Cal Poly Continuing Education Receives $100,000 Lifelong Learning Grant From The Bernard Osher Foundation

Cal Poly Continuing Education’s Osher Learning Community, part of an international lifelong learning movement, explained Cal Poly Continuing Education Dean Dennis “Skip” Parks.

It will offer university-level intellectual opportunities to the Central Coast’s 50-and-older population, he said. Members of the Osher Learning Community with special expertise and experience, retired university faculty from Cal Poly and elsewhere and interested current Cal Poly faculty and staff will teach in the program.

“The Osher Learning Community is part of Cal Poly Continuing Education’s commitment to offer more learning opportunities to the area’s growing population of retired and semi-retired men and women. This generous grant will enable us to provide some exceptional programs,” Parks said. The grant may be renewed for two additional years and, subsequently, the program may qualify for a permanent endowment.

To make the programs more accessible to the entire Central Coast, Osher courses, workshops, seminars and other events will be held throughout San Luis Obispo County, northern Santa Barbara County, southern Monterey County and western Kings County, Parks said.

Osher programs will include short courses, discussion and book groups, study circles, leadership development, online learning, lecture series, special events and travel study, beginning in summer 2003.

Anyone age 50 and older can sign up to receive additional information about the Osher program by calling 805-756-2053 or e-mailing a request to continuing-ed@calpoly.edu.

About the Bernard Osher Foundation – California businessman Bernard Osher created the Bernard Osher Foundation of San Francisco in 1977. It focuses on education and health care. The foundation collaborates with university programs nationwide to offer intellectually stimulating learning in retirement programs.

Contact:

Margo

Camilleri

(805) 756-7136

Susan McGough

(805) 756-2062