Osher Lifelong Learning InstituteAbout Us:As early as 1962, a few colleges and universities around the country had established 'institutes' for member-governed academic studies. America was graying and those aged 60 and older were experiencing rapid social change. One notion designed to deal with these changes was the lifelong learning movement. In the late 1970s, institutes were formed at the University of California Extension Center in San Francisco and California State University, Fullerton. In 1980, UCLA formed its well-known Plato Society. Since the sharing of ideas was so fundamental to the nature of these organizations, a professional organization, the Association of Learning in Retirement Organizations, West (ALIROW) was a natural outcome. It became a formal organization in 1987 that still flourishes today. At the local level, Chico is a college town home to California State University, Chico. The State university system had already adopted a tuition waiver program for students aged 60 or older that permitted enrollment in regularly-scheduled university classes for virtually no fees. While this program was very popular, the CSU, Chico Dean of Regional and Continuing Education and the local Director of the Area Agency of Aging determined that more academic options were needed since seniors craved learning but not tests or grades. In 1986 these two foresighted individuals created the Elder Education Projects which resulted in the re-establishment of Elderhostel and the implementation of Eldercollege whereby seniors could take regular university classes on a non-credit basis for significantly reduced fees. The notion of opportunities for seniors advanced yet one step further when, in 1988, an organization dedicated to learning in retirement was formed and became an officially recognized organization at CSU, Chico, joining ALIROW and the Elderhostel Institute Network. Calling themselves Prime Timers, an initial group of seventeen visionary local seniors offered their first class entitled Writing Your Slice of History in the fall of 1989. The Prime Timers' classes afforded participants an opportunity for academic reflection in a peer environment with no pressure to perform. The UniversityEstablished in 1887 as a California Normal School for Teachers, it is the second oldest California State University. In 1924 it became a four-year State College, and in 1972, it was awarded university status. Now part of the twenty three-campus State University system, Chico serves a twelve county region of 33,000 square miles, equivalent in size to the state of Ohio. The geography varies from the central valley just a few hundred feet above sea level to mountains above 10,000 feet. The population is statistically older than the rest of the state. As an anchor institution in this rural region, CSU, Chico has a long tradition of reaching out to our varied populace to expand cultural, economic, and educational opportunities. Prime Timers fits this niche. Commonly referred to as "Chico State," the University serves over 16,200 students and has an average age of 24. A residential campus located in a true college town, it attracts students from all parts of California. In its yearly ranking of "America's Best Colleges," U. S. News and World Report ranks Chico number three among master's-level public universities in the Western United States. It is accredited by the Western Association of Colleges and Schools, as well as by 19 professional associations. It has 7 colleges, 6 schools, and 14 centers covering over 100 majors and options. Total faculty is 1,014 and staff is 1,179. The CommunityButte County, home of the CSU, Chico campus, is the most populous county in the region with 210,400 residents. The City of Chico is home to the largest number of people in the county with 68,600 residents. Since 1988, the city has grown more than 60 percent, and the population of the "Greater Chico Urban Area" now exceeds 100,000. While the rate of population growth in Butte County has matched that of the state, the number of seniors as a percentage of the total population has consistently been higher and continues to rise. In 2003, seniors aged 60 to 80+ comprised 23.4% of Butte's population; those aged 50 to 80+ accounted for 36% of the population. This preponderance of seniors in the local community and the region is reflected in the demand for learning in retirement activities. The local recreation district (CARD) offers free or inexpensive recreational programs for 20,000 seniors per year, and participation in Prime Timers has grown exponentially. And now, an Osher Lifelong Learning InstitutionThe Bernard Osher Foundation was established in 1977 by Bernard Osher, a San Francisco businessman and community leader, who perceived that the needs of mature students were not well served by traditional continuing education programs since many still focused on tests and grades. The Foundation supports the strengthening of existing lifelong learning programs, as well as the creation of new ones, at colleges and universities across the country. The Foundation began its support of such programs in 2001 with grants to Sonoma State University in California and the University of Southern Maine at Portland. In 2002, additional grants were made to several Universities of California and California State Universities, as well as the University of Vermont and the University of Hawaii at Manoa. In 2004, CSU, Chico applied for and received a $100,000 Osher grant. Given the demographics of Butte county, we proved an attractive group for Osher funding. Since CSU, Chico has a thriving learning in retirement organization, Prime Timers was earmarked to be the beneficiary of Osher funds. The mission of Prime Timers is expected to continue in much the same way now that it is an official Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Its emphasis on academics, affordable membership fees (a mere $45 per year) and the volunteer nature of the instructors remains in place. The future looks bright! Quick Facts
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