Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Berkshire Community College
Spring 2023 Course Schedule
April 10 - May 22
No tests, no grades, just learning for the joy of learning!
Click on the course names below for individual course descriptions and instructor bios.
Online Registration is now closed. Please call 413-236-2190 if you would like to register for a course.
Classes marked limited registration may fill up quickly.
Our schedule includes courses online and in-person at Berkshire Community College, 1350 West Street, Pittsfield, MA; St. James Place, 352 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA; and The Clark Art Institute, 225 South St, Williamstown, MA.
Most courses held online are recorded so if you miss one, or your schedule doesn't work for a particular course, you can request recordings and watch the class sessions on your own time. (Note: in-person classes are not recorded.)
To register by phone call the OLLI office at 413.236.2190.
We look forward to seeing you!
(Note: you need to be an OLLI at BCC member to register for courses. Membership information can be found here.)
2023 Spring Semester Course Schedule
-- Click on the course names below for full descriptions and instructor bios. --
If you prefer to download a .pdf of this course listing, please click here.
MONDAYS
Times: 9:30 - 11:00 a.m. EST | Class discussions will include starting conversations with loved ones about your health care and end of life wishes, aging well at home and the new technologies that enable us to do so, balancing autonomy with the need for help; and much more. This online course will not be recorded. |
Times: 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. EST | Today's Headlines is a moderated discussion course that provides an opportunity to voice your opinions on national and international issues. |
Times: 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. EST | The language we use reveals our values, and the words we hear help to shape our beliefs. This course will examine the Algonkian language, which provides a window into the mindset of the people indigenous to the Berkshires |
Times: 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. EST | Many composers have adapted the plays of Shakespeare into operas. This class will compare and contrast operas by different composers, and present a slideshow with audio excerpts on each opera. |
TUESDAYS |
Times: 9:30 - 11:00 a.m. EST Limit: 25
| Extraordinary amounts of time, money, and emotion are invested in playing, watching, and analyzing sports. In this course, we will attempt to understand some of the ways sports allow us to engage with five important dimensions of human life: hierarchy, elevation, community, understanding, and legacy. |
Times: 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. EST | Participants will use the art and craft of storytelling to transform their personal stories into ones that connect with readers. As participants work, from first to final draft, we will review the basics of storytelling, share and gently critique each other's work and, at the last session, explore opportunities for publication. Closed at Capacity! |
Times: 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. EST | Whether you are a longtime fan, or a procrastinator who always intended to read it, this is your invitation to climb aboard the Pequod for the voyage of a lifetime, along with a personal introduction to our erstwhile neighbor, Herman Melville, who lived right here in Pittsfield when he penned the haunting, timeless story of the mystical White Whale. |
Times: 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. EST | We will read and analyze his plays The Love of Don Perlimplín and Belisa in the Garden, Blood Wedding, Yerma, and The House of Bernarda Alba, and a selection of poetry. There will be an opportunity to act out some scenes from the plays, and we will also watch a great performance of The House of Bernarda Alba with Glenda Jackson and Joan Plowright. |
Times: 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. EST | Practicing Tai Chi can improve balance, coordination, flexibility and strength, which can help prevent falls and other physical injuries. It is an excellent way to improve physical and mental health and reduce stress. Closed at Capacity! |
WEDNESDAYS |
Times: 9:30 - 11:00 a.m. EST | This course will look at the roots of American cultures, including origins, migrations, networks, resource use and technologies, sacred stories and landscapes. Well-known sites in the American Southwest, New England and the Plains will show how Native expertise ensured survival in some of the harshest environments. Closed at Capacity! |
Times: 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. EST | Every spring, our beautiful Berkshire trails come alive with colorful flowers, changing each week. We will hunt for and identify them at various properties in South County. Learn about the spring ephemeral flowers as we enjoy a beautiful spring walk. Closed at Capacity! |
Times: 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. EST | This 4-part course is to be held at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown and will range through the entire collection: painting, sculpture, prints, and drawings. Closed at Capacity! |
Times: 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. EST | Looking for an immersive fun experience? Enjoy a virtual interactive adventure to France and Quebec. Let’s practice reading and easy-to-follow French travel conversational dialogues. Closed at Capacity! |
Times: 5:30 - 7 p.m. EST | Reducing our meat consumption is good for our health and the environment, but diving into a vegan or vegetarian diet can be overwhelming. If you are looking to do more plant-based eating and need some inspiration, this four-session course will help you get started! |
THURSDAYS |
Times: 10 - 11:30 a.m. EST | This course will teach the introduction of African rooted dance techniques from the African Diaspora using steps that are easy to follow. It is designed for people of all skill levels. Students will be actively dancing and drumming. |
Times: 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. EST | Writers of both general textbooks and specialized studies must inevitably make editorial decisions as to what gets included and what gets left out. Often, we are faced with contradictory versions of historical actors, trends, and events, much of which appear to be factual to at least some degree. We will look at conflicts with Native Americans, the Mexican American War, and the Spanish American War and their aftermaths to see through the fog of these history wars to some larger truths. |
Times: 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. EST | In this course, we will read poetry that goes deep because it lets itself feel on both sides of a question. We’ll read modern and classic poets such as Shakespeare, Keats, Dickinson, Heaney and Elizabeth Bishop. Closed at Capacity! |
Times: 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. EST | After an introduction to the Darwinian idea as expressed in The Origin of Species, the course will examine its roots and ramifications, its glories and corruptions, its promises and passions. |
Times: 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. EST | In five jargon-free class sessions, this course aims to help regular people understand modern AI. Course sessions will cover the past and future of AI, why older forms of AI failed to deliver, and where modern AI and self-guided robots are headed. This online course will not be recorded. |
FRIDAYS |
Times: 9:30 - 11:00 a.m. EST | What awaits us on the summer stages in 2023? Artistic Directors are at work on the tentative 2023 season. Join us by Zoom for a perspective on the local performing arts from a critics panel and a close-up of the new season from ten local artistic directors. |
Times: 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. EST | Join us to discuss science news appearing in the Tuesday “Science Times” section of The New York Times, plus magazines and journals. |
Times: 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. EST | We will review the history of genetics from Gregor Mendel’s initial experiments to the identification of chromosomes, to the description of the Watson/Crick double helix structure of DNA. We will then learn about the sequencing of the human genome, examples of the benefits of sequencing the genome, and possible future applications. |
SUNDAYS |
Times: 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. EST | This course teaches modern bridge techniques, for beginners, or returning players and social players who want to learn modern techniques. |
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Please note that you must be an OLLI at BCC member and have created a login account to register for classes online. How to create a login account. You can register by phone from 9:00 a.m. through 4:00 p.m. Eastern at 413.236.2190.
OLLI: the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Berkshire Community College |
