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On-Demand (online viewing is on your own schedule)
Explore this imaginary museum that holds more masterpieces than all the world’s museums combined — lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed pieces of art, some even stolen multiple times. Class features treasures of King Tut’s tomb and the Mona Lisa, as well as Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, Monet’s Water Lilies and art looted by Napoleon and the Nazis. Discover how many famous works of art have been lost to history and how some have been recovered. This is a recorded “on-demand” version of a class originally taught in a previous semester. View this class on your own schedule. Viewing link is emailed to participants prior to the semester start.
Taught by: Jim O’Leary
Online: February 3, 2026 to April 21, 2026
Tuesday at 9:00 AM
Prerequisite: Skill in artistic medium intending to use. Class format revolves around biweekly assignments on themes such as “still life,” “landscape,” “movement,” etc. Slideshow presentation illustrates examples from famous and lesser-known artists that students can use as inspiration for their work. The following week, work by individual students is presented and discussed, which can be highly participatory. Students are provided with positive comments and suggestions by their peers to improve upon their work.
Taught by: Eric Sallee, Rolf Eriksen
Online: February 4, 2026 to March 4, 2026
Wednesday at 10:45 AM
Learn a variety of watercolor techniques and how to apply them in a painting. Explore methods like washes, wet-on-wet and dry brushwork, glazing and color mixing. Each class includes hands-on practice with each technique, culminating in a small sample piece. Students use their new skills to create a finished painting. Supply list is provided for purchase before class. In partnership with The Art Studio. Additional Fee: Please note that this course requires an additional fee of $49. Participants receive a payment link from OLLI prior to the first class. Sign up for the Tuesday section held off-site at The Art Studio, located at 310 Kiamensi Road, Wilmington, DE 19804 or the online section held on Wednesdays.
Taught by: Karen Berstler, Nicole Sexton
Online: April 1, 2026 to April 29, 2026
Wednesday at 10:45 AM
Explore the use of light, shadow and color to create forms using watercolors. Previous experience required. Supply list is provided for students to purchase before class starts. Offered in partnership with The Art Studio, the arts education center of New Castle County’s Department of Community Services. The class may run 1.5 hours each week if the student’s schedule allows. Prerequisite: Beginner’s watercolor class or other watercolor experience. Additional fee: Requires a fee of $45 payable to the Art Studio. A payment link is sent to class members prior to the first class.
Taught by: Karen Berstler, Nicole Sexton
Online: February 3, 2026 to April 21, 2026
Tuesday at 9:00 AM
Prerequisite: A DSLR or advanced mirrorless camera. Previously offered as Basic Travel Photography, this class is intended to develop a more in-depth understanding of photography to help improve your images. The course covers technical principles, camera settings, techniques and composition to advance your photography understanding and skills. Building on basic photography, students will be tasked with homework to support lecture topics and provide an opportunity to share images with the class for comment.
Taught by: Michael Rudolph
Online: February 5, 2026 to April 23, 2026
Thursday at 2:30 PM
Prerequisite: Four semesters of Ikebana. Required text: Sogetsu Book 5, published by Sogetsu, which can be obtained from the instructor. In this course, students continue practicing previously studied basic styles as well as making freestyle arrangements. Concentration is given to learning freestyle and contemporary arrangements.
Taught by: Sima Sariaslani
Online: February 5, 2026 to April 23, 2026
Thursday at 9:00 AM
Prerequisite: Completion of the Editing with Lightroom Classic class. This course builds on the Editing with Lightroom Classic class and covers more advanced editing techniques including complex masking techniques, color grading, calibration, HDR, panorama and focus stacking. The course is intended for people experienced in Lightroom and focuses on using the Develop modules in Lightroom and how Lightroom and Photoshop can complement each other. We also explore using editing homework assignments and cover other Lightroom modules.
Taught by: Michael Rudolph
Wilmington (Arsht Hall): February 3, 2026 to March 10, 2026
Tuesday at 10:45 AM
Join us for Broadway 101! Using examples from “The Golden Age” of Broadway (1943-1975), we break down musical shows into their component parts to see how a successful stage production is constructed. Viewing extensive video clips of historic performances, we discuss the great hits, disastrous flops and near misses, and we trace the creation of Broadway’s first “Golden Age” musical. Some familiarity with these classic Broadway shows is recommended, but not necessary, to fully appreciate the course.
Taught by: Thomas Powderly
Dover (Wyoming Church): February 3, 2026 to March 3, 2026
Tuesday at 2:30 PM
How do we evaluate/interpret/appreciate a work of art? That is the question posed by Yasmina Reza in her play, ‘Art.’ Presented by UD’s Resident Ensemble Players (REP), this course explores the concept of art in its many forms, including the writing of the play. Attendance at the REP performance is encouraged, but not required. A second play (TBD) will also be discussed.
Taught by: Debra Roberts
Online: February 3, 2026 to April 21, 2026
Tuesday at 2:30 PM
We view one opera in each course meeting (11 classes), to include Catalani’s La Wally, two productions of Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito, Mozart’s Cosi fan Tutte (Jonathan Miller’s production in English), three productions of Handel’s Julius Caesar, Handel’s oratorio Theodora, and Handel’s Rinaldo). Remaining operas have not yet been selected.
Taught by: Larry Peterson
Online: February 5, 2026 to March 5, 2026
Thursday at 12:45 PM
Whether a Noël Coward comedy, a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical or Richard Burton in Shakespeare, creative artists from across the pond have brightened New York’s stages even before we had a “Great White Way.” Using bright graphics and video clips, this class examines the many British contributions to the American stage and cultural life.
Taught by: Thomas Powderly
Wilmington (Arsht Hall): February 5, 2026 to May 7, 2026
Thursday at 10:45 AM
Opera has existed for several hundred years. Perhaps you delayed learning about it or had a difficult first attempt at it. Maybe you just haven’t had an opportunity to learn in an open environment where questions, comments and reactions are encouraged and various types of operas are explained. This class is your opportunity! There’s a lot to introduce you to in this “complete art” form.
Taught by: Robert Violette
Wilmington (Arsht Hall): February 4, 2026 to March 11, 2026
Wednesday at 10:45 AM
The opportunities for cultural enrichment available in Delaware far exceed what one might expect in one of the nation’s smallest states. Centered in Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley, the Delaware professional arts scene encompasses a wide range of cultural opportunities from world-class museums and galleries to every segment of the performing arts world. Learn about Delaware’s statewide professional companies and the opportunities to experience the fine arts in this six-week course.
Taught by: Robert Violette, Thomas Powderly, Arlene Bowman
Wilmington (Arsht Hall): March 31, 2026 to April 28, 2026
Tuesday at 10:45 AM
Required text: The Berlin Stories, Christopher Isherwood, ISBN 0-81-121804-X. A shockingly brilliant new musical in 1966, Cabaret’s message is frighteningly relevant in today’s world. Since then it has been made into an Academy Award winning film, and the stage version has undergone two radical reinterpretations in London and on Broadway. We will travel back and uncover Cabaret’s source materials including the Berlin Stories and look at life in Weimar Berlin. This class is an updating of material from Cabaret 50 first presented in 2022.
Taught by: Thomas Powderly
Dover (Wyoming Church): February 3, 2026 to April 21, 2026
Tuesday at 12:45 PM
This is part 2 of a course surveying Billy Wilder films. This semester, we’ll view 11 more films, supplementing the material presented in part 2 (fall 2025). Our classes will run until at least two and a half hours, depending on length of film.
Taught by: George Christensen
Lewes (Trinity Faith Education Building): February 4, 2026 to April 22, 2026
Wednesday at 12:45 PM
This class will look back at the life and works of the man who is arguably our greatest–and most beloved–composer, conquering Broadway and Hollywood with his unforgettable songs, but also writing pathbreaking “jazzical” music, as well as our most enduring opera, Porgy and Bess, which is marking its 90th anniversary with a new production in New York City. This class will also reveal the instructor’s choice for the three greatest songs ever written in the United States.
Taught by: Daniel Pritchett
Lewes (Trinity Faith Education Building): February 3, 2026 to March 3, 2026
Tuesday at 9:00 AM
Learn about the great American Folk Music movement and its revival. In Part 1 we covered folk music’s origins and performers of “folk music” through the mid-1950s. Lots of Carter Family, Guthrie, Seeger, Almanac Singers, and The Weavers. Part 2 covers The Kingston Trio, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Peter Paul & Mary, the Smothers Brothers and many more. Part 2 will cover after the mid-1950s.
Taught by: Glenn Rill
Online: April 1, 2026 to April 29, 2026
Wednesday at 10:30 AM
This course covers finding music online (written and audio), using music notation software to edit music, software to help you practice, software to help you read music directly (no more paper!), and how to manage and share your music library. Software includes ForScore and MuseScore; websites include Google Drive, DropBox, OneDrive, SmartMusic and YouTube. We’ll also discuss playing live music online with others.
Taught by: Ellen Sherin, Pam Wilson
Online: February 4, 2026 to March 4, 2026
Wednesday at 10:30 AM
Prerequisite: Participants must sign up for a MakeMusic subscription account (free demo or paid subscription, approximately $60. Improve practicing and playing your instrument, with instruction and hands-on practice of web-based MakeMusic (SmartMusic) functionality to learn music more efficiently (intonation, rhythm). We primarily play OLLI Orchestra and String Ensemble repertoire and Method Books provided in MakeMusic. C instruments only: oboe, flute, trombone, recorder, violin, viola, cello, bass, guitar, ukulele (picking, no chords). See course outline for more info.
Taught by: Ellen Sherin
Online: April 3, 2026 to May 1, 2026
Friday at 9:00 AM
This course provides tactical tools and techniques to broaden participants’ knowledge of the philanthropic sector, and to encourage their exploration of the role of philanthropy (time, talent and/or treasure) in their lives. We explore the role of philanthropy in the U.S. nonprofit sector, intentional philanthropy (what inspires you to give), selecting charitable causes and organizations to support, due-diligence tips, your legacy, and an overview of common charitable tools.
Taught by: Beth Harper Briglia
Online: February 3, 2026 to March 3, 2026
Tuesday at 10:45 AM
This course covers a variety of topics in parapsychology, including after-death communication, near-death experiences, reincarnation, pets in the afterlife, psychics, mediums and channeling. Numerous published papers from the scientific literature are presented to support and explain the evidence that some form of an afterlife exists. Students also learn how advances in technology are being applied to expand upon earlier research efforts. All students need for this class is an open mind!
Taught by: Carol Pollio
On-Demand (online viewing is on your own schedule)
New York City has always been a fascinating place with countless stories to be told. Ten OLLI members each deliver a session on a unique aspect of New York life, based on personal interest, experience and expertise. Topics include history, architecture and engineering marvels, theatre and the arts, neighborhoods and more. This is a recorded “on-demand” version of a class originally taught in a previous semester. View this class on your own schedule. Viewing link is emailed to participants prior to the semester start.
Taught by: Thomas Powderly
Wilmington (Arsht Hall): February 6, 2026 to May 8, 2026
Friday at 9:00 AM
Using lectures, PowerPoint and DVDs, we journey through the National Parks system, looking at the parks from the point of view of geologists, biologists, naturalists, park rangers and tourists. The PowerPoint portions of the lectures include photographs taken by the instructor and his wife. Many of the lectures have been updated and some new lectures have been added. This is a five-term course.
Taught by: William Jones
Wilmington (Arsht Hall): February 6, 2026 to May 8, 2026
Friday at 10:45 AM
Europe is the cradle of Gothic architecture. With the assistance of The Great Courses “The Cathedral,” we explore the art and architecture of the great cathedrals of France and the British Isles. We study the development of Gothic architecture, the sculpture, the great open spaces and the stained-glass windows that define these magnificent Gothic structures. We investigate the fighting of the 2019 fire in the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris and the restoration of the cathedral.
Taught by: William Jones
Online: February 4, 2026 to March 4, 2026
Wednesday at 2:30 PM
This course explores the worldwide rise of authoritarian regimes through readings, videos, speakers and class discussions and centers on events evolving in America. Participants are expected to prepare materials outside of class and engage in conversations with classmates and guest speakers. Topics include the dynamics within societies that have allowed for the rise of authoritarianism and prescriptive remedies.
Taught by: Rick Grier-Reynolds
Wilmington (Arsht Hall): March 31, 2026 to April 28, 2026
Tuesday at 2:30 PM
Today’s news isn’t just about reporting facts: it’s about creating compelling stories that engage/enrage and influence audiences. Every headline, photo, blog post, article and soundbite is crafted to capture attention and frame how we see events. This course explores how news stories are constructed, why different outlets discuss the same event in very different ways, and how storytelling techniques influence public opinion, trust, and democracy itself.
Taught by: Andrea Westerinen, Jeff Westerinen
Online: March 30, 2026 to April 27, 2026
Monday at 9:00 AM
From virtually the beginning of recorded history, flowers have been treasured and depicted in paintings, sculpture and other visual arts. This series examines the role and depiction of flowers in arts from around the world. From delicate touches to ultra realism to huge exaggeration, we explore how the fragile ephemeral beauty of flowers has inspired a broad range of artistic expression from ancient Greece to contemporary times.
Taught by: Melanie Moser
Online: February 5, 2026 to April 23, 2026
Thursday at 10:45 AM
Part 3 of this series presents 10 lectures on a variety of topics related to Delaware including agriculture, lighthouses, restaurants, Rockford Museum, early amusement parks, railroads, birding, and a few more Delaware topics to be announced.
Taught by: Joan Miller, Thomas Powderly
Online: February 5, 2026 to April 23, 2026
Thursday at 12:45 PM
The course is intended to give family history researchers, both beginning and experienced, an overview of the resources and records available to them. Presenters include experienced genealogists from the OLLI genealogy community and from outside genealogy groups. The class format is a lecture on a specific genealogical topic, followed by Q&A. A handout is sent via email prior to each lecture.
Taught by: Barbara Hamming, Reg Herzog
Online: February 4, 2026 to April 22, 2026
Wednesday at 2:30 PM
We view some films that are either gay, transsexual, bisexual, lesbian or documentary. We often include one or more foreign films. We will view and discuss any film until it is finished.
Taught by: Larry Peterson
Online: February 4, 2026 to May 6, 2026
Wednesday at 10:45 AM
Graduate students from the University of Delaware Center for Material Culture Studies present their research on the stories, science and broad cultural implications of a wide variety of objects spanning the arts, sciences and humanities.
Taught by: Stuart Siegell
Wilmington (Arsht Hall): March 30, 2026 to April 27, 2026
Monday at 2:30 PM
Prerequisite: Suggested to have taken the New Orleans History course. Musician Jesse Moore said New Orleans is “not a city. It’s a way of life…. a place that you fall deeply in love with.” This class will explain the culture of the Big Easy: Creoles and Cajuns, free people of color, food and architecture like nowhere else, Mardi Gras, and jazz. We’ll explore stories of fascinating people, many of them women, who made a unique city. Hopefully at the end of the class, you will agree with Bob Dylan that “There are a lot of places I like, but I like New Orleans better.”
Taught by: Suzanne Stone
Lewes (Trinity Faith Education Building): April 2, 2026 to April 30, 2026
Thursday at 12:45 PM
This presentation provides interesting details related to the challenges of meeting President Kennedy’s goal of getting to the moon by the end of the decade in the 1960s. It focuses on ILC Industries, a Dover, Delaware, company that was a true underdog in the competition to develop the ideal space suit to provide our astronauts the safety and freedom needed to move about on the lunar surface. It all came down to great engineering and the skills of the seamstresses that stitched the materials together.
Taught by: William Ayrey
Online: February 3, 2026 to April 21, 2026
Tuesday at 10:45 AM
This course focuses on issues inadequately addressed in most Thomas Jefferson biographies. Topics include slavery, Native Americans, pirates, suffrage/gender, health concepts, routine and condition, world affairs, the Industrial Revolution, economics and others. We strive to understand the context of his life as well as the social and cultural environment in which he lived, grew, survived and thrived.
Taught by: Burton Cutting
Online: February 4, 2026 to April 22, 2026
Wednesday at 9:00 AM
This course offers insights into local and national history by drawing on the extensive materials held by the Hagley Library, one of the nation’s largest research libraries. Presentations by Hagley’s experienced staff vary weekly in focus, ranging from the DuPont company to local oral histories and much more.
Taught by: Roger Horowitz
Lewes (Trinity Faith Education Building): February 3, 2026 to March 3, 2026
Tuesday at 9:00 AM
Two minutes was the time allowed for a pony express rider to switch mounts at a relay station. The iconic Pony Express would be the first “fast” mail between the settled East and the developing West of America. This step forward, in speeding up communications, would be a factor in holding California in the Union. This course covers the Pony Express from the beginning to its end, 19 months later, with its amazing history and impact upon America.
Taught by: Ray Glick
Ocean View Community Center: February 4, 2026 to April 22, 2026
Wednesday at 10:45 AM
This course will present and discuss the U.S. Civil War, focusing on the engagements between the Union’s Army of the Potomac and the South’s Army of Northern Virginia.
Taught by: Donald Egan
Wilmington (Arsht Hall): February 3, 2026 to May 5, 2026
Tuesday at 9:00 AM
The eruption of Vesuvius in 79 CE buried the Roman city of Pompeii under yards and yards of volcanic ash and pumice, creating a time capsule of Roman architecture, art and daily life. With the assistance of Professor Steven L. Tuck of Miami University and The Great Courses, we explore the history of Pompeii from the fifth century BCE to its death in 79 CE. We explore daily life at the height of the Roman Empire, the eruption, along with the current excavations and preservation efforts.
Taught by: William Jones
On-Demand (online viewing is on your own schedule)
At the close of the Civil War in 1865, the U.S. government embarked on a policy of “reconstructing” the union of the states while at the same time wrestling with the enormous task of ensuring a “new birth of freedom” for four million formerly enslaved people. The next several years saw a serious effort to create, for the first time in our history, a biracial democracy; but it ended in the abandonment and betrayal of African-Americans. This class looks back at this crucial and defining era. This is a recorded “on-demand” version of a class originally taught in a previous semester. View this class on your own schedule. Viewing link is emailed to participants prior to the semester start.
Taught by: Daniel Pritchett
Lewes (Trinity Faith Education Building): February 4, 2026 to March 11, 2026
Wednesday at 9:00 AM
This course studies the influence and accomplishments of four women who served in the highest level positions in the Roosevelt Administration. We also learn about the influences and accomplishments of the thousands of unsung World War II heroines who held positions in all military branches and the cryptanalysts and spies of the Office of Strategic Services. Additionally, we examine the contributions of the civilian women on the home front who worked in crucial industries and businesses.
Taught by: Susan McFarlane
Online: February 3, 2026 to April 21, 2026
Tuesday at 10:45 AM
It has been said that Middle Ages had little or nothing accomplished during that time. However, many things we use today were invented then, including glasses, printing press, scissors and buttons. We discover the many items invented in this time.
Taught by: Raymond Hain
Dover (Wyoming Church): February 5, 2026 to March 5, 2026
Thursday at 12:45 PM
Part 2 of this class continues to explore the Delaware Continental Regiment, discussing the “battle buddies” that led their respective companies through 32 battles over eight years of war, with the expertise of Delaware historians. We learn more about who endured the many difficulties and hardships on the path to victory. The Delaware Regiment had a hard-earned reputation for “punching far above its weight.” Join us as we learn about these ordinary people coping with extraordinary circumstances.
Taught by: Elizabeth Jelich, Susan Watkins
Dover (Wyoming Church): April 2, 2026 to April 30, 2026
Thursday at 12:45 PM
In the 1960s, Greenwich Village pulsed with rebellious energy. Folk music thrived in its cafes, hosting Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and others. It was a haven for artists and activists, and it embodied counterculture. This class explores the music, poetry and literature that permeated the area of New York City known as “The Village.”
Taught by: Susan Watkins, Larry Watkins
Dover (Wyoming Church): April 2, 2026 to April 30, 2026
Thursday at 2:30 PM
This class will present a series of biographies of people who made significant contributions to the development of the automobile industry in the early twentieth century.
Taught by: Larry Watkins
On-Demand (online viewing is on your own schedule)
First ladies have made many significant contributions to our country during their husbands’ presidencies. This course considers the lives and contributions of these first ladies who lived in the White House from 1945 through 1974: Bess Truman, Mamie Eisenhower, Jackie Kennedy, Lady Bird Johnson and Pat Nixon. We explore their early lives, paths to the White House, time as First Lady and lives after the White House. This is a recorded “on-demand” version of a class originally taught in a previous semester. View this class on your own schedule. Viewing link is emailed to participants prior to the semester start.
Taught by: Susan Donahue
On-Demand (online viewing is on your own schedule)
Immigration laws were first made by ports and states and later by the federal government. These laws were usually exclusionary until 1965. The 1986 law addressed undocumented immigrants. This course tells the stories of immigrant peoples: Irish, Germans, Jews, Italians, Chinese, Japanese, African Americans, Puerto Ricans and Mexicans. This is a recorded “on-demand” version of a class originally taught in a previous semester. View this class on your own schedule. Viewing link is emailed to participants prior to the semester start.
Taught by: John Bullock
On-Demand (online viewing is on your own schedule)
This course covers France’s contributions to science during the revolutionary era. Topics include: Antoine Lavoisier, founder of modern chemistry and acquaintance of the DuPonts; Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, potato advocate; blight and food preservation; and the science of gunpowder and nitroglycerin. Course also covers: weather patterns, atmospheric layers, evolutionary theory, acquired characteristics and the metric system. This is a recorded “on-demand” version of a class originally taught in a previous semester. View this class on your own schedule. Viewing link is emailed to participants prior to the semester start.
Taught by: John Bullock
On-Demand (online viewing is on your own schedule)
On Halloween eve 1938, millions of Americans were stunned and spellbound by a nationwide radio broadcast reporting an alien invasion that seemed to threaten humanity with extinction. We explore how Orson Welles’ dramatization of H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds was able to terrorize Americans, touch off a nationwide panic and spur suspicions and recriminations in its aftermath. We also review Welles’ career and circumstances that led many listeners to believe what they heard. This is a recorded “on-demand” version of a class originally taught in a previous semester. View this class on your own schedule. Viewing link is emailed to participants prior to the semester start.
Taught by: Peter Harrigan
Wilmington (Arsht Hall): February 3, 2026 to May 5, 2026
Tuesday at 9:00 AM
Antisemitism today is running amok. According to popular sources, antisemitism is still on the rise despite attempts to fight it. In this class, we touch on the modern history of Jew hatred with a focus on some attempts at effective solutions. We’ll examine the frontline battles against the Jews since the Holocaust, especially virulent since the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel. We aim to get a glimpse into what ordinary people are doing to stem the tide and what strategies are being effective.
Taught by: Susan Warner
Wilmington (Arsht Hall): February 3, 2026 to May 5, 2026
Tuesday at 2:30 PM
An introduction to this broad subject, we cover the major periods in American history focusing on women’s roles, status, work and experiences, with comparison to those of their brothers. Participants may volunteer to make a brief presentation about a lesser-known American woman. All are welcome! This course does not seek to exclude male experiences, rather to examine the interaction of female and male gender roles.
Taught by: Susan Shoemaker
Wilmington (Arsht Hall): February 4, 2026 to May 6, 2026
Wednesday at 9:00 AM
President Eisenhower’s policies represented some adjustment by Republicans to Roosevelt’s New Deal and 20 years of Democratic presidents. Reagan broke in part from this legacy. Though George Bush was supposed to serve “Reagan’s third term,” he was more of a traditional Republican. Though Clinton wanted new paths after three terms of Republican presidents, his rocky start and the failure of his healthcare plan gave him a Republican Congress. Nevertheless he found ways to get his policies through.
Taught by: John Bullock
Wilmington (Arsht Hall): February 4, 2026 to May 6, 2026
Wednesday at 10:45 AM
After Napoleon’s fall, monarchy was restored in France in 1814 but did not last through 1848. The restoration monarchy in England in 1660 likewise followed revolution and civil war but lasted. The difference was that monarchy is a social system as well as a political one. The two societies rested on different premises at the time of their restorations, and their revolutions had different premises and consequences, especially for their nobles.
Taught by: John Bullock
Dover (Wyoming Church): February 3, 2026 to April 21, 2026
Tuesday at 10:45 AM
This class will take us back exactly 250 years to “a year like no other,” one which was filled with more drama, conflict, miraculous escapes, improbable heroes and truly incredible stories. We will also talk about, listen to the original soundtrack, and enjoy the movie version of the 1969 Broadway musical “1776!”
Taught by: Daniel Pritchett
Lewes (Trinity Faith Education Building): February 2, 2026 to March 2, 2026
Monday at 10:45 AM
Universities developed slowly from the Middle Ages, changing through crises, ideas, charismatic teachers, scientific developments and educational methods. Some developed out of disciplines of study, while others came from disputes and schisms. Class discussion topics include qualifications of teachers; the rights of the students; the impact of the university on its location; humanism’s impact; and current discussions of academic freedom; and the status, role and purpose of today’s university.
Taught by: Katherine Henn
Lewes (Trinity Faith Education Building): March 30, 2026 to April 27, 2026
Monday at 9:15 AM
Since ancient times, humans have chronicled the world: from inscribed bones of our earliest ancestors to today’s Google Maps. See how geography shapes our view of the planet and how maps have fashioned the world we know today. Visit some of Earth’s most isolated locales and places where conflicts still arise due to disputed borders and contested national boundary claims. Finally, explore our maps of other worlds and even the entire cosmos.
Taught by: Jim O’Leary
Online: February 3, 2026 to March 3, 2026
Tuesday at 12:45 PM
Explore the Manhattan Project, one of history’s most ambitious undertakings. Follow the path from discovery of nuclear fission and the explosion of scientific work to the vast engineering efforts at Oak Ridge, Hanford and Los Alamos that culminated in the atomic bomb. Examine the science, management and the men and women behind the project, using photographs, diagrams and interviews to reveal both the technological achievement and the human story.
Taught by: Robert Ehrlich
Lewes (Trinity Faith Education Building): February 5, 2026 to April 23, 2026
Thursday at 10:45 AM
This class concludes Twentieth Century Europe Part I, exploring the aftermath of World War II when the continent split into two ideologically hostile armed camps, and the presence of nuclear weapons made the 40-year Cold War a time of constant tension. The fall of the Berlin Wall and end of Communism seemed to finally guarantee peace in Europe for the first time ever. However, the closing decade proved otherwise as events again put the name Sarajevo in the news and gave us the term “ethnic cleansing.”
Taught by: James Patterson
Lewes (Trinity Faith Education Building): March 30, 2026 to April 27, 2026
Monday at 10:45 AM
After his Waterloo defeat, Napoleon knew he was in danger. He quickly abdicated and appealed to Great Britain for protection. Britain accommodated Napoleon’s request although not at the “hearth of the British people” in England as he had envisioned, but on the remote British-owned South Atlantic Ocean island of St. Helena, a natural fortress. From his arrival in 1815 to his death in 1821 Napoleon impacted the British citizens, while life on the island became Napoleon’s “last battle.”
Taught by: Katherine Henn
Online: February 5, 2026 to April 23, 2026
Thursday at 12:45 PM
This class offers a survey of Irish history, starting with the subjugation of Ireland under Cromwell and William of Orange, begun under the Tudors and early Stuarts. Incorporation into the United Kingdom is followed by a long struggle for autonomy and political and cultural independence. Finally, part of Ireland becomes an independent republic, Troubles continue in Northern Ireland ending with a shaky peace. The Republic becomes a prosperous member of the European Union. Syllabus at http://www.udel.edu/0013890.
Taught by: Robert Ehrlich
Online: February 3, 2026 to March 17, 2026
Tuesday at 12:45 PM
America’s history is a rich tapestry filled with triumphs and struggles, shaping the nation into what it is today. The Founding Fathers united 13 disparate colonies, fought for independence from Britain and penned a series of influential governing documents that steer the country to this day. America has always had the capacity to rise above adversity. The story of the United States is still being written.
Taught by: Charles Johnson
Online: February 4, 2026 to April 22, 2026
Wednesday at 2:30 PM
Required text: Subscription to The New Yorker. The class reviews and discusses various articles that appear in The New Yorker magazine. Everyone is encouraged to share summaries and opinions on various articles and offer their viewpoints for the class to consider.
Taught by: Mary McLaughlin Koprowski
Online: April 1, 2026 to April 29, 2026
Wednesday at 10:45 AM
Learn about contemporary and modern poetry through close reading and discussion of poems presented in the New Yorker Poetry Podcast archive. For each class, students listen at home to a selected episode. In class we continue the discussion begun by the host and guest poet, considering matters of craft and process. The New Yorker Poetry Podcast is free and easily available on the internet.
Taught by: Linda McMeniman
Online: February 5, 2026 to April 23, 2026
Thursday at 3:45 PM
The OLLI online book club meets monthly on the first Thursday (note change!) of each month: February 5, March 5, April 2 and May 7. We read current fiction and nonfiction, voted on in the first session of each semester from a longer list composed by a group of volunteers. Discussion is led each month by a volunteer from the group. The book for the first session is Paris in Ruins: Love, War, and the Birth of Impressionism by Sebastian Smee.
Taught by: Jane Lee
Online: February 4, 2026 to May 6, 2026
Wednesday at 10:45 AM
For spring, the novels course returns to its original format with a pastiche of mysteries, historical novels and an occasional literary opus. Among this potpourri of novels, we’ll revisit the traditional murder mystery, browse among art lovers and thieves, explore the ground-breaking research of a woman scientist, and walk back into the history of another culture. Plus a couple of others. For details, please visit the course website at: https://sites.google.com/udel.edu/novels-potpourri/. Sign up for either the online section meeting on Wednesdays, or the in-person section meeting in Wilmington on Thursdays.
Taught by: Rebecca Worley
Lewes (Trinity Faith Education Building): February 5, 2026 to April 23, 2026
Thursday at 12:45 PM
Required text: Mrs. Dalloway, by Virginia Woolf, Norton Critical Edition (ISBN 10-0393655997), and The Hours, by Michael Cunningham (ISBN 10 -9780312243029). Virginia Woolf’s novel, Mrs. Dalloway, is a seminal work, and Michael Cunningham’s novel, The Hours, is a “theme and variations” on Mrs. Dalloway. (“The Hours” was Woolf’s working title for her novel. Cunningham’s novel received the Pulitzer and the PEN/Faulkner prizes in 1999 and was the basis for the 2002 film starring Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep and Julianne Moore.) We’ll read and discuss both novels and some essays by and about Woolf, and conclude by watching and discussing the film. (Note: participants are requested to obtain the Norton Critical Edition of Mrs. Dalloway, as the class will be using secondary materials included in that edition.)
Taught by: Paul Huey-Burns
Online: February 6, 2026 to March 6, 2026
Friday at 9:00 AM
Laurie Halse Anderson is a prolific writer for children and young adults. She writes in many genres, including historical fiction. In this class, we read and discuss four of her books taking place during the American Revolution, beginning with Rebellion 1776. Then we’ll read the Seeds of America trilogy comprised of Chains, Forge and Ashes. We will conclude by examining Speak, a book that was number 25 on the American Library Association’s most frequently challenged book listing for the decade of 2010-2019.
Taught by: Emily Ginder
Dover (Wyoming Church): February 5, 2026 to March 5, 2026
Thursday at 9:00 AM
Amelia Peabody is back! Our intrepid female archeologist returns to Egypt with her irascible husband Emerson and their “catastrophically precocious” 7-year-old son Ramses and finds herself in the middle of a mystery involving pyramids, American missionaries, the Coptic Church, and a plethora of mummy cases. Join us to learn more about the early days of scientific archaeology, mummification practices and customs over time, and Eastern religions.
Taught by: Patricia White
Lewes (Trinity Faith Education Building): February 4, 2026 to April 1, 2026
Wednesday at 10:45 AM
This class features seminar discussion of the issues included in the Great Decisions textbook published by the Foreign Policy Association (FPA). Topics are U.S. Foreign Policy at a Crossroads; U.S. Changing Leadership of the World Economy; U.S.-China Relations; International Cooperation on Climate Change; Future of NATO and European Security; AI and U.S. National Security; India: Between China, the West, and the Global South; After Gaza: U.S. Policy in the Middle East; two additional topics will be announced at a later date. Participants are encouraged to lead discussion on topics of special interest. Purchase of text book required from FPA or Amazon.
Taught by: Sergei Boboshko
On-Demand (online viewing is on your own schedule)
What might happen if other nations no longer look to America as a contributor to global peace and prosperity? This course explores the changing geopolitical landscape as the liberal rules-based international order of the past 80 years disintegrates at an accelerating pace. Students complete the course equipped to assess developments in the Great Power Competition shaping the evolution of a new global order. This is a recorded “on-demand” version of a class originally taught in a previous semester. View this class on your own schedule. Viewing link is emailed to participants prior to the semester start.
Taught by: Christopher Mark
Wilmington (Arsht Hall): February 19, 2026 to May 7, 2026
Thursday at 9:00 AM
Each class features an introduction followed by a video and class discussion. Topics include America and the world: Trump 2.0 foreign policy; Trump tariffs and the future of the world economy; U.S.-China relations; ruptured alliances and the risk of nuclear proliferation; Ukraine and the future of European security; multilateral institutions in a changing world order; U.S. engagement of Africa; future of human rights and international law. Purchase of the Great Decisions Briefing Book is recommended.
Taught by: Steven Dombchik, A. Hays Butler, Claude Faulkner
Lewes (Trinity Faith Education Building): February 4, 2026 to March 4, 2026
Wednesday at 10:45 AM
This 5-week course examines the origins of a number of aspects of the current Middle East crisis from a reverse chronological perspective, looking at the current situation in Syria, the Gaza War, Iran and the Salafi-jihadist movement (ISIS, al-Qaeda) and, from there, trace back in time to understand how things have arrived where they are. The final week of the course turns the focus to the United States, assessing our current policy in the Middle East in the same manner.
Taught by: F. Gregory Gause III
Lewes (Trinity Faith Education Building): February 3, 2026 to March 3, 2026
Tuesday at 10:45 AM
What might happen if other nations no longer look to America as a contributor to global peace and prosperity? This course explores the changing geopolitical landscape as the liberal rules-based international order of the past eighty years is disintegrating at an accelerating pace; it updates and extends the course on this topic given in fall 2025. Students complete the course equipped to assess developments in Great Power Competition that are shaping the evolution of a new global order.
Taught by: Christopher Mark
Online: March 30, 2026 to April 27, 2026
Monday at 9:00 AM
We will look at many of the spiritual teachings of Jesus and Eckhart Tolle. No outside reading is required, but if so inclined, participants may want to brush up on Jesus’ teachings in the gospels and Eckhart Tolle’s books such as The New Earth, The Power of Now, or Stillness speaks.
Taught by: Deborah Brown
Online: February 2, 2026 to March 2, 2026
Monday at 9:00 AM
This class explores many of Jesus’ teachings, watching a few videos from the TV show “The Chosen.” Our discussions cover how some of the teachings may apply to today’s world. The pace of each class will be dictated on the amount of discussion in each class.
Taught by: Deborah Brown
Online: February 5, 2026 to May 7, 2026
Thursday at 3:00 PM
The philosophy of Stoicism dates back to the ancient Greeks and Romans and is nonreligious in nature. Practical in nature, Stoicism is intended to help people live a higher quality life with more resilience, clarity and virtue. Its most well-known early practitioners were the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, Seneca and Epictetus, and later, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Viktor Frankl, Friedrich Nietzsche, Montaigne, Spinoza and Descartes. The practice of Stoicism has led to today’s cognitive behavioral therapy, too. Monthly class (2/5, 3/5, 4/2, 5/7) includes overview of a specific Stoic principle, followed by discussion. Previous familiarity with Stoicism is not required.
Taught by: Jeff Ostroff, Bill Broadwater
Online: February 2, 2026 to March 9, 2026
Monday at 10:45 AM
Required text: Composing Poetry: A Guide to Writing Poems and Thinking Lyrically, Gerard LaFemina, ISBN 978-1-4652-9581-1. Calling adventurous poets! Stretch yourself. Work on honing your craft and help fellow classmates develop theirs. In this six-week class, we write two poems, one an elegy and another a performance poem based on two chapters of Gerard LaFemina’s book. Sign up for either the Monday or Wednesday online section of this course.
Taught by: Betsey Cullen
Online: February 4, 2026 to March 11, 2026
Wednesday at 12:45 PM
Required text: Composing Poetry: A Guide to Writing Poems and Thinking Lyrically, Gerard LaFemina, ISBN 978-1-4652-9581-1. Calling adventurous poets! Stretch yourself. Work on honing your craft and help fellow classmates develop theirs. In this six-week class, we write two poems, one an elegy and another a performance poem based on two chapters of Gerard LaFemina’s book. Sign up for either the Monday or Wednesday online section of this course.
Taught by: Betsey Cullen
Online: February 5, 2026 to April 23, 2026
Thursday at 2:30 PM
For those who enjoy writing poetry or those who would like to try, this is an opportunity to read your poems to people interested in helping you improve as a poet. Specific assignments stretch you as a poet, while reading and critiquing poems can broaden your outlook and enrich your own work. Class participation and help with facilitation are encouraged.
Taught by: Maryellen Winkler-Gunn
Online: February 2, 2026 to April 20, 2026
Monday at 9:00 AM
As a means of preserving your personal legacy, memoirs have become one of the most popular forms of creative expression. But crafting a good memoir can be a challenge. To guide that journey, this course helps you master and practice the art of writing a good, readable memoir.
Taught by: Rae Tyson
Online: February 2, 2026 to February 2, 2026
Beginning and experienced writers practice principles and enjoy the pleasures of memoir writing. We write at home. Then in class, we read aloud our times of laughter, sorrow, fear and joy. We express our history, leave treasures for our descendants and inspire each other to chronicle memorable moments. Come! Write your memoirs! Notice: We request confidentiality. What you see, what you hear, when you leave, leave it here.
Taught by: Rose Greer
Online: February 5, 2026 to March 5, 2026
Thursday at 12:45 PM
Take better photos with your iPhone. Learn how to edit and share your photos, organize them into albums and utilize camera icons. This class is for iPhones only. Make sure your operating system is up to date. Handouts are emailed before class begins. During class, use Zoom on an alternative device other than your iPhone (PC, Mac, laptop or iPad), since your iPhone will be used for experimenting and playing with the Camera and Photos apps.
Taught by: Barbee Kiker
Online: February 2, 2026 to February 2, 2026
This class explores evolutionary and revolutionary artificial intelligence (AI) technologies that affect how we work and live today, and will continue to do so in the future. The instructor shares examples to teach the history, fundamentals and applications of AI and examines common ethical concerns. Students will leave with an overview understanding of what AI can and cannot do.
Taught by: Mary Ann Wangemann
Online: February 3, 2026 to April 21, 2026
Tuesday at 10:45 AM
Prerequisite: Ability to speak and read French at the intermediate to advanced level. Join our intermediate- to advanced-level class to refresh, refine and update your speaking skills in a relaxed environment. Authentic readings and videos in French are selected to spark lively discussions on a variety of topics, from history, the fine arts, science, social trends, current events and modern dilemmas. Class sessions are designed with participants’ interests and needs in mind. Songs, cartoons, games and quizzes round out the experience. Materials are provided weekly in advance.
Taught by: Mary Shenvi
Online: February 4, 2026 to April 22, 2026
Wednesday at 10:45 AM
Prerequisite: Ability to speak and read German at the intermediate to advanced level. This intermediate/advanced course is conducted entirely in German and is designed to encourage a lively exchange based on a broad range of topics. A rich variety of sources assures that students have accurate models of German as it is actually spoken for different purposes. Authentic readings, recordings, songs and games provide an immersive experience.
Taught by: Mary Shenvi
Lewes (Trinity Faith Education Building): February 3, 2026 to March 3, 2026
Tuesday at 12:45 PM
Led by a language enthusiast who has studied English, German, French, Korean, Spanish and Russian, this course introduces the history of language study, various branches of linguistics, the origin of human language and what makes it unique, human language acquisition, the origin of writing, and a bit about the history of the English language.
Taught by: Trudie Thompson
Online: February 4, 2026 to April 22, 2026
Wednesday at 9:00 AM
Prerequisite: Four semesters of OLLI Spanish or the equivalent. This class consists of breakout room conversation, reading and discussing the stories in the textbook and singing in Spanish.
Taught by: Jeanne Hanson
Online: February 5, 2026 to April 23, 2026
Thursday at 2:30 PM
Prerequisite: Speak and read Spanish at the intermediate to advanced level. An advanced-level course designed to provide participants the opportunity to enrich their Spanish vocabulary and increase their fluency in a relaxed, friendly environment. Authentic readings on a variety of topics serve as a springboard for discussion. Materials selected with participants’ expressed interests and needs in mind are sent out a week prior to each class. Music, pictures, games and video clips round out the sessions.
Taught by: Mary Shenvi
Online: February 5, 2026 to April 23, 2026
Thursday at 12:45 PM
This course aims at broadening a student’s vocabulary and understanding of the day-to-day German spoken today. The etymology of certain words is discussed, and the rules of grammar are explained on request. This semester, we read selected chapters of the instructor’s memoirs, covering his immigration to the United States of America in 1992.
Taught by: Udo Gorsch-Nies
Online: February 4, 2026 to April 22, 2026
Wednesday at 9:00 AM
Prerequisite: Three semesters of French or equivalent. Experience the joy of language learning in this lively foundational course. Weekly assignments provide students the opportunity to practice basic vocabulary and grammar in advance, so that we can optimize class time to practice speaking and listening skills. The goal is to provide participants the confidence to interact with native speakers using authentic language. Lessons include games, videos, dialogues, music and time for conversation in small groups, with an emphasis on having fun in French.
Taught by: Mary Shenvi
Wilmington (Arsht Hall): February 2, 2026 to April 20, 2026
Monday at 9:00 AM
Prerequisite: At least a full academic year of French Language. Required text: Le Nouveau Taxi 2! Robert Menand, ISBN 978-2-01-155551-9; Cahier d’exercices: Le Nouveau Taxi 2!,Laure Hutchings and Nathalie Hirschsprung, ISBN 978-2-01-155552-6. This course continues the textbook Le Nouveau Taxi 2!. Every thematic unit focuses on clearly identified communicative goals and sociocultural awareness. Brief practical grammar lessons provide built-in opportunities for student interaction and pronunciation practice. The exercise book aids in developing accurate writing skills for effective communication. The main goal is to further develop effective speaking habits in a welcoming and friendly atmosphere that encourages student participation.
Taught by: Charlotte Mulleman
Online: February 5, 2026 to April 23, 2026
Thursday at 10:45 AM
Prerequisite: Some prior exposure to the German language. In this class, German language historical docudramas with German subtitles (played at 85% speed) are tied together with short, easy-to-follow lectures in German. Course is aimed at the intermediate level student, but all are welcome, from beginner to native speaker. This semester focuses on the birth of modern Germany and covers the years 1850 to 1930. Topics include Otto von Bismarck, Mad King Ludwig, Kaiser Wilhelm I and II, Rosa Luxemburg, Gustav Stresemann, the Second Reich, WWI and the Weimar Republic.
Taught by: Mary Shenvi
Online: February 2, 2026 to April 20, 2026
Monday at 9:00 AM
Prerequisite: some familiarity with German. Required text: The Easy German Dialogues: Fun and simple conversation practice for beginners and intermediates, by Andre Klein. Class features dialogues on everyday topics, a custom German-English dictionary, quizzes and tips for vocabulary retention.
Taught by: Christiane Shields, Lorena Meunier
Online: February 3, 2026 to April 21, 2026
Tuesday at 12:45 PM
This is a course for people who have not studied Italian before, and where participants develop comfort in speaking, listening and reading basic Italian. Whatever class members’ interest in Italian — travel, music, literature, the joy of leaning a beautiful language — this course strives to respond to that interest. Songs and arias, short poems, prose passages, brief reports and video/audio excerpts are used to illustrate and practice many of the concepts and skills covered.
Taught by: Winifred Hayek
Wilmington (Arsht Hall): February 6, 2026 to May 8, 2026
Friday at 10:45 AM
Everything we do on the land and in the air affects the quality of our water. Learn about how these connections work as well as the threats to our waterways and what we can do to protect them.
Taught by: Jeffrey Chambers
Wilmington (Arsht Hall): March 30, 2026 to April 27, 2026
Monday at 9:00 AM
Additional fee: This DelNature course requires an additional $50 registration fee. There is also a $15 fee for each optional weekly field trip if students choose to participate, which is payable to the Delaware Nature Society. Do you love nature and want to learn more about it? Then this introduction to Delaware’s natural resources is for you! Each week’s presentation will center around a different key topic, and an optional weekly field trip will be offered to participants. Please note additional fees mentioned above, which support the work and expertise of the Delaware Nature Society (DelNature) Adult Education Team.
Taught by: Declan O’Neil
Lewes (Trinity Faith Education Building): February 4, 2026 to April 22, 2026
Wednesday at 9:00 AM
Prerequisite: (Re)Learn Intro or other Feldenkrais class. This is a continuation of the introductory Feldenkrais class, designed for those who would like to learn more about themselves and to continue enhancing movement. Students should have completed any introductory Feldenkrais class, physical therapy training or yoga instructor training to participate in this class.
Taught by: Claire Brown
Lewes (Trinity Faith Education Building): February 2, 2026 to April 20, 2026
Monday at 9:00 AM
Feldenkrais lessons reactivate our infant learning skills to increase our ease in moving. Bending, reaching, turning, getting up from a low seat or the floor: all become simpler, easier. Our feelings and sensations become clearer. This is relearning with our bodies, not our heads. Lessons are done lying on the floor, making unfamiliar moves while paying attention to ourselves. Gradual incremental changes bring big improvements in our movements and in our self-awareness. Bring a blanket or quilt.
Taught by: Claire Brown
Lewes (Trinity Faith Education Building): April 2, 2026 to April 30, 2026
Thursday at 10:45 AM
This course examines the history, current status and potential future of five diseases representative of major categories of illness (e.g., cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, infectious disease, and neurologic disease). This is intended to be an engaging and interactive discussion.
Taught by: Sheldon Scheinert
Online: February 6, 2026 to April 17, 2026
Friday at 10:30 AM
This course follows the highly-researched mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program originally developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1979, and consists of an orientation and eight weekly classes. There is also a six-hour online retreat scheduled on Friday, April 3. Each weekly class consists of a presentation of ideas, group discussion and mindfulness meditation practice. Participants explore, and are given homework to practice, each of the five types of simple MBSR meditation practices. This course requires a commitment to both regular class attendance and home meditation practice. No prior meditation experience is necessary.
Taught by: Genie Floyd
Lewes (Trinity Faith Education Building): February 5, 2026 to March 5, 2026
Thursday at 10:45 AM
This course looks at the evolution of ancient to modern medicine by examining the fascinating lives and times of key medical thinkers, philosophers and scientists. We review how they arrived at their insights and how those revelations and discoveries changed the world. This is intended to be a fun, engaging and interactive course.
Taught by: Sheldon Scheinert
Online: March 31, 2026 to April 28, 2026
Tuesday at 9:00 AM
This course focuses on issues affecting health and the environment in Delaware including air and water quality, climate change and renewable energy. The course reviews current science on each topic and, where feasible, includes Delaware-specific data. Current state and federal regulations are discussed.
Taught by: Rae Tyson
On-Demand (online viewing is on your own schedule)
Explore the nature and flow of time from both a scientific and philosophical prospective. The course explores latest research about time, its role in relativity and quantum mechanics, and its connection to cosmology. Topics include Richard Muller’s expanding time, the thermodynamic and psychological arrows of time, and possibilities of time travel. From ancient timekeeping to atomic clocks, learn how our understanding of time has evolved and what physics says about its fundamental nature. This is a recorded “on-demand” version of a class originally taught in a previous semester. View this class on your own schedule. Viewing link is emailed to participants prior to the semester start.
Taught by: Charles Carter
On-Demand (online viewing is on your own schedule)
In grade school we were taught that dinosaurs were dull-colored, unintelligent lizards. Some even thought that the largest of the dinosaurs had to have a separate brain in their tails. Discoveries have shown that dinosaurs had intelligence and emotions similar to animals today. With the help of the Great Courses, Paleontologist Kristi Curry Rodgers, and an intriguing novel, we investigate what has been discovered and hypothesized about dinosaurs in the past 60 years. This is a recorded “on-demand” version of a class originally taught in a previous semester. View this class on your own schedule. Viewing link is emailed to participants prior to the semester start.
Taught by: William Jones
Wilmington (Arsht Hall): February 2, 2026 to May 4, 2026
Monday at 12:45 PM
This course introduces concepts found in Advanced Placement high school and freshman college physics courses. Topics include motion and energy, gravity, electromagnetism, relativity, quantum mechanics and cosmology. The course connects everyday phenomena (rainbows, sound, engines, GPS) to the to the physics behind them. It emphasizes visuals, demos and historical context to provide an intuitive appreciation for the theories and equations.
Taught by: Charles Carter
Lewes (Trinity Faith Education Building): February 3, 2026 to March 3, 2026
Tuesday at 2:15 PM
Jewelry has been cherished and gifted for thousands of years. While there is a vast array of jewelry created, one of the most treasured is diamond jewelry. We’ll explore the development of diamonds and diamond jewelry, how diamond jewelry is set and designed, the metals used for diamond jewelry (both traditional as well as surprising new methods). We’ll cover the new world of Lab-Grown Diamonds, taking the jewelry world by storm, what they are, how they’re grown and differences and similarities.
We’ll also explore estate jewelry, either as a purchase or a method to sell your jewelry if you’ve been thinking of doing so.
We’ll explore diamond pricing and how to make your next diamond or diamond jewelry purchase.
Taught by: Lee Kuperstein
Wilmington (Arsht Hall): February 5, 2026 to April 23, 2026
Thursday at 10:45 AM
Knowledgeable guest speakers present lectures on timely regional, national and international issues across a broad spectrum of topics, followed by a lively question and answer session.
Taught by: Peg Stanford, Nancy Hannigan, Jeff Ostroff
Online: April 2, 2026 to April 30, 2026
Thursday at 9:00 AM
Estate planning organizes your affairs to accomplish long range goals for yourself and your family. We explore the three stages of estate planning, clarify the role of a power of attorney, unravel the probate process and explain the use of trusts to avoid probate. This class also covers personal property memorandums, jointly owned assets and appropriate beneficiary designations as well as the ethics surrounding asset protection planning.
Taught by: Michele Procino-Wells
Online: February 4, 2026 to April 22, 2026
Wednesday at 9:00 AM
This is a continuing class to assist retired or near-retirement investors to find, evaluate and determine the safety and suitability of various investment choices for their portfolios. Factors such as risk and reward, and information such as earnings, dividends, etc. are discussed. We focus the discussion on three broad subjects: investment themes, tools of the trade and the state of the market. Course schedule and materials are posted on a class website at http://udel.edu/~diyinvst.
Taught by: Rajeev Vaidya, Ron Materniak
Online: February 4, 2026 to May 6, 2026
Wednesday at 10:45 AM
Prerequisite: Prior investing experience or coursework. Members interested in investment in stocks and other vehicles get together to exchange information. We seek intellectually curious, experienced investors with a diverse set of backgrounds, skill sets and life experiences. Discussion is aided by charts and comments obtained from internet financial sites. Sessions are led by study group participants.
Taught by: Bruce Crawford, Genie Floyd
Online: February 5, 2026 to April 23, 2026
Thursday at 10:45 AM
This course is designed to guide students as they prepare their homes for sale, focusing on optimizing financial returns in support of their retirement plans. Students receive valuable insight regarding managing personal possessions and guidance on transitioning into retirement living. Topics include prudent decision-making regarding property enhancement and effective ways to address home inspections, appraisals and more. Students receive a free copy of the instructor’s published course book.
Taught by: David Harrell
Wilmington (Arsht Hall): February 4, 2026 to May 6, 2026
Wednesday at 2:30 PM
As the world changes and investments become more complicated, your investment portfolio should also change. Topics include stock and bond analysis, exchange traded funds, behavioral finance, international investments, and economic indicators and their relationship to the financial markets. Course also covers current trends in the world financial markets and encourages participants to have a plan and the correct asset allocation for their specific objectives.
Taught by: Theodore Zak
Online: April 1, 2026 to April 29, 2026
Wednesday at 2:30 PM
How do you make retirement as amazing as you want it to be? This course guides you through a simple, systematic process of thinking strategically about who you are, and how you spend both your time and money.
Taught by: Leonard Hayduchok
On-Demand (online viewing is on your own schedule)
After a tumultuous start to the second Trump administration, it’s timely to ask hard questions about the news media. Who’s reading or watching the news anymore? Where do people get their news? Why are people so uninformed? Who owns the news media? Have media owners become shills for politicians? Is news still a public service? Is anyone fact-checking for truth? Are there generation or gender gaps among news consumers? Does the news make money? This is a recorded “on-demand” version of a class originally taught in a previous semester. View this class on your own schedule. Viewing link is emailed to participants prior to the semester start.
Taught by: Ralph Begleiter
On-Demand (online viewing is on your own schedule)
With testing the limits of the Constitution and Executive power in the news, we review constitutional doctrines and the legal and political culture that surrounds the U.S. Supreme Court. We spend time reviewing those noteworthy and influential decisions emanating from the current term. In addition, we revisit the civil jury system and the law of torts, considered one of the most popular first year law school subjects. This is a recorded “on-demand” version of a class originally taught in a previous semester. View this class on your own schedule. Viewing link is emailed to participants prior to the semester start.
Taught by: Eric Grayson
Lewes (Trinity Faith Education Building): February 3, 2026 to March 3, 2026
Tuesday at 2:30 PM
Designed for those approaching Medicare eligibility or those currently enrolled in Medicare, this course outlines all parts of Medicare (A-D), Medicare Supplement or Medigap Plans (A-N), Prescription Drug Plans, Medicare Advantage Plans, and other ancillary products to help you save money and protect your assets. Residents from any state are welcome.
Taught by: John Lopez
Lewes (Trinity Faith Education Building): February 2, 2026 to March 2, 2026
Monday at 10:45 AM
In a rapidly evolving world, your financial plan and investments must keep pace. With markets offering more choices than ever, traditional strategies like the 60/40 portfolio and buy-and-hold may fall short. Are AI-driven investments or Bitcoin suitable for retirees? Join us to explore process-driven research, tax and financial planning, and other critical topics. This class is designed for everyone interested in markets and planning, with insights into advanced concepts for all levels.
Taught by: Michael Loftus
Online: February 2, 2026 to March 2, 2026
Monday
Since the propaganda masters of World War II, in the Cold War and beyond, governments use their power over media to influence public opinion. This course explores how propaganda is created, why it is effective, who uses it, and why. We’ll see how “news” media become collaborators in influence campaigns and how media sometimes resist. Topics include contemporary social media propaganda and why social media and the decline of journalism makes these efforts more effective than ever.
Taught by: Ralph Begleiter
Online: February 5, 2026 to April 23, 2026
Thursday at 3:30 PM
Meet with fellow genealogy enthusiasts and family history buffs in an informal, collaborative setting to share our genealogy successes and to give and get help in solving some of the “brick wall” mysteries in our family trees. Each week, there is a general theme and an informal presentation to get us started, followed by group discussion. The only prerequisite for this course is an enthusiasm for genealogy. All levels of experience are welcome.
Taught by: Barbara Hamming, Reg Herzog
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at the University of Delaware
OLLI is an academic cooperative for adults 50 and over to enjoy classes, teach, exchange ideas and socialize together, with no exams or educational requirements for participation. OLLI welcomes you.
Kent/Sussex | Wilmington