Second $1 Million for Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
TAMPA, Fla. (Jan. 23, 2009) – The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of South Florida (OLLI-USF) has received a second $1 million endowment grant from The Bernard Osher Foundation in recognition of the Institute’s efforts to promote lifelong learning opportunities for older adults in the Tampa area.
The second endowment comes less than a year after the initial $1 million endowment award in January 2008 and nearly four years after USF received its first Osher Foundation grant to establish the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in 2005. The awards are based on demonstrated program success, university support and community participation.
“USF has been offering lifelong learning opportunities for older adults for over 15 years and is one of the longest running programs in the country,” said Ara Rogers, OLLI-USF director. “We have served over 1,000 members annually for the past three years. This second award enables us to expand our outreach to the community so that an even great number of older adults can continue learning and growing.”
Rogers pointed out that the USF program is entirely self-supporting, making the Osher endowment even more critical to the long-term sustainability of OLLI-USF. The combined $2 million endowment is eligible for a 100 per cent match through the State of Florida’s Major Gifts Challenge Grants Program. The OLLI-USF learning community of older adults volunteers its effort, energy and time.
Since 1993, USF has offered senior programs, which include computer and technology education via its SeniorNet learning center and study groups in the arts, sciences and humanities. Programs operate on a peer-learning model that values the life experience of OLLI-USF members, who develop and teach many of the Institute’s offerings. To learn more about OLLI-USF, call 813-974-5263 or visit www.usfseniors.org.
The Bernard Osher Foundation was founded in 1977 by California businessman Bernard Osher. Among other initiatives, the Foundation supports university programs nationwide that offer intellectually stimulating learning for older adults.
The University of South Florida is one of the nation's top 63 public research universities and one of 39 community-engaged, four-year public universities as designated by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. USF was awarded more than $360 million in research contracts and grants in FY 2007/2008. The university offers 219 degree programs at the undergraduate, graduate, specialist and doctoral levels, including the doctor of medicine. The university has a $1.8 billion annual budget, an annual economic impact of $3.2 billion, and serves more than 46,000 students on campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota-Manatee and Lakeland. USF is a member of the Big East Athletic Conference.
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Barbara Melendez
News Coordinator
University Communications & Marketing
813-974-4563
bmelendez@admin.usf.edu
