OLLI OFFICE CLOSED TODAY, MONDAY OCT 12 – FOR COLUMBUS DAY

OLLI Fall Catalog is available on our Website. To register for classes give us a call in the office at 401.874.4197 or Click Here to register online.

CYBER SENIORS IS BACK!  Need help with your laptop, cell phone, ipad or other technology? Our student volunteer, Keira, will be in the lobby on the following date:

• Wednesday, Oct 21, 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM
• No appointment necessary! 

FALL ADD ON CLASSES- Click the title to register or call the office: 401.874.4197

QiGong and the Five Elements – 6 Sessions with Nancy Mayne beginning Fri, Oct 30 9AM The Five Elements (Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth) offer a map for understanding how energy moves through the body and the natural world. In QiGong, these elements are not abstract concepts, but living forces we can feel, cultivate, and harmonize through breath, movement, and intention. All are welcome – no previous QiGong experience Required

QiGong Continuing Practice – Deepening – 6 Sessions with Nancy Mayne beginning Fri, Oct 30 11:15AM These practice sessions are designed to give participants opportunities to review and reconnect with QiGong forms and sets they learned in Deepening Practice, including Ba Duan Jin and Five Elements (second series), as well as explorations in Tian Gan. Open to those who have completed the introductory QiGong class. 

OLLI EVENT – SIP & SHOP at Green Ink in Wickford Village, Thurs, Nov 5, 5:45-7:30PM Join us for prosecco, holiday shopping and good company and enjoy 10% discount and complimentary gift wrapping. Registration is required. Click Here to Register

FALL CLASSES IN DANGER OF CANCELLATION- Click the title to register or call the office 401.874.4197

What’s the Real Skinny with Fad Diets? 1 session with Renae Martin Fri, Nov 6, 10-11:30 AM There is so much conflicting “information” around about diet, all claiming to have THE solution on what to eat for health. It can be confusing and lead to frustration, if not health-undermining results. But there is a BIG difference between influencers and evidence. So… stop surfing the web and join us to learn evidence-based information grounded in scientific research and dietary guidelines recommended by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.

My Camera Has Wings – 1 session with Jan Armor Mon, Nov 9, 10-11:30AM Confessions of a still photographer who crashed his way into the clouds Join Jan, a longtime DSLR shooter who traded his tripod for a transmitter and never looked back. This talk follows one photographer’s bumpy, occasionally crash-landed journey into drone photography with his DJI Mini 4 Pro drone — the wrong turns, the near-disasters, and the moment 500 feet of altitude changed how he sees the world below. Whether you’re curious about adding aerial work to your own portfolio or just want to see what happens when a ground-based photographer takes to the air, this session offers a candid, funny, and visually stunning look at photography from a whole new altitude. 

Granite & Grist – 1 Session with Ann Holst Tues Nov 17, 9:30-11AM Explore the rich industrial history of Rhode Island through its many small granite quarries and the communities they supported. This course highlights the products these quarries produced, the markets they served, and the still-standing examples of their craftsmanship. You’ll also learn where these quarries were located across the state. We’ll examine the locations of Rhode Island’s early mills, how millstones were made, and the mechanics behind how they worked. Join us for a fascinating look at the tools, trades, and ingenuity that shaped Rhode Island’s early industry. 

PARKING PERMITS- 2025/2026 Parking permits expired July 31. Parking is FREE in the Plains Road Lot #25 with your OLLI membership but you must have a current 2026/2027 permit. Please call the office to renew if you haven’t already done so. If you get a $50 ticket you will be responsible for appealing it with URI AIMS Parking.

THIS WEEK AT OLLI 

Monday – OFFICE CLOSED Columbus Day 

• 11:00AM Great Artists in American Roots Music (Osher Online)
• 1:00PM Art Detectives: Forgery, Provenance & Science of Authentication (Osher Online)
• 3:00PM Sacred Mountains of the World (Osher Online)
• 7:00PM The History & Experience of Route 66 (Osher Online)

Tuesday 

• 9:30AM Roger Williams: A Man’s Home is His Castle
• 10:00AM Biking
• 10:00AM Reading the Age of Innocence in Cynical Times
• 11:00AM Winning the White House: The Evolution of the Presidency (Osher Online)
• 1:30PM Game On!
• 1:30PM Got Milkweed?
• 1:30PM Nature in Autumn Session #2 (Off site)
• 3:30PM The Doctor Broad: A Mafia Love Story
• 5:00PM A Cosmic Grand Tour (Osher Online)
• 5:30PM Navigating Medicare: Making Sense of Your Options
• 7:00PM Apple at 50: How if Revolutionized Computing (Osher Online)

Wednesday

• 9:30AM Honor, Desire & Betrayal: Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge
• 9:30AM Water Color is For the Birds – Birds are for Watercolor
• 10:00AM Edesia
• 11:30AM Beginning French for Travel
• 12:30PM Bowling
• 1:00PM Hiking
• 1:00PM Ingmar Bergman: Cinematic Visionary
• 1:30PM Contemporary Buddhist Ethics
• 2:00PM Cribbage
• 3:00PM Contemporary American Short Story, Part 1 (ZOOM)
• 5:00PM Birth, Life & Death of Voting Rights Act of 1965
• 5:00PM Learn to Play MahJongg
• 5:00PM August Wilson and His American Cycle (Osher Online)

Thursday

• 9:30AM Let’s Skate
• 9:30AM Spanish 101
• 9:30AM Using AI as Co-Intelligence: Trends & Capabilities
• 10:00AM Beginner Mah Jongg
• 11:30AM Finding Beauty in Every Day Life
• 11:30AM Right Plant-Right Place Perennial Garden Design
• 1:00PM Mah Jongg
• 1:00PM Power and the People: The Evolution of the US Judiciary
• 1:30PM The History of Architecture & Urbanism: Brutalism-Present
• 2:00PM Intergenerational Perspectives on Healthy Living Environments (Multicultural Center)
• 3:00PM “Studies Show..”(Or Do They?) (Osher Online)

Friday

• 9:00AM Qi-Gong for Vitality – Intro (Offsite)
• 9:30AM Empowered Aging: Reinvention, Purpose, and Timeless Vision
• 10:15AM QiGong Continuing Practice – Foundations  (Offsite)
• 11:00AM The 60s Through Great Speeches (Osher Online)
• 11:15AM QiGong Continuing Practice – Deepening (Offsite)
• 1:00PM Dolly Parton – Her Life & Legacy
• 1:00PM Book Club

OLLI UCONN PRESENTS FREE ELECTION EVENT: Democracy on the Edge Election 2026 key issues forum, Oct 15, 6:30-7:45PM Live online panel discussion with national and local experts examining critical issues facing the nation in the November midterm election, including the impact of gerrymandering, unbridled fundraising, recent SCOTUS decisions and the Connecticut races to watch. The program is open to everyone. Moderated by Larry Rifkin, former executive vice president of programming for CPTV for a quarter of a century, former talk show host on WATR’s Talk of the Town, host of the popular weekly podcast America Trends, and an OLLI at UConn instructor. Attendees are encouraged to submit questions in advance of the event to osher@uconn.edu. To register for this free event: https://www.campusce.net/

OSHER ONLINE FREE COMMUNITY EVENT: Grandfamilies: Rising to the Challenge of Raising Another Generation with Hope and Heart with Donna Butts, Author of Grandfamilies: Stories of Children and the Loving Relatives Who Raise Them. Tues, Nov 10, 5:00PM. Space is limited and Zoom registration is required. Click to read more and to register. 

RHODY OUTPOST – URI Fall Semester will be back in session soon! URI’s principal basic needs pantry, Rhody Outpost, is 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.  Reminder: Please no expired food!

URI FOOTBALL – CLICK HERE for OLLI discounted URI football* tickets as well as other Ryan Center events (John Mulaney: Mr. Whatever – Oct 24 & Derek Hough: Dance for the Holidays Dec 9) * 2026 URI Football Games will be played at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, RI 

URI FALL 2026 HONORS COLLOQUIUM Lecture Series – Interstellar Exploration: Journey Beyond Your Limits  From black holes and distant exoplanets to gravitational waves rippling through the universe, and aspiring to travel to Mars and back to the moon, the cosmos teems with mysteries that both inspire awe and demand answers. Lecture 5: Tues, Oct 13 , 5:30PM Edwards Hall The Final Frontier is Not Space—It’s Trust with Dr. Timiebi Aganaba  Click Here To Register All lectures will be livestreamed and registration is required to receive links. 

URI 2026 METCALF INSTITUTE FALL LECTURE – straying from the lectern this year to bring participants on a walk through the North Woods, followed by a conversation and hands-on zine-making activity with DWELL Lab. URI’s North Woods serves as a teaching forest and site for field research on the Kingston Campus as well as an important communal space. The event will continue at Toray Commons with a conversation, reception, and zine-making workshop. Free and open to the public, Wed, Oct 14 Participants are welcome to sign up for either or both parts of the event. Meet in front of the Coastal Institute Building (1 Greenhouse Road, Kingston, R.I. 02881) at 4:30PM for the hour-long interactive walk in the North Woods. The conversation, reception, and zine-making workshop takes place 6-7:30PM at Toray Commons in URI’s Fascitelli Center for Advanced Engineering (2 East Alumni Avenue, Kingston, R.I. 02881). Register here. 

URI LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE 34th Annual Lecture Series – Regenerative Landscapes:  exploring how science, planning, and design can work together to create more resilient and regenerative landscapes. Lecture 1: Wed, Oct 14, 5:30PM, Beaupre Center Rm 105, 140 Flagg Rd Ecological Restoration + Nature Based Solutions with Nick Nelson will examine environmental systems alongside cultural questions about how communities live in harmony with, and restore, rivers and local ecologies. Free and open to the public.

2026-27 SPEAKER SERIES, THE CENTER FOR HUMANITIES PRESENTS: Soul Value, performed by April H. Brown and Jessica T. Pearson, brings to life the stories of New England Black women—Elleanor Eldridge, Elizabeth Freemen, and Margaret Kinnicutt—and the men of the 1st Rhode Island Regiment during and after the American Revolutionary War. Through a dynamic blend of monologue, dance, ritual, and song, Soul Value highlights the untold contributions of Black men and women in New England history, focusing on their advocacy, resilience, and survival. Oct 21, 4:00 PM, Hope Room, Higgins Welcome Center & Livestreamed Click here for more information and to register.

URI RETIRED FACULTY ASSOCIATION SPEAKER SERIES PRESENTATION – Newest Research on Medications for Dementia and Supplements for Healthy Brain Aging with Joseph Schrader and John Robinson. Bring any questions you have about the latest research on medications of dementia and nutraceuticals for maintaining brain health. This FREE presentation is open to all URI faculty, staff, students, OLLI members and the Rhode Island community. Parking is available behind the Welcome Center off Brian Lane. Letting them know you are attending is helpful but not required. Email Aging@uri.edu. Sponsored by the Provost’s Office and refreshments provided by Belmont Market. Thu, Oct 22 4-5:30PM Hope Room, Higgins Welcome Center To view the flyer, click here.

URI CENTER FOR MILITARY & VETERAN EDUCATION CENTER (MAVE) PRESENTS: Veterans Day Observance Tues, Nov 10, 12-1:15PM Hope Room at URI Welcome Center Featured Speaker: Mike McCarten earned his medical degree in 1983 and, upon graduation, was commissioned a lieutenant in the United States Navy, beginning a 30-year career that led to travel to 24 countries on five continents, including command of the NATO trauma hospital in Kandahar, Afghanistan, overseeing 500 U.S. Navy, Army, Air Force, and NATO medical personnel. Hе retired from the Navy in 2013. He now cares for the justice involved population of Rhode Island. View Flyer for Details & To Register Open to All

WHAT WILL THE URI MEDICAL SCHOOL MEAN FOR YOU AND SOUTH KINGSTOWN– Join the South Kingstown Workgroup of PC4AA for a community conversation about the proposal URI Medical School and what it could mean for the future of healthcare in South County. Thursday, October 29, 6:00 PM at Thundermist Health Center of South County, 1 River Street, Wakefield. Click for flyer with all the details.

WESTERLY LIBRARY PRESENTS – Rhode Islanders’ Revolutionary Acts Outside of RI (A Panel Discussion) During the Revolution Rhode Islanders contributed to victory on the land and sea, far from Rhode Island’s borders. We welcome visiting historians to share the history of Rhode Island’s rebels on various frontiers, literature and their migrations after Independence was secured. Westerly Library Auditorium 44 Broad Street, Westerly RI, Sat, Oct, 17, 1:00 PM Click Here for More Info & Tickets.

OCTOBERVETS 5K & GERMAN FESTIVAL – A community event that will bring together people of our community and veterans who have served our nation. Two great events wrapped up into one great day with fun for the whole family. The day begins with a 5K fun run through Wickford Village and finishes off with a festival with live music, a beer garden, assorted food items, vendors, and activities for family members. You can do both events or just one; a fun way to support our nation’s Veterans and local businesses. 100% of our proceeds will help fund veteran service programs and local community charities. Sat, Oct 17, 10:00 AM-4:00 PM Wickford Village Click Here for More Info & to register.

WAKEFIELD BOOKS – OLLI Discount  Wakefield Books does their best to carry all of the books listed as required and suggested reading for OLLI courses. Purchase the book from them, tell them at the register that it’s for an OLLI class, and receive a 20% discount. This is a convenient way to get your reading materials and support an independent bookstore at the same time.

TABITHA’S CLOSET (Peacedale Congregational Church) – Now offering a complete selection of Fall & Winter Clothing gently used outerwear, sweaters, tops, pants, shoes, and boots, available for all ages—from infants to adults. Our goal is to provide quality seasonal essentials while protecting the dignity and self-worth of every person who walks through our doors. Shopping Days: Saturdays from 8:30AM- 12:30PM on the third Tues of each month from 4-7PM. If you have individuals or families in financial crisis, recovering from emergency hardships, or simply in need of seasonal wardrobe support, please direct them to reach out to us.

Volunteers Needed for: Clothes Sorting, Store Prep & Merchandising and Customer Service See Flyer for details Email Tabitha@peacedalechurch.org or call 401-789-7313 

THE RHODE ISLAND GERIATRIC EDUCATION CENTER is seeking volunteers to participate in the Introduction to Interdisciplinary Geriatrics and Teamwork program during the Fall 2026 semester. In this program, students from nursing, pharmacy, communicative disorders, nutrition, public health, and human development work in interdisciplinary teams to develop a care plan for a “patient” following their initial assessments. Click here for all the details.Contact Allie Morelli for more information: alliemorelii@uri.edu or call 401-874-5311.

URI DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH (in partnership with Hunter College and Cornell University) Seeking adults, ages 60 and older, to participate in a Family Study to understand how and why they support family members, especially adult children. Participants must meet the eligibility criteria below:

• Age 60 and older
• Living in the Northeast region of the US
• Have an adult child in their 30s and 40s.

Interviews can be conducted via zoom or phone for 1.5-2 hrs. Each participant will receive a $50 gift card as a thank you for their time. See Flyer for details, Click Here to register.

If you would like to view past This Week At OLLI weekly newsletters go to https://web.uri.edu/olli/news/