Week of February 16, 2026

SHARE YOUR LOVE OF OLLI – DONATE TODAY Your donation will allow us to continue to offer quality programs while keeping our costs down. Join your fellow OLLI friends who have already made a gift. Together we can reach our goal and touch the lives of many lifelong learners with quality programming. You can easily make your gift online at Alumni.uri.edu/OLLI or by check made payable to the URI Foundation and returned to the OLLI office at 210 Flagg Rd, Rm 212, Kingston, RI 02881.

FREE PRESENTATION– Join us on Wednesday, Feb 18, from 3:30–4:00 PM as URI College of Pharmacy students share up‑to‑date information on vaccines recommended for older adults. When you attend, you’re not just learning—you’re supporting students as they practice their skills and grow as future healthcare professionals. Register online.

SHINGLES VACCINE CLINIC– Conveniently located in the OLLI Lobby Wed, Feb 25, 12-2PM Get the first of 2 doses* and help pharmacy students practice their skills and grow as future healthcare professionals. Please bring health insurance information and wear appropriate attire. Email Dr. Lemay at glemay@uri.edu with any questions or concerns. Click Here for More Info & To Register

(*Clinic for 2nd dose is scheduled Wed, Apr 29, 12PM-2PM) 

PARKING – Winter Semester is well underway and we want to thank all OLLI members for adapting to our new parking location. OLLI Members continue to enjoy FREE parking in the Plains Rd Lot (#25). Click Here for more information about parking and disabled parking or call the office at 401.874.4197 with any questions.

COFFEE DONATIONS – Our coffee supply is dwindling! If you enjoy having a coffee in our lobby would you consider making a donation of caffeinated Keurig pods or ground coffee? We greatly appreciate any donations!!

CURRENT EVENTS-Begins again this Thur, Feb 19, 11AM and meets bi-weekly in the downstairs conference room.

LET’S SKATE – *Reminder* no class on Thur, Feb 19. Our schedule is subject to change due to the URI school vacations and men/women hockey schedule.

HIKING GROUP – Paused until further notice due to frequent snowfalls and hazardous trail conditions. Members will be notified when hiking resumes. 

CANCELLED CLASS– HORMONES AND BEHAVIOR (3 sessions beginning 2/26) has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. Students were notified and refunds will be issued. We hope to reschedule in the future. 

LIFESAVING SKILLS: CPR AND AED CERTIFICATION – has been rescheduled for Sat, Mar 21, from 9:30AM-12:30PM. If you are enrolled and are not able to attend on the new date, please call the office and we will be happy to refund your payment. 401.874.4197.

FRIENDLY REMINDER – DON’T FORGET TO SIGN IN! Class attendance sheets are located on the front tables in each classroom. 

CLASS SPOTLIGHT-  

LET’S REREAD BANNED BOOKS- 4 sessions with Mary O’Sullivan beginning Mon, Feb 23 Following up on last summer’s successful class, facilitator O’Sullivan will explore the controversies around four more titles often required for high school students. She will lead discussion on the elements that complainants say are grounds for banning, such as offensive language, violence, suppression of dissent, suicide and sex, and examine the redeeming qualities, and value to society, that make them still relevant and important today. Please re-read each book, even if you think you remember them well, because we will take a deep dive into these works: To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee, The Crucible by Arthur Miller, The Catcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger, and Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury.

A COMMUNITY TOGETHER – 1 Session with MJ Henderson Wed, Feb 25 11:30AM-1:00PM A Community Together is a support network serving older neighbors in South Kingstown and Narragansett, founded on the belief that an overwhelming majority of older Americans want to remain in their homes for as long as possible, but are unaware of home and community-based services that make independent living possible. ACT is a non-profit organization, a member of the national Village to Village movement, that supports affordable aging-in-place services for older adults by utilizing community agencies, volunteers, technology, and paid services. Come and learn how ACT can assist you and/or valued loved ones.

THIS WEEK AT OLLI 

Monday

• 9:30AM Healthy Eating Made Simple
• 9:30AM Playing With Theatrical Monologues and Scenes
• 10:30AM Cyber Seniors (Kiera)
• 11:00AM Brain & Behavior (Osher Online)
• 11:30AM Square Foot Gardening
• 1:30PM My Kind of Winter (Session 1)
• 3:00PM Landscape & Adventure in Photography (Osher Online)
• 5:00PM Post Impressionism/Abstraction (Osher Online)

Tuesday

• 9:30AM Roma Aeterna
• 10:00AM Water: Too Much or Too Little?
• 11:30AM Animal Farm: An Allegory for Our Time?
• 12:30PM Drawn Together: Intergenerational Exchange
• 1:00PM Game On!
• 1:00PM More Than Parks: A History of American Conservation (Osher Online)
• 1:30PM Cinema Classics: Films You Should See
• 3:00PM Modern History Through Allegory: Every Man’s Endeavoring (ZOOM)
• 5:00PM Einstein Without Tears (Osher Online)
• 7:00PM Japanese History Through the Lens of Shogun (Osher Online)

Wednesday

• 9:30AM The Winter’s Tale: Page to Stage
• 9:30AM Connected & Creative: Lifelong Leaning With Today’s Tech
• 10:00AM Cyber Seniors (Oge)
• 11:00AM Milestones in Medicine (Osher Online)
• 11:30AM My Kind of Winter (Session 2)
• 12:30PM Bowling
• 1:00PM Hiking (paused until further notice)
• 1:30PM Where Were You in the 1960s/70s?
• 2:00PM Cribbage
• 3:00PM Short Stories from England (ZOOM)
• 3:30PM Vaccines for Older Adults -Free
• 4:30PM Your Mediterranean Adventure

Thursday

• 9:30AM Right Plant Right Place Garden Design
• 10:00AM When You Click: Algorithms, Psychology, Marketing
• 11:00AM John James Audubon and the Birds of America (Osher Online)
• 11:00AM Current Events
• 11:30AM Will Power: Surviving (and Enjoying) Shakespeare
• 1:00PM Mah Jongg
• 1:00PM Adventurous Life of Joseph P. Hazard
• 1:30PM Here Be Dragons: Mapping Our World
• 3:00PM Great Decisions-America & the World: Trump 2.0 Foreign Policy
• 3:00PM  Pharmaceuticals and Poisons: Chemistry at the Edge (Osher Online)

Friday

• 9:00AM QiGong for Vitality
• 10:00AM Great Decisions-America & the World: Trump 2.0 Foreign Policy
• 10:15AM QiGong for Vitality – Deepening Practice
• 11:00AM How US Immigration System Works (Osher Online)
• 11:30AM QiGong for Vitality
• 1:00PM Music Biopics
• 1:00PM Taking the Inward Journey
• 1:00PM Book Club
• 3:00PM Integrative Health (Osher Online)

Saturday

• 9:00AM Learn to Play Mah Jonng
• 1:00PM American Revolution (Osher Online)

TEDxURI – NOW THAT’S FUNNY Sun, Mar 1, 2026 2PM Edwards Hall, 64 Upper College Road, on the Kingston Campus.This year’s Speakers will challenge assumptions about humor and expand what we consider funny—forgoing stand-up routines and punchlines and, instead, bringing outside the box thinking to sharing illuminating stories and ideas that are insightful, entertaining, and deeply human. Click Here to Purchase Tickets 

TEDxURI – VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Friendly, reliable volunteers needed to serve as ushers for TEDxURI – Now That’s Funny on Sun, Mar 1, 2026 Edwards Auditorium, URI campus. Ushers would arrive at 12:30PM for a brief meeting, help with last-minute checks, and assist guests as doors open at 1:30PM for the 2:00PM event. Duties include greeting attendees, helping with seating, and supporting the House Manager throughout the program and one 15-minute intermission. Volunteers are asked to follow a simple dress code of black dress pants, white button-up shirt, and black shoes. As a thank-you for your time, anyone who volunteers will receive a ticket free of charge to enjoy the show. If you’re interested in helping out, please email Gavin DiFranco at difrancogavin717@gmail.com

URI RETIRED FACULTY ASSOCIATION SPEAKER SERIES: New Insights into the History and Archaeology of the URI Campus. Tues, Mar 24, 4:00PM-5:30PM in the Cherry Auditorium, Kirk Applied Engineering Laboratory, 94 Upper College Rd. Catherine DeCesare and Rod Mather (who will be leading a history tour of the campus for OLLI this spring) will explore the human history of our University’s campus. This free presentation is open to all URI faculty, staff, and students, as well as OLLI members and the Rhode Island community. Email aging@uri.edu to let them know you plan on attending is helpful but not required. Parking is available off Brian Lane behind the Welcome Center. This event is sponsored by the Provost’s Office and refreshments provided by Belmont Market.

OLLI EVENT –  Italian Night at Arturo Joe’s Italian Restaurant – Thur, Mar 12, 5PM Come together with your OLLI community for great food and even better company! We’ll meet at the restaurant, and everyone will pay for their own meal. Whether you grew up in an Italian family or simply love authentic Italian cuisine, this is your chance to indulge in a delicious meal, savor Italian desserts, and enjoy a story or two steeped in Italian tradition.Celebrate Saint Joseph’s Day with us and experience the warmth of good food and great friends! Click Here to Register

OLLI OSCAR PARTY – Join us for an Oscar Party on Thurs, Mar 12, at 3PM at OLLI as we gather to share our perspectives and discuss who will take home the coveted awards at The 98th Academy Awards. Food & Prizes!! Registration is required Click Here for More Info & to Register Cast your ballot today in the OLLI lobby!

CYBER SENIORS IS BACK – Stop by the lobby to get help with all your technology questions on Mondays, 10:30AM-12:30PM and Wednesdays, 10AM-12PM No appointment necessary.  Click Here to Meet Oge

GREAT DECISIONS BOOKS – If you wish to purchase the 2026 GD Book – we have 7 copies left for the discounted price of $31. The GD book is not required to participate in the class but it is recommended. Click Here To Purchase or give us a call in the office at 401.874.4197

DISCOUNT URI BASKETBALL – CLICK HERE for OLLI discounted URI Basketball tickets

RHODY OUTPOST– URI’s principal basic needs pantry for students experiencing food insecurity.  The Outpost provides fresh and non-perishable food and personal care items at no charge to students. Click Here to view the updated list of all urgently needed items. You can also purchase items directly from Amazon on the Rhody Outpost Wish List.  

URI THEATRE PRESENTS: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM by William Shakespeare Feb 27-28, and Mar 4-7, 7:30PM Mar 1 & Mar 8, 2PM, Robert E. Will Theater Click Here to Buy Tickets

URI 2026 CHARLES AND MARIE FISH LECTURE: From the Ground Up – Communities Leading the Next Chapter of Climate Resilience Featuring Jainey Bavishi, former Deputy Administrator of NOAA and former Director of New York City’s Office of Climate Resiliency As climate impacts accelerate and uncertainty grows, communities across the country are redefining what it means to be resilient. In this fireside chat, Jainey Bavishi will explore how equity, local leadership and civic collaboration form the backbone of effective climate action, even as traditional systems face strain. Drawing on lessons from city halls, federal agencies, and frontline communities, the conversation will highlight how resilience can endure and evolve from the ground up. Tues, Mar 10, 6-7PM, Corless Auditorium, URI Bay Campus Click Here For Details & Registration

CRAFT SUPPLY SWAP – Feb 19-21, Westerly Armory, 41 Railroad Ave, Westerly, RI Drop off – 12PM-6PM Thurs & Fri, Shop 10AM-4PM on Saturday.  Click Here for More Info

OLLI INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY-  If URI is closed due to inclement weather, OLLI will also be closed. For class cancellation/reschedule information, check our website at uri.edu/olli and watch for email notifications. 

IF YOU ARE ATTENDING CLASSES AT OLLI, YOU MUST HAVE A PARKING PASS! If you are not sure if your permit is current, please call the office at 401-874-4197. Parking is FREE with membership but you must register your vehicle if you are taking classes in 2026. If you get a ticket you will be responsible for appealing it with the URI parking administration.