About Us

OLLI at NC State is a membership-based organization offering courses, lectures, study trips and events for adults 50 and older. Founded in 1991 as the Encore Program for Lifelong Enrichment, we received an endowment from the Bernard Osher Foundation in 2014 and became the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at NC State.

OLLI at NC State’s Mission

As part of the Continuing and Lifelong Education division of North Carolina’s land grant university, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at NC State provides intellectually stimulating and enjoyable programs that foster lifelong learning, community involvement and social engagement for individuals aged 50+.

OLLI at NC State’s Vision

Since its inception in 1991, OLLI at NC State has been shaped by the collaboration, leadership, volunteerism and community-mindedness of its members. We proudly embrace this legacy and carry it forward into our future. As part of a preeminent public research university, OLLI at NC State is and will be an equitable and inclusive community that has a transformative impact on older adults in our community and beyond. 

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Network

OLLI at NC State is proud to be part of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Network as one of 120+ university-affiliated learning in retirement programs across the country awarded an endowment from the Bernard Osher Foundation. There are 4 OLLIs in North Carolina — at NC State, Duke, UNC Asheville and UNC Wilmington.

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) Network is a dynamic consortium of more than 120 lifelong learning institutes dedicated to serving adults aged 50 and better. Funded in part by The Bernard Osher Foundation, each independent Institute is affiliated with a college or university, offering intellectually stimulating, non-credit courses and learning opportunities tailored to meet the diverse interests and needs of their local communities. Since the establishment of the first Institute in 2001, the network has expanded to all 50 states and the District of Columbia, serving more than 300 towns and cities across the nation. Courses, study groups, social events, and educational travel opportunities foster a culture of joy in learning and personal fulfillment without tests or grades.

The Bernard Osher Foundation, headquartered in San Francisco, was founded in 1977 by respected businessman, philanthropist, and community leader Bernard Osher. The Foundation seeks to improve quality of life through innovative funding in higher education and the arts.

The Foundation supports a national lifelong learning network of programs designed for adults 50 and better; Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes operate on 120+ college and university campuses in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

View a brief animated video history of The Osher Institute Legacy of Bernard Osher:

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