Kansas State University

Registration for spring 2017 Osher Lifelong Learning Program is now open

Submitted by Charlene Brownson

Registration for the spring 2017 Osher Lifelong Learning Program in Manhattan is now open. Kansas State University has teamed up with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Kansas to bring the Manhattan area the diverse content, innovative learning opportunities and quality faculty that promote lifelong learning in the community. The program in Manhattan is coordinated by UFM Community Learning Center.

The Osher Institute offers courses for participants age 50 and over that stress the joy of learning. Instructors are carefully selected for their expertise, a passion for the topic and a love of teaching. Courses meet weekly for two hours over a three-week period and require no homework, out-of-class preparation or testing.

Enroll online or call KU Osher toll-free at 877-404-5823 or 785-864-5823. 

Courses offered in Manhattan:

• America's National Parks: A Journey through Time, Ryan Sharp, instructor. 
• Finding and Preserving the Stories of our Ancestors, Kelsee Walker, instructor.
• Manhattan, Cultural Diversity and Globalization, Joab Esamwata, instructor. 
• Sunset Zoo Science Fellows Program, Jared Bixby, curator of education at Sunset Zoo.
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: A Distinctly American Fairy Tale, Clint Stueve and Oz Museum staff.
• Military Blunders, Robert Smith, instructor. 

Special events:

• Science Saturday Road Show will include hands-on, tabletop science activities to engage visitors. A come-and-go event, the road show will feature a combination of zoo-led activities and other activities led by Sunset Zoo's Science Communication Fellows.

• Fort Leavenworth Tour: We'll learn its history and visit the Lewis and Clark Center and then tour the historic Memorial Chapel, the Buffalo Soldiers Monument, Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery and the Frontier Army Museum.

• Behind the Scenes: "Monty Python's Spamalot" at the Manhattan Arts Center. Pre-performance lecture, lunch and performance director Penny Cullers will share what has happened behind the scenes of this production. Shannon Blake Skelton, assistant professor in the School of Music, Theatre and Dance, will speak about Monty Python.

• Tour Wamego, the Oz Museum and the Columbian Theatre: Join us as we tour scenic Wamego, learning its history and visiting its historic sights. We'll follow the Yellow Brick Road to the Oz Museum and see rare artifacts. Then we'll tour the 1895 Columbian Theatre and Columbian Gallery, where we'll enjoy a lunch catered by Friendship House.