Using Zoom, the ever-present video conferencing software, has become the new norm to engage in daily life for people of all ages. Now classes offered on Zoom through the Osher Lifelong learning Institute (OLLI) at Cal State Long Beach are helping seniors cope with isolation and fear during the coronavirus pandemic.
For 25 years OLLI has offered people 50 or older a variety of classes on the university campus. The program shifted to online Zoom classes last spring enabling OLLI members a new way to learn and connect with classmates while staying safe in the comfort of their home. “This is also the first year the OLLI program is being offered to people outside of the greater Long Beach area,” OLLI Executive Director Barbara White said. “Thanks to Zoom there are now friends and family joining classes from the east coast, Minnesota, Nevada and even Mexico.
“Classes are intended for personal enrichment and fun”, White said. “There’s no homework or testing”. Many members join to rekindle an old interest or develop a new passion. The program is more than fun to member John Halligan, 91. “It’s a way to cope during the pandemic”, he said. The Long Beach resident was enrolled in seven in-person classes in spring when the shutdown occurred. “I was in shock from such a total change of life,” he said. “Then this little lifeline came (in the form of online classes). Since I have a computer I said, ‘I’ll try it.” While Halligan misses meeting with friends made since joining OLLI in 2016, he found Zoom more convenient than in-person classes. “Ordinarily you meet on campus for one class at a time, (or several per session). Now with no parking problems, I ended up going a little berserk and I signed up for ten.” Most classes offer students ways to interact through live discussions or in small groups. Participating in the program helped him with being “shut up and afraid,” Halligan said. “I have never felt bored or depressed because I have this outlet.”
“A challenge for some students is having the technology and assuming Zoom is difficult to access”, White said. OLLI offers Zoom instruction and tech support for those new to the platform. Students receive an email with a link to click that takes them straight to the class on a smartphone, tablet, or computer.
The current winter session has approximately 800 members signed up for 56 classes including: “You’ve Been Pop Culture’d”, “Stories of the Bible”, “Asian Art History: Queens and Empresses”, “Healthy Not High – Cannabis explained”, “Artists Meetup”, “Geopolitics Update” and “Financial Rules of the Road”.
Registration for the Spring session begins March 12. Those interested in finding out more, can check the OLLI website www.csulb.edu/olli or contact the OLLI office 562.985.8237.
Courtesy photo
