If you’ve got an insatiable curiosity, or a need to continue learning new and amazing things which may have always drawn your interest, there’s a place for you.
The UWM School of Continuing Education’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute offers classes, talks, seminars and field trips for adults interested in continuing education just for the sake of learning something new.
The Bernard Osher Foundation, headquartered in San Francisco, was started in 1977 by Bernard Osher, and provides educational opportunities with special attention to a lifelong learning network for curious adults. The Bernard Osher Foundation gave an endowment of $1 million to launch the institute at UWM, the only Osher Institute in Wisconsin.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
The educational experiences range from short one-off “Osher Talks” to multi-week courses that last two to five weeks. The courses, tours, and talks focus on various topics such as the arts, literature, ethics, law, politics, religion, history and health care.
Classes, talks, and seminars take place regularly at the Edith S. Hefter Conference Center, the UWM Downtown Conference Center or at specific locations in relation to the topic.
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UWM is a membership organization, so you must be a member to take the classes. The membership year runs annually from Sept. 1 thru Aug 31. Membership is $45 for a single membership or $80 for a couple. Currently, the membership is prorated to be $25 for single or $50 for a couple.
These aren’t your traditional college courses. You can forget about English 101 or French Lit 200. Here are five eclectic, off-the-wall, off the beaten path talks and courses coming up this spring.
1. The Beatles: The White Album
FRIDAY, FEB. 7
After a visit to India, The Beatles returned to England with a boatload of songs and recorded their only double-studio album. Some say the experience reversed the cracks forming within the band. This talk by Terry Rindt looks at the legacy, recording and conflicts of the project. Rindt fell in love with music when he started the drums and discovered The Rolling Stones and The Beatles.
2. Behind the Veil of Forensic Science
TUESDAY, MARCH 11
Fans of homicide shows and those curious about a macabre science might dig this tour. This experience takes students to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office, where they’ll tour the toxicology laboratory, visit an autopsy suite and watch video presentations of several autopsies. The instructor warns students should be prepared for offensive smells and graphic imagery and sights.
3. Making an Oscar Winning Film
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12
UWM film school alumnus Josh Rosenberg is giving an online talk about the making of the Oscar-winning short documentary The Last Repair Shop. The film tells the story of four unassuming heroes who ensure no student is deprived of the joy of music. The film is also a reminder of how music can be the best medicine, stress reliever, and even an escape from poverty. Rosenberg, one of several producers on the film, will talk about the challenges of telling a big story on a small budget and how to put your storytellers first in the filmmaking process.
4. No Kangaroos in Austria
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23
In this talk Marcus Auerbach will share how to make the most out of your experience in Austria. He will discuss cultural differences between the U.S. and Austria, along with cultural misunderstandings he’s encountered. Auerbach was born and raised in Austria, moved to the U.S. at age 32 while working for a global company, and has guided many Americans around Europe on international business trips.
5. (Re)thinking Life and Death
APRIL 25-MAY 16
This short course examines what we are learning about how human life begins and ends. The class will be led by Donna Engelmann and take a look at how our ideas, behavior and institutions are changing our definitions of life and death. Engelmann is a retired philosophy professor at Alverno College and specializes in political and social philosophy, ethics, theories of knowledge and peace studies.
See more classes and learn more at uwm.edu/sce.
