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$1M grant to help Osher expand offerings, courses

A $1 million endowment grant will allow KU Continuing Education's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute to expand its offerings of enrichment courses, tours and social events primarily for adults 50 and older in Lawrence, Topeka and the greater Kansas City area.

The grant, awarded by the San Francisco-based Bernard Osher Foundation, will be used to broaden membership and expand programming. Osher classes typically meet for two hours per week for three weeks and require no homework or testing. A course costs $35, and discounts are offered for multiple course enrollments or season membership.

KU's Osher institute, established in 2004, currently offers courses at seven sites, including KU Continuing Education and Brandon Woods Retirement Community in Lawrence; Maple Woods Community College in Kansas City, Mo.; Tallgrass Creek Retirement Community and KU's Edwards Campus in Overland Park; and Brewster Place Retirement Community and the Kansas State Historical Society in Topeka.

In addition to its current class offerings, the institute is offering several special events this spring, including:

  • A study of American urban and rural landscapes in photographs during a tour of the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City, Mo., on April 25
  • An exploration of Kansas City's lively blues and jazz scene on May 8 during a bus tour called "Jammin' up the Town," which features a stop for dinner at B.B.'s Lawnside BBQ.

KU HISTORY:

Yippie activist and self-proclaimed "cultural revolutionary" Abbie Hoffman spoke at KU on April 8, 1970. Hoffman's appearance coincided with a student strike protesting the Kansas Board of Regents' decision not to promote two professors. He was best known as one of the "Chicago 7" who led a protest outside of the 1968 Democratic National Convention that eventually turned violent. Ironically, Hoffman appeared agitated when questioned about his support of the Black Panters at his KU appearance and promptly left.For more, see www.kuhistory.com.