OLLI at CSU East Bay -Concord

🎥 OLLI members are invited to join us for Movie Monday as we enjoy the classic comedy-drama A League of Their Own. It's the perfect way to relax, connect with friends, and revisit a film that's full of heart, humor, and memorable moments. We hope to see you at 2 p.m. on August 3rd for an afternoon of great company and a great movie! 🍿

Join us for our in-depth lecture Women Artists: Impressionism & Abstract Expressionism! Women are often overlooked from two important art movements: Impressionism and Abstract Expressionism. Today while male contemporaries like Monet, Manet, Po***ck and de Kooning are household names, fewer are familiar with Morisot, Bracquemond, or Krasner. These women dared to enter the male-dominated world of painting--not as muses but as artists. Instructor: Diane Levinson. Format: In person. Date and Time: July 29, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

We always enjoy hearing from our OLLI students, and this week we’d like to highlight Marjorie Cordova, a dedicated OLLI member! For the past ten years, her enthusiasm for lifelong learning have made her a valued part of OLLI, and we're delighted to have her share her OLLI experience with us!
“Continuing education or long-term learning has always been something that's dear to my heart. Being with OLLI has been a wonderful experience. The instructors are great, and we’ve formed a bit of a community here, I think, which has been really very nice. OLLI is a very wonderful, friendly place where you not only learn without taking tests, but just learn for the sake of learning, meeting new people, and just expanding your whole experience in retirement. We all share the same experience and we all contribute to it.”

Want to learn about art history? Join our course The Hopes and Heartaches of Vincent Van Gogh! In his short career of 10 years, Vincent van Gogh created hundreds of works of art. Through correspondence with his younger brother, art dealer Theo van Gogh, most of what is known of Vincent's thoughts, hopes, struggles and flashes of inspiration are recorded in the hundreds of letters they exchanged. This course will cover his work through the lens of his relationship with Theo. Instructor: Eleanor Schrader. Format: Online. Date and Time: July 21, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

🍹 Coming up in August: Scholars & Shakers!
OLLI members are invited to submit a favorite mocktail recipe for a chance to win a free one-year OLLI membership. Selected mocktails will be served at the event, and members will taste and vote for their favorite.
Join us August 12 at 1:30 PM, before the Spotlight lecture, for a fun afternoon of creativity, community and friendly competition.
Have a recipe to share? Submit it by July 29 to Gaby at: [email protected]

Artificial intelligence is here to stay. Join us for our 4-week intensive course Decoding AI: Media Literacy and Critical Thinking in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. Participants will be introduced to the essentials of artificial intelligence (AI) while building their ability to critically assess its societal, political, and cultural implications. Fundamental AI concepts—such as algorithms, machine learning, generative AI, automation, and bias—will be explored, while learning to apply critical media literacy. Instructor: Nolan Higdon. Format: Online. Date and Time: July 15, 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.

🎬🍿 Join us for Monday At The Movies as we watch the classic political thriller All the President’s Men! Follow the reporters who uncovered one of the biggest stories in American history in this gripping, award-winning film. Bring a friend, grab some popcorn, and enjoy a great movie with us at 2 p.m. on July 13th! See you Monday! 🎥✨

Dr. Talia Moore is on campus today to give the OLLI Spotlight Lecture about trauma and how communities carry pain…

We want to invite you to our special spotlight lecture, Trauma Lives in the Body: How Communities Carry Pain. This presentation explores trauma as a collective and intergenerational experience rather than solely an individual psychological issue. Participants will learn how trauma is embodied and how stress exposure can be transmitted through families and communities. Attendees are invited to explore the survival messages passed down within their own communities and consider pathways toward collective healing, connection, and restoration. Instructor: Talia Moore. Format: In person. Date and Time: July 8, 2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

We want to shine a spotlight on one of our great OLLI instructors, Aaron J. Leonard! He is an author and American historian, whose writing focuses on the interplay of radicalism and governmental repression in the 20th century. Among his books are Heavy Radicals and The Folk Singers and the Bureau. Mr. Leonard’s current book, Menace of Our Time: The Long War on American Communism, was published in September 2025 by Rutgers University Press. He has a BA in Social Sciences and History magna cm laude, from New York University and lives in New York. He will teach the online OLLI course The Folk Singers, the FBI, and the Second Red Scare on July 10th! Join today!