acre camp comprised of some 180 buildings, which housed up to 3,000 Italian and German POWs and 500 U.S. Army personnel from the spring of 1943 to the winter of 1946. Learn how the camp was part of the WWII war effort, a critical economic and social element of the surrounding communities, an example of revolutionary standardization and assembly line construction of pre-fabricated units, and is the site of murals portraying the American West painted by three Italian POWs. We will visit the site and learn about its importance to Wyoming history and then have some free time in Douglas for lunch before we return to Casper. Participants should dress for cold weather conditions as the building is unheated and we will spend a significant amount of time there.

Casper college was given a 1 million dollar endowment in December of 2006

Wyoming Community College Endowment Challenge Program through the state of Wyoming matched those funds at a total of $882,793. in 2009

Bridge grant from Osher Lifelong learning was granted to get the program off the ground with an amount of $50,000

Casper College received a gift from Osher Lifelong Learning in the amount of $25,000

Membership funds help to support the program at this time

Funds to pay instructors which start at $23.00/hour. Some instructors donate their time

Equipment for classrooms, such as projectors and computers

CPR training for the director of the OLLI program

Salary for the director and part time assistantMailSocial eventsFood

Reported from OLLI director:OLLI participants love the classes. They report it

gives them something to look forward to, an opportunity to meet new friends, and continue to learn new and interesting things

Many report participation in OLLI classes has given them a new social life

One recent widower stated to the director that after she lost her husband her classes gave her the desire to keep going, something to look forward to

In the summer of 2007 there were 75 members and eight courses to choose from. Today there are 539 members and thirty-seven courses!

One OLLI member has become an OLLI instructorOldest OLLI member is 92 years young!!

We love the term “Knowmads” which was coined by one of our fellow OLLI’s who has a vibrant travel learning program at their learning institution. One thing that we know about OLLI’s all over the country is that they love to travel. Beginning in fall 2008 OLLI at Casper College will sign on withTravelearn, an educational learning travel organization that takes small groups of learners to destinations all over the world. Using the Travelearn link on OLLI at Casper College’s website you will be able to view trips that other OLLI Knowmad groups are putting on at their institutes as well as travel opportunities being offered through non-OLLI senior learning programs at other colleges and universities. You can sign up for any of the trips being offered and Travelearn will take care of all your travel needs and arrangements. Travelearn specializes in taking small travel/learning groups of 14 to 16 senior learners to locations in Africa, Asia, South/Central America, and Eastern Europe with faculty escorts and knowledgeable guides! It is a wonderful opportunity for OLLI’s to travel with like-minded individuals who want to learn more about a country than they would from just passing through on a tour bus. We hope you will take advantage of this opportunity and as our OLLI at Casper College program grows we hope to offer an OLLI sponsored trip of our own in the future.

Pollock, V. (2008). Olli Newsletter. Volume 1 Issue 3.

Central City Opera in Colorado

Olli members just returned from Santa Fe where they sawtwo operas, Offenbach’s Talesof Hoffman and Puccini’s MadameButterfly.

OLLI Knowmads took part in two field trips to Castle Gardens near Moneta, Wyo. to learn about the Paleolithic petro glyphs that are in abundance there.Prior to the field trips the OLLIs attended two classes about the geography of the region, the climate, the migration patterns of the game animals, and how all of these factors combined to make this an important site to stone age humans.

Pollock, V. (2008) Olli Newsletter, Volume 2, Issue 1. Fall 2008.

Olli Newsletters:

Summer Newsletter, 2009, Volume 3, Issue 2

Winter Newsletter, 2009, Volume 3, Issue 1

Summer Newsletter, 2009, Volume 2, Issue 3

Spring Newsletter, 2009, Volume 2, Issue 2

Fall Newsletter, 2008, Volume 2, Issue 1

Summer Newsletter, 2008, Volume 1, Issue 3

Winter Newsletter, 2007, Volume 1, Issue 2

Fall Newsletter, 2007, Volume 1, Issue 1

(V. Pollock, personal communication, March 15, 2011)

http://www.caspercollege.edu/olli/index.html