I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with two older adults, Phyllis Ciscle-McDaniels and Richard Black of downtown Long Beach. Both volunteer at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), a program located at Cal State Long Beach that, beginning April 4th, will operate from an additional location at 737 Pine Avenue. Along with a few stalwart volunteers, Phyllis and Richard pretty much run the place.
Formerly known as Senior University, the OLLI is one of 121 of its kind nationwide but CSULB is one of the first to approve a satellite location outside the campus. Phyllis and Richard long sought to engage the older community downtown, and thanks to the generosity of Mike Wiley and the Bixby Park Association who charge CSULB a whopping $1 per year in rent, OLLI Downtown is now becoming reality. An open House will be held Saturday, April 4, and all are invited.
The institute is impressive. Run by volunteers and assisted by part time university staff, CSULB’s OLLI has about 1,000 students age 50 or older enrolled in classes varying from yoga to world history. All instructors volunteer, and the program is celebrating its 13th year of growth. And despite marking a major accomplishment with the downtown Long Beach expansion, the program already enjoys a strong partnership with Seal Beach’s Leisure World.
My interview is a long and exciting one. The energy isn’t coming from me at 9:00am on this Sunday morning, but from Phyllis and Richard; passionate downtown residents who, like Bernard Osher, understand that one’s education continues beyond their teens or twenties. “We want to bring our peers out of their homes and to downtown,” says Phyllis. “There is so much to do and learn,” Richard includes. These two are like twin siblings, finishing each other’s thoughts after years of collaboration.
According to OLLI Executive Director Barbara White, “coming to downtown Long Beach was a culmination of years of effort. It has allowed us to expose and involve more people in the positive aspects of aging. We see Downtown OLLI as a new opportunity to expand our reach both as a University and as a lifelong learning institute.”
This sentiment is consistent with that of the Bernard Osher Foundation. Its support of lifelong learning in Long Beach is replicated nationwide, benefiting both older adults and the communities as a whole.
Headquartered in San Francisco, The Bernard Osher Foundation was founded in 1977 and supports a growing national lifelong learning network for seasoned adults through direct financial support. The funding, however, is limited. Nationwide, the institutes must also rely on community support and supplemental grants to function. Downtown OLLI’s expansion is a result of the Bixby Park Association’s generous rental agreement and many volunteers. More funding is needed, more volunteers are needed.
In a downtown thirsty for creativity, new enterprise and a positive attitude, OLLI Downtown is doing their part. The expansion comes with collaborations from the Downtown Long Beach Associates (DLBA), the North Pine Neighborhood Alliance and the Willmore City Heritage Association. This is yet one more example of the people living in a community, not the government, strengthening that community from the grassroots level. Once again we are reminded that the perseverance of downtown residents can achieve greatness in the likes of Belmont Shore and 4th Street’s Retro Row.
Most recently, Downtown OLLI caught the attention of the Downtown Residents Council, a subdivision of DLBA charged with revitalizing downtown Long Beach. The council will be well served by including input from Phyllis and Richard, and their extensive network of older adults not only interested in lifelong learning but in energizing the community in which we live.
“Bringing lifelong learning to downtown Long Beach has the potential to bring more life to downtown,” according to Ms. White. “Students and their families and friends, drawn downtown through OLLI, have the potential to contribute to its economic development.” Considering the state of Pine Avenue, OLLI may provide a piece of public benefit other community partners should mimic. OLLI classes at Park Pacific Tower, for example, will be open to seniors throughout the area very soon.
While residents cite the lack of quality retail and activities, Downtown OLLI is creating it from within. Their plans are too many to list in this post, but will be covered and celebrated at the Open House in April. Come check it out and enjoy some food, music and good cheer. My guess is you won’t be disappointed.
If anyone interested in instructing or enrolling in a class, please email us at [email protected] and we will certainly forward your inquiry to Phyllis or Richard.
OLLI Downtown Open House
Saturday, April 4 from 1:30 – 4:00
737 Pine Avenue, Ste. 202
Long Beach, CA 9081
Entrance on Solana Court, between 7th and 8th Streets