Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at ASU

🎭 Ah, the bright lights of Broadway! From the Ziegfeld Follies to the modern revolution of Hamilton, the American Musical is our greatest cultural export. We’re exploring the "Showstoppers" that changed theater forever in 038 | Broadway Musicals: A Fascinating History, and your entry ticket doesn't need you to get dressed up, just good internet connection every Tuesday from Jul. 21 - Aug. 25.

✅Register Now: https://www.asuolli.org/

AARP (40+ Million members) recently selected OLLI at ASU instructor Ray Sol as one of their five "2026 Senior Planet Sponsored Athletes." His class, 017 | Tai Chi for Health & Wellness, is currently open for registration and takes place virtually on Fridays, Jun. 19 and 26, from 10:30 a.m. - noon.

“I feel greatly honored to have been selected as one of Senior Planet’s 2026 Sponsored Athletes. I will strive to carry forward the great tradition of excellence of previous ambassadors, and I look forward to inspiring others to live healthy lives. My main goals will be to encourage others to exercise both the body and the mind, and to encourage learning healthy lifestyles. I want to have fun sharing my experiences and why one of my personal goals is to live a healthy lifestyle beyond 100 years of age!”

👉Read More: https://seniorplanet.org/articles/meet-the-2026-sponsored-athletes?utm_source=Senior+Planet+Email+List&utm_campaign=8464046f71-the-orbit_02-25-26&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_7aaa498d1b-8464046f71-602306784

Meet the 2026 Senior Planet Sponsored Athletes! Meet the newest Senior Planet Sponsored Athletes and be inspired by their stories of transformation and triumph!

🧵 Every knot tells a story. An Oriental rug isn't just decor; it's a map of cultural identity and ancient symbolism. We’re "unrolling" the history of these threads in 025 | Threads of History: The World of Oriental Rugs with instructor Sumru Krody, Chief Curator and Avenir Foundation Curator of The Textile Museum Collection at The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum.

Join the class virtually for 6 sessions on Mondays, Jul. 6, 13, 20, 27, & Aug. 3, 10 from 12:00 - 1:30 p.m.

✅Register Now: https://www.asuolli.org/

"For a long time, we were often called the “best hidden secret in the Valley" [...] Through stronger partnerships, expanded programming, and a focus on community, the word is getting out. More people are discovering OLLI, and in that time, we have grown by more than 700 members. What was once hidden is now becoming a recognized and thriving part of lifelong learning in our region..."

Jared Swerzenski, Director of OLLI at ASU, recently sat down with Voyage Phoenix Magazine to share a bit about the intentionally built community here at OLLI at ASU.

👉Read More: https://voyagephoenix.com/interview/conversations-with-jared-swerzenski

Conversations with Jared Swerzenski Local StoriesMay 14, 2026 Conversations with Jared Swerzenski Local Stories Share Tweet Pin Today we’d like to introduce you to Jared Swerzenski. Hi Jared, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of y...

In the 15th century, a single sack of peppercorns was worth more than the life of the sailor who carried it. While we now reach into our pantries for a dash of cinnamon or a crack of black pepper without a second thought, these aromatic seeds once drove the most powerful nations on Earth to the brink of war and the edge of the known map. The "Age of Discovery" was a quest for flavor, a pursuit that transformed the culinary landscape of Europe and the economic landscape of the entire world.

For Portugal, a small nation with a massive coastline and outsized ambition, the goal was to bypass the Silk Road middlemen who controlled the overland routes to the East. This ambition birthed the caravel, a nimble ship that sent explorers like Vasco da Gama into uncharted waters. This maritime gamble paid off, turning Lisbon into a global hub and positioning Portugal as the world's first global maritime empire.

The impact of the spice trade extended far beyond the kitchen. It sparked a revolution in botany, as scientists rushed to classify exotic plants, and in cartography, as maps were redrawn to include the islands of Indonesia. However, this global integration came at a high price, involving colonization and the displacement of local trade networks. Understanding the spice trade is essential to understanding the modern world’s interconnectedness and the roots of global commerce.

Today, we see the remnants of this era in our fusion cuisines and international trade laws. The quest for flavor essentially created the "global" in globalization. As we examine the history of Portugal and the journey of spices, we see a story of human curiosity and greed, ingenuity and exploration. It reminds us that the most mundane items in our kitchen often have the most adventurous, and sometimes controversial origins.

Stay curious with 027 | Discovering Portugal, and 015 | A Global Food Journey: The Story of Spices. Registration is officially OPEN!

Register Now: https://www.asuolli.org/

"Inconceivable!" From the laughs of The Princess Bride to the love-struck tension of When Harry Met Sally, Rob Reiner has mastered every genre. We’re kicking off our Summer by deconstructing the films made by the man who defined the 80s and 90s cinema. Join instructor Dr. Kevin Sandler in 006 | Rob Reiner’s “The Princess Bride” & “When Harry Met Sally” at the Tempe Public Library on Monday Jun. 1 and 8 from 10:30 a.m.- noon.

✅ Register Online: https://www.asuolli.org/

The Distinguished Innovation Fellows (DIF) program at ASU is designed for experienced professionals who want to engage that question seriously through project-based work, experimentation, and real-world impact.

Join them at SkySong, The ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center for lunch and a guided conversation with René Díaz-Lefebvre, a DIF alum who chose to do the program not once, but twice. He’ll share what led him to move beyond familiar next-chapter paths and what it means to take on meaningful work without titles, credentials, or external expectations.

This is not a typical information session. It’s an opportunity to explore whether a more rigorous, creative, and purpose-driven next phase might be the right fit for you.

📍Location: ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center, 1475 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85257
✅Room: 1951 @ Skysong (at the southeast corner of Skysong Building One)
📆Date: May 19
🕐Time: Noon to 1:00 pm
💻RSVP: [email protected]

Kick off your summer with a bit of *spice* 🌶 Did you know that in the Middle Ages, a pound of ginger was worth the price of a whole sheep? This summer, we’re tracing the routes that built empires. No luggage? No problem. Join us for 015 | A Global Food Journey: The Story of Spices with instructor Kathleen Dixon at the Tempe Public Library starting Tuesday, Jun. 16, from 10:30 a.m. - noon.

✅ Register Online: https://www.asuolli.org/

The ASU Center for Correctional Solutions is pleased to invite you to the 2026 {Ink}arcerated art show in the Arizona Center in downtown Phoenix, May 15th, 6-10 PM.

The show is free admission and will feature over 400 works of art created by men and women incarcerated in Arizona. All art sales benefit the Center for Correctional Solutions Scholarship for system-impacted learners.

They're offering a limited number of paid early admission, early access tickets for 5 PM. All early access ticket proceeds are directly invested back into the art program. The first 250 people in attendance will receive a limited edition print. They're also providing validated 2-hour parking in the Arizona Center garage, right next to the show.

📆RSVP for free or early access tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/inkarcerated-creativity-within-confinement-annual-show-tickets-1988508067158

👉If you can’t make the show but would still like to support our efforts that night, you can do so here: https://www.asufoundation.org/empower-community-resilience/inkarcerated-art-show-CA126758.html

Summer registration is OPEN! Whether you want to take a virtual trip to distant lands, or make it summer full of blockbusters your ticket to ride is as simple as heading to https://www.asuolli.org/

At a certain point, the question shifts - from achievement to meaning, from success to contribution. The Distinguished Innovation Fellows (DIF) program at ASU is designed for experienced professionals who want to engage that question seriously through project-based work, experimentation, and real-world impact.

Join them at ASU’s Skysong Innovation Center for lunch and a guided conversation with René Díaz-Lefebvre, a DIF alum who chose to do the program not once, but twice. He’ll share what led him to move beyond familiar next-chapter paths and what it means to take on meaningful work without titles, credentials, or external expectations.

This is not a typical information session. It’s an opportunity to explore whether a more rigorous, creative, and purpose-driven next phase might be the right fit for you.

📍Location: ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center, 1475 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85257
✅Room: 1951 @ Skysong (at the southeast corner of Skysong Building One)
📆Date: May 12
🕐Time: Noon to 1:00 pm

💻RSVP: [email protected]