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2016 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 224
Commending Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 5, 2016
Agreed to by the Senate, February 11, 2016

 

WHEREAS, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at George Mason University in Fairfax County has served the retiree community in Northern Virginia for more than 25 years and has become one of the premier lifelong learning institutes in the United States; and

WHEREAS, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute was originally established as the Learning in Retirement Institute in 1991 by the Fairfax Commission on Aging and visionary Kathryn Brooks, who wanted to establish educational and social opportunities for a growing base of active seniors in Northern Virginia, an age wave expected to continue well into the 21st century; and

WHEREAS, the Learning in Retirement Institute soon became affiliated with George Mason University as part of the university’s strategic vision to extend its learning mission into the community, including seniors interested in maintaining an active intellectual life; and

WHEREAS, the Learning in Retirement Institute was generously endowed by the Bernard Osher Foundation of California, a non-profit that has dedicated millions to enhancing the quality of life in the United States through education and the arts, and the institute was renamed as Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI-Mason) in 2014; and

WHEREAS, OLLI-Mason’s mission is “to offer to its members learning opportunities in a stimulating environment in which adults can share their talents, experiences and skills, explore new interests, discover and develop latent abilities, engage in intellectual and cultural pursuits, and socialize with others of similar interests”; and

WHEREAS, by all measures, OLLI-Mason has fulfilled its goals; what started two decades ago as a member-run learning center with 100 members operating and teaching out of one room in George Mason University’s Commerce II Building, has burgeoned into a robust, first-rate educational and social institute with over 1,200 members; and

WHEREAS, OLLI-Mason currently offers retirees in Northern Virginia over 400 courses and special events over four terms each year across three campuses in Fairfax, Reston, and Loudoun; from arts to zoology and religion to science, there is a topic to satisfy everyone without the pressures of homework, exams, or grades; and

WHEREAS, the over-50 population in Northern Virginia is booming, living longer and healthier lives, and policymakers at all levels are working vigorously to develop programs and services to help them continue to participate more fully in their communities; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Osher Lifelong Learning Institute for its resounding success in serving the educational and social needs of retirees in Northern Virginia on the occasion of its 25th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Osher Lifelong Learning Institute as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for its visionary leadership in education and work to better meet the needs, expand opportunities, and enhance the quality of life for retirees in Northern Virginia.