Summer Term Begins This Week! |
Osher summer term starts today! If you haven’t yet registered, there is still time to sign up for something wonderful. We have another stellar session of Osher Online with Northwestern University as well as many shorter and single session classes to suit busy summertime schedules, both in person and via Zoom. Read below for a few highlights of fun classes and special events for summertime sunshine and fun!
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Dr. Carol Anderson will present a half-hour preview of the music in the May 22 Finishing Touches Rehearsal of the Utah Symphony. This engaging lecture will offer musical insights and listening highlights from Saint-Saens' Piano Concerto No. 5, "Egyptian"Â and Bruckner's Symphony No. 4, "Romantic," exploring historical context, key themes, and what to listen for during the rehearsal.
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The class takes place in the First Tier Room of Abravanel Hall from 9:00-9:40am on Friday, May 22, 2026. Separate tickets are required to attend the actual rehearsal and can be purchased from the Utah Symphony Ticket Office, 801-533-6683; they can also be purchased immediately after the class in the half hour before the rehearsal begins.
Friday May 22 at 9:00 am
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What if healing doesn't begin with moving on, but with learning how to gently tend what hurts? This six-week guided discussion course explores grief as a natural response to loss, using the rhythms of spring to understand how mourning reshapes our thoughts, emotions, identity, and daily life. Through supportive conversation and optional five-minute weekly reflection email readings, participants are invited to approach grief with curiosity, compassion, and greater understanding.
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The course offers a thoughtful, respectful space where sharing is always optional and listening and reflection are equally valued. Students will gain practical insights and a more hopeful perspective on how sorrow and growth can exist side by side--and how new growth often unfolds gradually and invisibly over time.
Wednesday May 27 at 11:30 am
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The body loves to move. Movement stimulates every cell in our body. The more we move, the stronger we get, and the better we get at moving. The more we move, the more we experience joy and happiness. The brain and every organ in our body loves movement. This class will focus on learning about our bodies, understanding why the body loses mobility, and practicing strategies to improve movement and balance. The movements will be great for people with some joint, back, or neck limitations. And we also welcome anyone looking to improve their physical activity.
Wednesday May 27 at 1:30 pm
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Muscle strength and balance are critical to maintaining health and independence as we age. Without additional strength training, most older adults will suffer a loss of muscle mass and strength that can negatively impact their balance and mobility. Vivo, a live, online, interactive strength-building course customized to your fitness level, helps you attain physical fitness. Vivo exercise sessions consist of cognitive, balance, and strength exercises informed by the latest science and research on exercise for older adults. Vivo is the recipient of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant to study its science-based training strategy and personalized online small-group format for older adults. Classes are small and instruction is individualized. Certified personal trainers, skilled in working with older adults, provide modified exercises to meet each student's fitness needs. Whether you are new to exercise or exercise regularly, Vivo will help you build your strength and improve your fitness and mobility. Classes meet once a week for 45 minutes. For best results, sign up for two class sessions per week and choose which days best suit your individual time preference and schedule.
We now offer your choice of 8:00 am and 10:00 am start times!
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: May 18 - Today!!!
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Whether you are considering retirement or already in a transition into retirement, this class gives you an opportunity to meet in a learning community with other people who are also living your situation. We call retirement the "Higher Education of Life" because we all have the opportunity to develop our physical, emotional, cognitive, social, and spiritual maturity as we enter the ending phase of our lives. Our instructor is an enthusiastic and skilled facilitator and retired professor who has taught this class content for decades. Over our six-week class journey, we will share together wisdom about our retirement life transition.
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Thursday May 21 at 9:30 am – Tell a Pre-Retiree Friend!
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Why do we feel safe and welcome in some public spaces, but rushed in others? In this course, we explore "Placemaking," the art of designing neighborhoods that foster connection rather than isolation. Blending urban psychology with design, we will examine how the built environment shapes our well-being-from the walkable plazas of Europe to accessible gathering spots right here in the Salt Lake Valley. You will learn to read your own streets with fresh eyes, discovering how human-scale design can build community at any age. Finally, we will conclude with a gentle, creative activity: re-imagining a small corner of your neighborhood to be a more inviting space for future generations.
Friday May 29 at 1:30 pm
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If you know the basics of photography and use a digital camera, this course is for you. In this highly interactive course, you will learn about landscape composition, exposure, lenses, landscape equipment and accessories, depth-of-field, lighting, time and timing, photographing in different seasons, dealing with flare, shooting in snow, right brain landscapes, and more.
Tuesday June 2 at 11:30 am
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Run by the National Resource Center (NRC) at Northwestern University, this special program allows members from various Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes to participate in shared online courses, thanks to the generosity of Bernard Osher Foundation. These courses are not meant to replace our locally offered in-person or online courses but rather to supplement our own local offerings. The very high-quality courses feature popular instructors from some of the 124 Osher Institutes across the country. Osher Online allows Osher members from different states and institutions to learn with and connect to each other while maintaining membership at their own local Institutes. We hope you will enjoy being a part of the fun!
Registration Deadline: June 17th
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A tour of the Salt Lake City International Airport will take participants onto the airfield for a unique behind the scenes look at airport operations. The tour is conducted by an airport operations manager who provides an overview of airport programs, such as the wildlife mitigation program, deicing/snow removal, operations, and airport rescue and firefighting services. Please note: There will be a lot of walking and standing on this tour.
Thursday June 11 at 2:00 pm
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Big Cottonwood Canyon beckons. Let's get outdoors and hike about 1 mile around Silver Lake and learn about the geology, plants, trees, and water conservation (no pets or support animals) of this gem on our public lands. The hike will take about an hour and have an elevation gain of 60 feet. The first half of the hike is on a boardwalk and the other half is on a graded gravel/dirt path. Your tour leaders, David Anson and Julie Myers, are volunteer educators for the Cottonwood Canyons Foundation, which in conjunction with the USFS, staffs the Silver Lake Visitor Center and promotes education and stewardship of these public lands.
Tuesday June 16 at 12:00 pm
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| Osher Special Events in 2026 are brought to you in part from funding from ZAP
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Cyanotype is an early photographic process that uses sunlight to create deep blue prints on fabric. By arranging leaves, flowers, and natural objects on treated cloth, the sun reveals delicate silhouettes and botanical patterns in rich indigo tones. Located at Handcraft Revival, each participant will create one cyanotype fabric flag, perfect for hanging in a window, adding to a wall display, or incorporating into a banner or textile project. We'll provide the fabric flag and a selection of botanical materials to print with, but you're welcome to bring interesting leaves, flowers, lace, or small objects from home to experiment with as well. The $10 special fee is due upon arrival. Please plan enough travel time to allow yourself time to check in and pay as part of the Osher group.
Friday May 29 at 2:00 pm
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Enjoy a hands-on creative weaving experience with Jenny Ferguson of Bewitched by Alpacas located in Bluffdale; NO experience necessary. You'll learn a traditional fiber art and experience the quiet satisfaction of making something with your own hands, taking home a finished piece at the end of the 3-hour workshop. The looms are set up outdoors, surrounded by nature and curious alpacas who occasionally wander over to see what everyone is doing. Everything is designed so beginners can relax, experiment with color, and enjoy the creative process. All levels of weavers welcome!
Friday June 5 at 10:00 am or 4:00 pm
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Did you miss a Lunch & Learn lecture this term? Would you like to re-watch as session you attended in a previous term? Our Lunch & Learn Archives hold recordings of almost every presentation going back to winter 2021. Please enjoy watching at your leisure and share the link with a friend! Lunch and Learn will start up again for fall term on September 23, 2026. Thank you to Sandy Clark, our volunteer coordinator, for organizing so many great lectures for Osher members and our community at large!
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Call for Submissions – Osher Reflections
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Attention Osher Members! We are excited to announce that the 2nd Edition of Osher Reflections, our new literary and art publication, is now in the planning stage, to be available by December 2026. We are soliciting 22 stories and poetry for this edition. The selection of these stories/poetry will be done by a juried panel of five Osher members including Holly Webster, the editor. Guidelines for writing these submissions can be obtained by email: hollyfw@gmail.com .
We know there are many people in our Osher community with intriguing stories, and we look forward to reading them! We are hopeful for very modest donations to help publish this project, but it is not obligatory for submission of your writing. Donations can be made through the Osher website.
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| Artwork: Song Bird by Marjorie Ann McClure
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Are you interesting in contributing to research investigating brain mechanisms of memory among older adults? The Lifespan Motor Neuroscience and Sleep Motor Memory Lab under the direction of Dr. Bradley King and Dr. Genevieve Albouy are recruiting for a study investigating learning and memory in older adults. They are looking for participants between 18 -35 or greater than 55 years old to participate in an experiment that examines the neural processes underlying memory using non-invasive brain stimulation.
If you would like to contribute to their research or if you know someone who would be interested, please contact them directly for more information: SleepMotorMemoryLab@utah.edu
Requirements?
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- 55 years old or older
- Right-handed
- No medical, neurological, psychological or psychiatric conditions
- No sleep disorders
- No musicians or professional typists
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Compensation? Yes! $60
Where? https://www.utah.edu/printable-maps/
HPER E Research complex (250 1850E)
Imaging and Neurosciences Center INC (729 Arapeen Dr)
We provide free parking!
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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 |
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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540 Arapeen Drive | Salt Lake City, UT 84108 US
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