Aging is so great that everyone is doing it! By the year 2030, one in six people in the world will be age 60 or better. Here at Osher, we know how to age well by staying intellectually and socially engaged each term. We also enjoy the benefits of different physical activities designed especially for seniors. If you missed Lunch & Learn last week, U of U PhD student Owen Benzley discussed this topic in depth in his excellent presentation, Exercise and the Aging Brain. You can view the recording in our archives. Studies show that more social ties and activities can result in a lower risk of cognitive impairment as we age and physical activity can improve our memory.
Exercise is one of the single best things people can do to age well, yet less than 70% of older adults get enough physical activity. If you want to boost your exercise level, enjoy a FREE demonstration on April 27 by Vivo Fitness: The Benefits of Strength Training for Life's Journey. Through our partnership, Vivo offers live, online strength and balance programs designed specifically for older adults. Participants can safely build strength at home at their own pace in small group Zoom classes led by certified trainers. In past terms, our Osher members have improved their endurance up to 15% and increased their balance up to 88% which are astounding numbers! Check out the Vivo event on April 27 to learn more and stay strong.
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Art, artifacts, and family heirlooms are important to our lives and history. In this course, we will discuss how best to protect and clean your special objects. We will learn when to ask for help to conserve those pieces of art that are important to us.
Wednesday April 15 at 3:30 pm
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Learn more tips and tricks using Drive and Maps. Become more organized using folders and files for travel, business, family, social activities, and much more. Week one: Focus on Drive Docs, Sheets, & Forms. Week two: Review Maps Navigation, Lists, and Map building, sharing with friends and family. Expand your knowledge and confidence using these Apps through demos and hands-on activities. Bring your laptop and/or tablet to class. Please remember to bring charging cables. Let's have fun while learning!
Thursday April 23 at 2:30 pm
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The AARP Smart Driver Course is the nation's first and largest 4-hour refresher course designed specifically for older drivers. The goal is for you to become an even safer driver through this program and our additional resources. This course will review driving skills and techniques, as well as strategies and tips to help you adjust to normal age-related changes that may affect your driving ability. As an added bonus, graduates could receive a discount on their auto insurance. Plus it's fun and enjoyable!
Monday April 27 at 1:00 pm
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Historical novels tell interesting stories about a time, a place, and the people living there. Authors must do extensive research so their writing accurately reflects the history. Using Horse by Geraldine Brooks as the launching point, this class will offer a one-hour look at the development of horse racing in America, with a focus on the social, economic, cultural, and racial impact of the horses themselves and the people around them. We will then spend an hour discussing the novel as contemporary literature. Readers and history buffs welcome! Participants should read Horse before class.
Friday May 1 at 1:30 pm
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Join us at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts for a guided tour of this special exhibition, Storywork: The Prints of Marie Watt. This print retrospective is accompanied by Marie Watt's monumental blanket stacks, hanging textiles, and sculptures that also bring these stories to life. After the one-hour tour, Osher members are invited to stay and enjoy lunch together. Lunch or refreshments can be purchased at the UMFA's cafe.
Friday April 17 at 11:00 am
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Photo Information: Watt, Marie, (Native American, Seneca, 1967), Companion Species (Mother), edition 7/20, 2017, softground etching, aquatint, and drypoint, 16 1/2 x 22 1/4 in. Sheet, 19 1/8 x 24 7/8 in. Frame, Collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer Marie Watt Photography Credit: Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation
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Join us to celebrate the two wonderful graduate student interns from the U of U College of Social Work who have worked with Osher all academic year in 2025-2026! Quincy Jackson and Edee Burton have helped us recruit and organize the many volunteers who make our Osher community so special. Enjoy a cozy morning cup of coffee or tea and sweet treats in their company as we express our gratitude to them both. Help us send them off in style to their next academic adventure. All who have volunteered and enjoyed interacting with Quincy and Edee are invited to attend. Come sip, savor, and let us thank you all for the many ways you help Osher thrive!
Thursday April 23 at 10:30 am
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Edee Burton and Quincy Jackson
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Celebrate excellence in research with University of Utah Health at Vitae: Stories Behind the Science. This very special evening features top researchers giving TED-talk-style presentations, sharing their work on today's most pressing health issues. Discover their journeys and behind-the-scenes stories and connect with the minds that are shaping tomorrow. Speakers include professors from the Colleges of Medicine, Health, Pharmacy, and Nursing with specialties in obstetrics and gynecology, kinesiology, molecular pharmaceutics, biochemistry, toxicology, and biomedical informatics. Join the researchers and other guests at the S.J. Quinney College of Law auditorium with a reception to follow in their spectacular top floor location. Light drinks and hors d'oeuvres will be served. Complimentary parking is available on site in the stadium parking lot.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE April 15
Wednesday April 29 at 5:00 pm
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Did you know we start losing muscle as early as age 30 and this accelerates after 60? This loss impacts balance, mobility, bone density, and independence. The good news? Strength training can help reverse that trend. Join us for a dynamic session on how building strength supports better health, sharper cognition, and improved quality of life as we age. You'll learn science-backed strategies to safely get started (and stick with it!) - plus enjoy a short demonstration and time for Q&A.
Monday April 27 at 9:30 am
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To celebrate the 65th year of the Utah Shakespeare Festival this summer, Osher members are planning to coordinate a trip to participate in the festival over the Pioneer Day holiday (July 22-25, 2026). Rather than a set itinerary, though, on this trip you will have complete control over your own itinerary - how you want to get there, where you prefer to stay, what you want to see, etc. so you can tailor your trip to your own needs and wishes. There will be optional meetups in Cedar City for those who want to share the festival experience. At this planning meeting led by Osher member volunteer Lydia Jones, we will talk about transportation options, accommodation options, the plays, scheduling, optional meetups to discuss plays and performances, etc. Come join in the fun and create a shared Osher experience!
Monday April 20 at 9:30 am
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Osher Special Events in 2026 are brought to you in part from funding from ZAP
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Join us as we take a private tour of the Salt Lake City and County building, which is one of the city's most beloved landmarks. Completed in 1894, the building is Utah's finest example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture. The building has served as a site of virtually every local government decision during this century.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: April 13 - Today!
Friday April 17 at 11:30 am
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Get a behind-the-scenes look at the creative team, themes, and creative choices behind the production COME FROM AWAY before seeing a Preview Performance of it that night! Pioneer Theatre Company's exclusive class is only offered to Osher members.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: April 22
Thursday April 23 at 6:30 pm
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Utah Baseball Game and Tour of the New Ballpark - $26
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Here is a fun opportunity to watch a Ute baseball game and tour the new America First Ballpark at Charlie Monfort Field! We will tour the new ballpark with a member of the UofU Athletics staff, then head to the hospitality suite (between home plate and 3rd base) for a dinner of ballpark food: hot dogs, pretzel bites, popcorn, cookies, chips, soda, and water.
Once the game begins, you're welcome to enjoy it from several locations.
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The hospitality suite in the Gustafson Family Club includes about 20 front‑row counter seats with great views, along with additional high‑top and standard tables where you can sit or stand as you like.
- You can also take a blanket out to the berm grass area and watch from there.
- After the 2nd or 3rd inning, you're free to move to any open seat in the stadium (except for section 7 behind the home plate).
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Fun fact: Did you know that Vicki Henderson, Osher member and volunteer, is the wife of the Utah baseball head coach, Gary Henderson?
Bonus opportunity! 20 minutes after the game ends, all those interested are welcome to stay for photos with the coaches on the field. More details on this bonus opportunity will be provided that evening.
Since this event takes place before summer term registration opens, please call 801-581-7155 to register over the phone.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Tuesday, April 28.
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Rare Earth Elements: From Fundamental Chemistry to Global Markets and National Security
By Ryan Stolley, Associate Director of SRI, The University of Utah Chemistry Department
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In this talk, we will cover basic the basic chemistry of elements with a focus on the rare earths and then explore why they are "rare", the applications of these elements, how they are isolated, and what it means for the global and national economy, and what this means for national security.
Wednesday April 15, 2026, 12:00-1:00 pm
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Volunteer to Have More Fun at Osher!
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Do you love attending Osher Special Events each term? Are you curious about how we select and organize our many varied fun events and who is responsible for planning them? This single-session free class will give you a behind-the-scenes tour of how Osher staff and volunteers run this very special and unique aspect of our program. Volunteerism is the foundation of Osher and especially of Special Events. We've slowly been gearing up after Covid changed the way events were done in 2020. We're getting back to more in-person meetings at familiar venues and exploring new places too. Come learn how it's done and maybe even plan a new special event yourself for your fellow Osher members or share your ideas for fun places for Osher to visit.
Wednesday April 15 at 10:00 am
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New! Osher Special Events Club — Join the Conversation
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Osher members are invited to a new monthly gathering designed to spark ideas, build connections, and help shape future Osher special events.
Our next Special Events Club meeting will take place:
Monday, April 20 at 2:00 p.m.
Natural History Museum (cafeteria)
For questions or more information, contact Sandi Greene: sandi@sandigreenecoaching.com
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This informal gathering is an opportunity for members to come together, share ideas, and collaborate on creative possibilities for future Osher events. Following our discussion, we’ll take a leisurely stroll through the Natural History Museum together. Future meetings may rotate to other Osher partner locations and wonderful places that Osher members can enjoy through their membership benefits.
Whether you love brainstorming, planning, or simply connecting with fellow lifelong learners, we’d love to have you join us. No registration needed, please just show up and have fun!
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You joined Osher and paid your membership dues for a year of fun. Now what? This single-session free class will welcome new members, provide a "meet and greet" opportunity to socialize a bit with others new to Osher, and show you the ropes of how to get involved. We will cover the material in our Member Handbook, letting you know how you can get the most out of your membership benefits...everything from where to get your U of U student ID card, to where to use it for discounts, to the many campus amenities available to Continuing Education students. Our program becomes stronger with each new member!
Wednesday April 22 at 1:30 pm
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Can’t Attend a New Members Class? No Worries!
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If you can’t attend one of our Welcome New Members classes, no worries! We offer them at least once every term. And you can always read about the many benefits of Osher in our handy online Member Handbook. Osher members are eligible to obtain a University of Utah student ID card as a Continuing Education student. The card can be obtained at the U Card office in the A. Ray Olpin Student Union building on campus for a nominal, one-time fee. The U Card is active for campus discounts and benefits whenever you are actively enrolled in classes and paying tuition. The card never expires and is automatically renewed every time you register. Read more about it today!
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The NOVA Chamber Series is offering a 15% discount for Osher members for their upcoming concert on April 19.
Osher members can add OSHER, all caps, for the discount code when purchasing a ticket!
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Our previous newsletters and podcasts are saved in an archive on our main website, so you never have to worry about missing a thing.
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Stay Connected by Joining Us on Social Media
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The Osher Instagram and Facebook pages are a great way to stay connected. We highlight the accomplishments of Osher instructors and members. Special Events are updated, posted, and featured here too. Please like us to stay up to date and share with your friends who would enjoy all that Osher has to offer!
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Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
801-581-6461 | osher@utah.edu
osher.utah.edu
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Continuing Education at the University of Utah | 540 Arapeen Dr Rm 210 | Salt Lake City, UT 84108 US
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