Week of March 23

Week of March 23, 2026

TRAFFIC ALERT –ACCESS TO FLAGG RD WILL BE LIMITED FROM MAR 23-APR 3. The easiest way to access the Plains Rd Lot #25 – Take Rt.138 to Plains Rd – Take Plains Rd to Lot #25 on the right. The sidewalk from Lot #25 to OLLI (210 Flagg Rd) will be OPEN & ACCESSIBLE

SPRING REGISTRATION IS ONGOING!

Spring catalogs have been mailed to all OLLI members! You can browse the catalog online by Clicking Here Choose from 4 convenient ways to register:

1. Online: Click Here to log into your OLLI account

2. By phone: Call 401-874-4197

3. Walk-in: 210 Flagg Rd

4. Mail – Download the Registration Form from our website (or pick one up in the office). Fill it out and include a check (made out to URI).

NEW SPRING CLASS ADDITIONS (not listed in the catalog):

Art in the Courthouse – 1 Session with Retired Justice Gilbert V. Indeglia at The McGrath Judicial Complex. Friday, June 5, 1:30PM-3:00PM. After a welcome by Hon. Gilbert V. Indeglia (Ret.) and Kara Picozzi of the Rhode Island Supreme Court, our tour will include a look into the current photography exhibit featured as part of our community art initiative “Art in the Courthouse.” The visit includes a conversation with the artist. The 90-minute tour includes a short walk and a Q & A with a judicial officer. Free parking onsite. Click for More info

The History of Modern Architecture and Urbanism, Part 2 – 3 Sessions with Richard Levy, beginning Thurs, May 7, 3-4:30PM $40 Click Here for More Info

Make Your Own Spring Flower Arrangement – 1 Session with Floral Designs by Donna, Thurs, Apr 2, 5:30-7:30PM $55 Click Here for More Info

Fostering Safe Spaces for Members of the LGBTQ Community – 1 Session with Gerri August & Annmarie Vaccaro, Thurs, Apr 23, 10-11:30AM Click Here for More Info

Click Here to check out the virtual previews for some of OLLI’s spring classes.

CLASS SPOTLIGHT: Food is Medicine: Healing Your Body One Bite at a Time – 1 Session with Sandra Musial on Tuesday, March 24, at 10:00AM – Many people underestimate the powerful role food plays in our health—not only as a contributor to chronic disease, but also as a potential cure. In this inspiring 90-minute talk, triple board-certified “Food is Medicine” expert Dr. Musial shares her passion for the healing properties of whole, plant-based foods. Discover how dietary choices can help improve or even reverse condition s such as:

Inflammation
Hypertension
High cholesterol
Artery disease (linked to stroke, heart attack, and erectile dysfunction)
Type 2 diabetes
Obesity

Before you reach for another pill, come explore how nutrient-dense, nourishing foods can support your body’s natural ability to heal. Register online or call 401-874-4197.

CLASS DATE CHANGE: Due to a change in the instructor’s schedule, the date and time of the OLLI class Meet the Players, Rhode Island’s Revolutionary Leaders, has been changed. Please make a note of the new time. If you are not able to attend on the new date, please let us know and we are happy to refund your payment. Email olli@uri.edu or call 401.874.4197. NEW/DATE TIME: Monday, April 27, 4:30PM – 6:00PM

OSHER ONLINE ORIENTATION –If you have enrolled in an Osher Online Class you will receive an email containing login information needed to access your course materials and ZOOM classroom. If this is your first time attending an Osher Online class, please try to attend the orientation which is scheduled for Tuesday, March 24, at 2:00PM. If you can’t attend on this day/time a recording will be available. Keep an eye on your email for more details and information on registering for the orientation.

VOLUNTEER WITH US! – OLLI continues to be a strong organization due in part to members serving on various committees providing leadership in partnership with the staff. It’s time to recruit new volunteers for our Curriculum, Finance, Program, & Events Committees. To learn more about these opportunities, please attend one of these upcoming meetings – Thursday, April 2, at 10AM or Friday April, 3 at 1PM

OLLI NEW MEMBER WELCOME – Are you new to OLLI @ URI? or returning after being gone awhile? Both current and new members are invited to attend and learn about all OLLI has to offer. We’ll review our current programs, and our special interest groups, all while exploring and becoming more familiar with our OLLI website and registration software. Plenty of time for Q & A. Coffee & refreshments too! Join us! Bring a friend! Non-members welcome! If you are not a member and need a temporary parking pass, please call the OLLI office at 401-874-4197.Wed, Apr 8, 11:30AM Click Here to Register

SPRING IS HERE!– Is there a more hopeful season especially after the winter we’ve endured? Come celebrate spring with us as we greet the new semester. We are always interested in learning from our members…What brings you purpose? What brings you joy? What brings you peace? Please stop by the lobby during the first week of spring semester (April 6 – April 10). We encourage you to share your thoughts and reflections on our idea board that will be in the OLLI lobby for the week’s entirety. Some small treats will also be on hand to help fuel your ideas. We will collect your responses and share common themes that emerge with the greater OLLI community.

BLOOD PRESSURE CLINIC – We all know the best way to learn is to practice. You can help the URI pharmacy students by stopping by the lobby on Tuesday, Mar 24, between 9AM and 11:30AM to have your Blood Pressure read!

PARKING – OLLI Members continue to enjoy FREE parking (with permit) 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.

THIS WEEK AT OLLI

Monday

10:00AM Let’s Re-Read Banned Books
1:30PM Classic Cinema: Best of Foreign Films (Part 1)

Tuesday

9:00AM BLOOD PRESSURE CLINIC – Please Stop by to Help the Students!
9:30AM Roma Aeterna
10:00AM Food is Medicine: Healing Your Body One Bite at a Time
10:00AM Ireland – A Brief History (ZOOM)
12:30PM Drawn Together
1:00PM Game On!
1:30PM Cinema Classics: Films You Should See
2:00PM Osher Online Orientation

Wednesday

9:30AM Connected & Creative
10:00AM Cyber Seniors – Oge
12:30PM Bowling
1:30PM A Taste of Italy
2:00PM Cribbage

Thursday

9:00AM Let’s Skate
9:30AM Right Plant Right Place Garden Design
1:00PM Mah Jongg

Friday

11:30AM QiGong for Vitality
12:00PM OFFICE CLOSING – Office Volunteer Appreciation

Saturday

9:30AM Learn to Play Mah Jong

2026 THEWLIS LECTURE – Optimism and Kindness: Ingredients for a Long and Healthy Life Tuesday, April 7, 2026 5:30 PM. Doors open, light refreshments 6–7 PM Lecture followed by Q&A. Edwards Hall, Kingston Campus The 2026 Malford Thewlis Lecture on Gerontology and Geriatrics will feature social psychologist Laura Kubzansky, PhD, professor of social and behavioral sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She will share her perspective on aging and longevity, focusing on how personal attributes such as optimism, gratitude, kindness, and a positive outlook relate to living a long and fulfilling life. This event is free and open to the public. Free parking available in Briar Lane Lot behind the Visitors Center. Registration is encouraged but not required. Register Here

BIKING GROUP IS BACK – The first meeting of the Biking Group 2026 will be Tues, Apr 7 at 11AM. Park in the Southeast corner of Lot 25 on URI campus to access the URI Bike Path (Nearest the Ryan Center). Please arrive 15 minutes prior to start time. (Times may be seasonally changed for the comfort and safety of the group). Co-facilitators are Art Schloth and Liz O’Brien.

OLLI IN THE NEWS- Check out the recent article featuring OLLI in Rhody Today and this essay in WBUR.org written by an OLLI member about her experience with OLLI’s Learn to Skate program.

CYBER SENIORS – 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.

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 RETIRED FACULTY ASSOCIATION SPEAKER SERIES: New Insights into the History and Archaeology of the URI Campus. Tues, Mar 24, 4:00PM-5:15PM 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.

WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP SPEAKER SERIES: In times of rapid change and uncertainty, strong leadership matters more than ever. The Women’s Leadership Council is proud to welcome Nancy McKinstry ’80, H.’05, former Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Executive Board of Wolters Kluwer, for a timely and engaging conversation on leadership through change. Register for this virtual program on March 31, 12:00PM-1:00PM. Click here to register.

SMITH CASTLE – Do you enjoy history? Smith’s Castle is looking for volunteers. Docents and Greeters are trained to share the remarkable history that has taken place at this location for 4 centuries. We have a new class starting March 28^th. If you would like more information about Smith’s Castle please contact us at info@smithscastle.org or call our office 401-294-3521.

FREE AMERICAN REVOLUTION TALK AT REDWOOD LIBRARY Christian McBurney is speaking at the Redwood Library and Athenaeum in Newport on Tuesday, March 31, at 6:00 pm. The title of the talk is: “The Second American Revolution: Rhode Island’s Role in the Abolition Movement in the North, 1763 to 1784.” Attendance is free. To register, go to redwoodlibrary.org and click on Events. The address of the library is 50 Bellevue Avenue, Newport. [This event was originally scheduled for February 25, but it was cancelled due to the Blizzard of 2026]

URI PHYSICAL THERAPY DEPT – Shoulder Motor Control Study: Rotator Cuff Seeking Study Participants between 18-64 yrs old with or without shoulder surgery with no mobility limitations. Compensation $20 email: tyler.foster@uri.edu for more information See Flyer For Details

URI DEPARTMENT OF KINESIOLOGY (HIPLAB) – COPD STUDY Seeking study participants with COPD, 45 years or older, no hospitalizations or antibiotics in last 3 months Compensation up to $120 email:hiplab@uri.edu or call 401-874-5541 for more information

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.

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