Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

OLLI Lewes instructor feature—Gary Ramage

“My favorite aspect of our UD lifelong learning program as a course leader is the lively interaction with class members. Our class sessions are discussion-focused, not lectures, and the shared insights range from humorous to poignant. We often laugh heartily together…mighty healthy for our aging minds and bodies.”

“Many of our class attendees are repeaters from previous courses, which fosters comfortable sharing and socializing. While I avoid ‘playing favorites,’ I can’t help particularly enjoying some of our most regular participants, including Amie Sloan, now in her 90s.”

“Over the years, our American Authors courses have been well attended, whether on novelists Steinbeck, Hemingway, Twain and Styron, or playwrights Miller and Wilder. I’ve searched for a term to describe my overall teaching style, and decided what I’m attempting to achieve is ‘edu-tainment’…a fusion of education and entertainment, with class members actively listening and contributing, akin to good audiences in live theatre.”

Gary Ramage is a longtime instructor and member of the OLLI program in Lewes and is pictured here with artist and fellow longtime instructor and member Amie Sloan. Ramage presents the popular American Authors series along with his wife Margo, often drawing on contributors from the University of Delaware’s Resident Ensemble Players (REP) to enrich their courses. The Ramages’ fall course on Gabriel Garcia Marquez will be their 14th OLLI course.