The Ask OLLI blog is a resource for Osher Lifelong Learning Institute administrators to facilitate discussion on a variety of topics related to the creation and management of OLLI institutes nationwide.
Entries to the blog are called "posts" and can only be submitted by blog editors. Please contact Anne Cardale at the OLLI National Resource Center if you have an article suggestion for the AskOLLI editors.
Each post has a "comment" section where blog subscribers can submit their own remarks and responses to the post. A subscriber must be logged in to comment on a post. A login link is available at the bottom of the right-hand column, as well as at the end of each posting page.
Although the Ask OLLI blog is publicly viewable, commenting is closed to non-subscribers. For more information on Ask OLLI, or if you wish to create a subscriber account please contact Anne Cardale.
Barbara White, OLLI at California State University Long Beach, Asks OLLI:
Does your OLLI offer a volunteer program or have an established curriculum of community civic engagement for your members? If so:
Jeanette Toohey, OLLI at University of North Florida, Asks OLLI:
Do you have a formal leadership development (not succession) program? What plans and processes do you have in place to develop potential leaders?
Heather Haslem, OLLI at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Asks OLLI:
Does your OLLI provide any tutorials or training classes/programs designed to instruct volunteer instructors on using the internet in their classes?
Dee Aguilar, OLLI at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Asks OLLI:
If your OLLI offers computer courses, please help us by answering the following questions:
a. Who develops/provides the course curriculum?
b. Are courses taught by member volunteers?
c. How do you recruit volunteers?
d. Who trains volunteers to teach these courses?
e. How challenging is it to keep the volunteers?
May we contact you with additional questions?
Judith Bobenage, OLLI at the University of Pittsburgh, Asks OLLI:
Does your OLLI connect members to your host institute’s community service activities? If so, does your OLLI have a course or event to help members explore a volunteer site match?
Doug Fairbanks, OLLI at University of South Florida, Asks OLLI:
Does your OLLI have a volunteer historian or archivist who keeps track of the history of your OLLI? If so, and if you have a job description for that role that you are willing to share, please email it to Kyle Allen, kallen@usm.maine.edu.
What records are you keeping? Does the historian/archivist produce a periodic historical summary kept in the OLLI’s permanent files?
Elena Marciano, OLLI at University of the Pacific, Asks OLLI:
Has your OLLI held a member day of service to the community?
If so, please briefly describe the project. Was it successful?
How many members participated? Did any of them have an existing connection with the organization for which the project was done?
Did member volunteers help your staff with the planning?
How far in advance of the project did you start planning?
Dee Aguilar, OLLI at University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Asks OLLI:
Does your OLLI publish a newsletter? The OLLI at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, has an eight-page tabloid newsletter produced by members volunteering as editor and writers. This is a stellar publication, and members enjoy receiving it. You can see the last edition at http://cehs15.unl.edu/cms/uploads/1-327-Winter2010Insider.pdf. We would like to hear from other OLLIs about their newsletters:
1. What is the purpose of your newsletter?
2. How often is your newsletter published?
3. Who has the responsibility for the production of the newsletter (i.e. staff and/or members)?
4. What is the focus of the newsletter?
5. Is your newsletter and schedule a combined publication?
6. Who compromises the staff of the newsletter?
7. What are the steps to producing your newsletter?
Jane Dowrick, OLLI at the University of Richmond, Asks OLLI:
Does your OLLI track OLLI member volunteer hours? We are interested in tracking volunteer hours for OLLI members. If you are doing this at your OLLI, please share any suggestions, forms, processes, etc. from your experience.
Michael Bujnowski, OLLI at Concord New Hampshire Asks OLLI:
Has anyone created an infrastructure that makes use of technology when working and training volunteers?
Volunteers are an important part of OLLI. Their contributions directly impact the success of the organization. I believe we can dramatically improve the efficiency and effectiveness of volunteers, as well as attract and keep them involved by giving them access to information that directly relates to improving the quality of their programs. Technology can work for many of our volunteers and we can offer education, training and support to effectively use the technology.
Please share the ways your OLLI employs technology when working with volunteers.